Have Any of You Gone Back to School Once You Were a Mommy?

K.,
Yes I went back to school. I actually started before I got pregnant because we were having trouble concieving so I thought well if I cant get pregnant I will get my degree. My husband worked at a university that offered online and onsite classes. He went to onsite and I did online. I finished my Masters when my son was 1 year old. It was so worth it and I am very proud that I did it. I enjoyed the online classes because I was able to do them at my own pace and did a ton of work when the baby was asleep. My father always told me that the world can take so many things away from you but education is not one of them.
Good luck and if you can do it go for it!
C.

lol Yes, but after all 5 kids were born I went back to school. Just this year I went back at age 57.

I too am going to go back to school this spring sememster to finish my degree and get a teaching certificate. The closer I get the more excited and nervous I get, so I'm glad you asked the question and I look forward to reading all the responses. My kids are a little older, kindergarten and 3rd grade, so with them in school I should have quiet time to study BUT I wish I had started a few years ago... so get going girlfriend and don't look back!!!
Best wishes :)

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I have been keeping this posting so that I could respond when I had the chance. I went to nursing (LVN) school when my children were 1 & 2 years old. I had started going to school before my first was born and she was born 5 days before I was supposed to start the 2nd semester, so I didn't go back. Any way, I was in my last semester and my husband at the time started his first semester of LVN school. We both made it through, and our marriage survived another 8 years before he decided he was gay, but that's another story. It was tough, but we were determined and supported each other. We had to put the kids in day care for the first time and they survived and even thrived. Financially it was difficult. Thankfully at the time we were able to qualify for financial aid - grants, not loans. We also got child care grants. Nursing is a wonderful career, but it isn't easy. It is easy to get burned out. Once you start working, some employers will try to get you to work 48 + hours a week. Learning the NO word will help during school and after. Good study habits are imperative. As long as you have a good support group and are ready for a tough year for LVN or 2 years for RN. They you will be prepared. Good Luck on your next adventure.
A.
Feel free to contact me anytime.

I know you've gotten a lot of answers, K., but I wanted to give you another perspective. My husband and I are both college professors, and teach a lot of returning moms. We both agree that we LOVE teaching moms, and often prefer them to our other students. You're organized, motivated, and have your priorities in order. School takes time, organization, and motivation; it's a lot to juggle with kids, but I have lots of students who do it successfully. And moms are generally MUCH more on top of things than 20-year-old frat boys (lol)! It's also a great example to be setting for your daughter--she'll see that school is important, it's something Mom does too, and will see college as something to expect for herself, as well. I say, go for it! And GL!

I plan on returning back to school next semester and decided to wait until both of my children are in school. I figured that I will not have to pay day care while they are in school, and it would be easier to catch some quiet study time.
I have friends with children of all ages who are in nursing school. It is very demanding and requires a lot of studying, but all of them have found a way to make it work. Especially if their husband is supportive.
HTH

My biggest issue with going back to school actually wasn't the decision, it was finding the right university. If you are going online here is a little advice. Do your research! Decide what you want to do (nursing), and look for an online programs that will fulfill the state requirements. Lots of schools offer nursing programs but what if you decide half way through you want to specialize? Do they offer specialization in areas you might desire to go into? Also look at cost. University of Phoenix is about $1500 a course, Western Governors you pay for a six month block of time a flat rate, but they don't cover textbooks. Also don't discount local state universities and community colleges that offer online courses. Just make sure to ask if they are fully online program. Cost is the biggest issue and quality of education. I really love WGU even though it is only slightly cheaper if you were taking identical hours from UoP, you can actually take as many as you want as it is self paced. Speaking of that decide how much time you really want to spend devoted to learning. UoP is set up in 9 or 5 week blocks (depending on if you are getting your associates or actually working on your bachelors). This is great for accelerated learning but you are cramming a semesters worth of information into that time so it is heavy study. WGU you do one class at your own pace at a time, so if you need 5 weeks for a history class, but 8 weeks for math class then you can. There are a plethora of options and don't get pulled in by pushy salesmen.

Hi K.,

I started back to TCC a little over a year ago to finish up the prereqs for the nursing program. I have a 4 year old and a 3 month old. I have been taking 2 classes and a lab per semester (except this current semester as I had a baby in July and expected to be sleep deprived for a few months!!) I plan on going back next semester but am going to try to finish up online so we can save on childcare until my oldest starts kindergarden. In the meantime, my 4 y/o will go to a mothers day out program after the holidays (or after this whole flu situation has passed) so that will give me some time to study while the baby sleeps. Also my mom can watch one or both on occasion if I have some real intense studying to do. As for if its worth it...yes! I am doing this so my family can have more financial security. Which to me is worth the time away from the kids and the stresses associated with balancing it all.

Good luck, I hope you give it a shot, it'll be worth it!

my mom, my sister and I all went back to school after having our children (my mom after having 5 children). We all did fine and our kids, including me when my mom went to nursing school, adjusted just fine. My mom and sister both are nurses and though my mom is retired, loved every minute of it. My sister is also a nurse and loves what she does too. I have a bachelor's degree in education, and even though I'm choosing not to teach full time, I do substitute teach and really like it. Follow your dream. A woman really can have it all. It won't be easy by any means, but I don't regret getting my education for one minute.
However, my husband and I have started a home based business and are planning on it making us both free to stay at home permanently within the next 5 years. If you would like to find out more about it, just email me at ____@____.com

Hi K.,

I highly recommend going back to school while your little one is still so young. It'll be a difficult transition and you'll feel like giving in, but it's totally worth it. When I started school, my mom watched my son for me. However, at 2 yrs old he was placed in daycare. It was horrible for the first few weeks. Once we got into a system and routine, it became much easier though. I am still pursuing my bachelor's degree and now have two elementary school children and one middle school child. It's been extremely hard to keep up with my work while helping them with theirs, not to mention all the extracurriculars. Anyway, you should definitely do it... it'll only enhance your life and give you a better means of living for you and your wonderful little one. Best wishes and may God bless you two.

M.

I never really totally left school for a long period of time, but I did go while I had my 3 children. I was in my second year when I got pregnant with our first. After that I cut school back to half time and worked part time. It took me 8 years from start to finish to get my degree. I have a degree in Agribusiness. My children were 5, 2, and 1 when I finally graduated. I wish I had studied more instead of playing with the babies, but I am proud that I did finish. I will admit it was not easy, but I believe it was worth it.

Good luck with your decision.
S.

Hi K., go for it! I have 3 girls, they are 6, 5 and 3. It was not easy making the decision to go back to school esp since I was a SAHM for the older two girls. But now, 2 years into it, I am so glad that I did. I currently attend TWU (an awesome school for nursing)and I'm just at the tail end of finishing my pre-reqs for the nursing program. I am testing for the entrance exam (HESI) next month and just purchased my review book. With all that said, I'm just going to tell you the truth...It is not easy. Nursing is a very competitive program to get into, if you want to succeed you have to do good from the start, you HAVE to make the grades otherwise you will be wasting your time and you can forget about getting into the program.

Life is chaotic, I am always working on something, if its not my school work it's helping the girls with theirs. I don't get to be sick, even if I am. I've learned to celebrate if I manage to get in 4 - 5 hours of sleep each night. The housework, cooking and laundry still need to be tended to. And in the midst of all this, I make it a point to dedicate 2 entire weekend days, mostly Fridays and Saturdays, to nothing but the girls. Chaotic, but very much doable. You just have to stay on top of things from the get go.

I went thru a period of constantly asking myself if I was doing the right thing, kinda like second-guessing myself. But now that I have come this far and I am at the brink of it all, I think it was and is all worth it. Like a lot of the other moms have said, it's something for my children to look up to, it's priceless!

If this is something you really want, you can do it. Just remember to stay on top of things and life will be a lot easier for you while you are in school.

~Another mom in school. =)

I went back to school two years ago and my kids are 5 and 6 now. I do most of my courses online through Texas Woman's University. Online courses are fabulous and flexible, if you are good at managing your time. I've also done weekend classes and condensed evening classes in person. It's hard, but each class I complete gives me such a feeling of accomplishment. I'm going to school for business and computer science becasue I never finished my Bachelor's degree. I plan to continue until I have two Master's degrees. Take a look at the schools that offer online degrees, or programs flexible enough to fit your lifestyle. You won't regret going back to school. I'd also encourage you to outsource things like housekeeping and lawn care if you can - that will give you more time to spend with your family when you aren't studying. You don't want your daughter to feel like she missed out. Good luck!

My son is 15 months old and I have been attending class since last June. It might be different than what you need but I attend the University of Phoenix and do all my work online which is wonderful. I can do my assignments while my toddler is taking a nap or in the evenings after my husband is home. I am in it to get my degree in Education. It is so wonderful to do this because I know it would not be possible for me since i am a SAHM to be somewhere in class at a certain time. I would gladly give you more information if interested. Best of luck with your decision :)

I am a single mom of a 4 1/2 yr old Special Needs son and a 18 yr and I have some learning disabilities and ADHD. I have gone to school for medical assistant when my youngest was 8 months and always sick with Acid reflux, chronic ear infections and going through my divorce. It was rough and many times I felt like quitting but so glad I didn't. I am going back to school and my 1st time in college in Jan for social worker. I have always dreamed about being a social worker and finally following my heart.
I say Go for It. It is Very scarey but I know you can do it. Your daughter will be very proud of you and better now then later. I am 39 and it's hard for me to imagine starting college at my age but at least I can say that I tried.

Good Luck,
M.

My husband and I are both nurses and have completed our schooling after having children. It is HARD!!! However, if you have the support of your husband or significant other/family, you can do it. Being educated is priceless right now. If you have the opportunity to go, I say take it. In fact, my husband is in nurse practitioner school right now. Like I said, it's not easy, but doable. You will have to be VERY disciplined. It's fun to watch our boys asking their daddy about school and wanting to see what he's learning and doing. I think it's a great example you can set for your kids. That they can see you getting an education and showing them how important it is, is also priceless. Good luck to you!!!

I completed nursing school with 3 sons... one in Kindergarten and two at home...potty training middle one as I started school and of course the youngest was in diapers. I completed an Associates degree Nursing program taking full time plus during most semesters and lived on 4 hours of sleep most of the time so it can be done.... of course I was younger then LOL... graduated as I turned 30. If you want it bad enough yu can do it and the ability to go for it is certainly worth it.

Dear K.:

I started back to school last year and will hopefully be entering the radiological sciences program at Brookhaven this January.

My child is much older than yours, (she'll be 14 next week), but I've met many fellow students with young children.

Going back to school is ALWAYS worth it!! Just make sure you've sat down and figured out times to study. The rule of thumb is at least one hour outside of class for every hour in class. For some very technical classes, Anatomy and Physiology, for example, I found took more time than that.

Another suggestion for balancing school and family is Internet courses. My first two semesters and summer semesters were primarily taken online. You have to be very disciplined to sit down every day and get your work done, but I could take a full load, work part time and get my daughter where she needed to be.

There are LOTS of moms going back to school. Every mom I've met at school who is thriving had a plan of how much time she could take classes/study and had a very solid child care arrangement in place before beginning.

Another tip for studying: look at your schedule for all the little wasted areas of time. Carpool lines and waiting at the dentist, riding the exercycle at the club are excellent study times. I can't remember the last time I read a paperback book, but the trade-off is a 3.85 GPA!

Go for it!

L. F., a brand-new radiological technologist in 2012!

Anytime someone can do something to better themselves, I say do it! We are mothers! We are capable of anything! Go for it while you have the support of your husband or family. It's better now since your daughter doesn't have her own homework and two years goes by so fast. She won't even remember you being gone by the time you graduate.

I went back for my PhD when my kiddos were 2 & 4 and a good friend had a 4 month old. It is not easy, but it is manageable with support from your significant others. Yes, it does take some time away from kids, but it also is such a great learning tool. Mine are now 4 and almost 6 and they are so proud of Mommy and my hard work. There are times when I don't get much sleep, but it's worth it. Good luck!

My kids are 5 and 3 and I've been in school since each of them were born. I go 2 or 3 classes at a time and it works out great. The best thing about it is that it's FOR ME, which I don't get to say very often about very many things. I've enjoyed school so much more than I did at 19 years old. I appreciate it more and focus better and make MUCH better grades. I'd say go for it, but take your time. You don't want school competing with time with your daughter, it's not worth that. I know other moms doing the exact same thing. Don't let having another one slow you down either. I took both of my newborns right to class with me, professors around here are so great. I have nursing student friends with any where from 2-4 kids, and one of them is in graduate school to become a practitioner! Good luck, you can do it!

K.,

You have gotten a ton of wonderful advice, but let me just add a bit to it.

Yes, you can go back to school. Like most of the mom's have said, mothers have more drive in school, usually make better grades, and are typically much more organized. I have been in school forever (seems like) and I now have a 3 year old and a 15 month old. It is not easy, but it can be done. I must stress again IT IS NOT EASY.

You need to decide what type of school you want to go to. Nursing school can be done online, I believe and I had a good experience through University of Phoenix. Just be careful with online classes because it is very easy to "temporarily" learn the stuff they are teaching and then forget it later b/c all of the tests are open book (since you have them right in front of you). I got my AA in Business from UOP and this semester I started at Texas Tech. Although it is much harder, I feel that I am receiving a better education and am definitely learning more. I have all A's right now and although it makes for some late late nights and sometimes very little sleep I know that it will be worth it. I'm not even close to done either, 2 more years at Tech and then Law School...

If you start, don't quit. Keep imagining the future...these years are going to pass whether you are in school or not. You can be 4 years older, or you can be 4 years older with a degree. You know?

Good luck!!

I'm in school right now getting prerequiste classes done for nursing school, I take two classes online and a class at school. I put my 2.5 year old in a two day a week preschool program so I study all day those two days and I work Thursdays Saturdays and Sundays at a hospital as a nurse assistant, I feel like it's pretty balanced, I do miss time with my daughter but I know it will all be worth it plus I wont go to school during the summer so its okay because her birthday is in july.

Great question! Hoping to gather some good advice as I am considering going back to get my masters - work fulltime and have 2 kiddos under 3.

i have a bachelor's and master's degree, as well as a certificate. it totals about 10 years of education. i was not a mommy for the first 3 1/2 years. the last child was born halfway thru my master's degree. i won't lie. it's not easy to balance it all. you want to be perfect at everything and never ignore your child, but you do it for you and your family's best interest. so you explain to your child that mommy is taking classes and has homework. during that time, the child must not bother you unless bleeding or death is an issue. ;) does this mean late nights or at nap work hours? some days, yes. but by all means, use the tv as a babysitter if needed for a quick hour or two of homework. rely on family and friends for child care. feel no guilt because you know what the end result is: a better life. i am a librarian and love my job! no regrets over the years and sweat spent on school. heck, my kids still ask me on occassion when i'm going back to school! they think it's normal!

I have a 3.5 month old and right now I'm taking online classes and one class on Sat. while my husband stays home with him. I'm going back for my teaching cert. Its really not that bad doing the whole stay at home mom thing and finishing my degree. We don't have a sitter or family in the area to care for our son so my only option is to talk online classes. Sometimes the time gets away from me, I'll look at my schedule and realize I have an assignment due that day, but so far I'm maintaining all A's!! Oh I'm only going half time right now but next semester I plan on adding another class. I definitely feel like all the hard work of juggling being a mom and wife and student will be worth it in the end when I can provide a good income and a good example to raise my son with...Good luck!!

K.,
I had a bachelors degree from a very well known private university. I had a good job but I went back to school for my nursing degree specifically because I had young children.
Because of time constraints with family time I went to Collin County for an ADN instead of another bachelor degree.
I would follow the advice to take your prep courses online but would not recommend any online nursing school. They are not thorough enough and I know a lot of nurses that had to retest several times to pass the boards. However, I would recommend them for an RN to BSN ot MA program because you know the basics. I also would recommend you think carefully if you go to work as a nurse's aide during your classes because it is a stressful and sometimes thankless job. I found a job with no problem when I graduated with no "real" nursing experience. (However, actually being accepted into the program is the main challenge - most everyone in the classes are older and have a family.) I have a job I love (working at the same hospital for nine years) and only work two nights a week and have more freedom with my schedule and make lots more money than my "first" career. Presby offers on-site child care (other hospitals may also) which puts you right there for your kids. Anyway, a supportive husband and family is a must to make it work! Good luck to you!

I haven't but I am very interested to see what responses you get. I have had a huge desire to get my degree but it's hard to see how I could make it work. Hopefully someone has some good ideas :)