registering for classes @ square one

[spitbath]

i'm really excited about starting school again. i only graduated HS less than five years ago and waited to start college until i actually wanted to, and now that DS is here, i can't think of a better time.

my question is- how many credits did you mamas start out with in your very first semester? my LO will be 3mons when classes start, and i'm thinking about taking 15 credit hours. i won't be working, DH works FT and is supportive of me going back to school. i'll also have some living expenses from my grant, so $ is not an issue for us. i'm just wondering if, for somebody who's been out of school for a minute and is a first time mama, 15hrs is manageable?

encouragement/experience would be awesome!

[LynnS6]

As a professor at a college where we have a lot of returning students, I'd say: Take the absolute MINIMUM number of credits your first term. If 15 credits is your school's minimum, then try that. If it's not, go lower. At another point in time when you are a little more familiar with juggling school and family life, you can do more.

It's been 5 years since you were in school. Your study skills will be rusty. You'll have a newborn who will be nursing every 2-3 hours day and night.

[ck29_2000]

15 quarter hours or 15 semester hours? 15 quarter hours is doable and comparable to around 12 semester hours which is the base of full time. Ease in, take only one of whatever your hardest subject was in school. And have fun.

[spitbath]

15 quarter hours. guess i'll save all my lab classes for later!

[mightymoo]

Well, I'll tell you I have a 4 year old and a 6 year old, who are both in school part of the day and I chose to taken on a full time grad student load (which is 3 classes, 9 credit hours per semester) and it is absolutely killing me. My house is a disaster, there are no clean clothes, etc. I don't have a part time job and I don't have a baby. I agree, start small so you can see how you'll be able to handle it first. I am figuring out a way to not have to take any more than 2 classes from now on, since its just insane.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

I am taking 8 semester hours this term, and when DH was working, it was tough. I have a 2 yo and 3 mo DS that live here full-time, and a 7 yo DSD who lives here every other week. I do not work, but I do lead DSD's Brownie troop.

Before this semester, I was doing one class at a time.

Next semester, with DH at home full-time, I will be taking 17 hours. This will only be doable because DH wiil be at home - we were planning on using daycare before.

I would start slow. Better to take less and find it easy than to take too much and get poor grades or have to withdraw. It does depend on what kind of classes you are taking - a full load or sciences with labs is different than a full load of humanities courses (for most people, anyway).

Good luck!

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by ck29_2000

15 quarter hours or 15 semester hours? 15 quarter hours is doable and comparable to around 12 semester hours which is the base of full time. Ease in, take only one of whatever your hardest subject was in school. And have fun.

Actually 12 quarter hours is full time. You take 36 credit hours a year for full time.

If it's quarters, don't do 15. Really.

[Maluhia]

I'm starting back at 9 semester hours with a 5 year old and that will be a challenge - I think you may be biting off more than you can chew and that can set you back with grade issues or withdrawls?

I'm taking 3 classes - I think if I had a younger child I'd only do 2.

[Carita]

ITA with everyone - do the minimum for FT (or sign up for 15, giving yourself permission to drop a class if necessary), and count on child care FT. If you don't have childcare, I would only go back PT. Of course some of this depends on how strong your program/college is too.

[nolansmummy]

I normally take 12-13 semester hours. It is hard. I have two kids, one who is kindergarten. My husband is also in school full time. The house is never clean during the week. We eat dinner later than i'd like. School work gets postponed because if i'm not sick, someone else might be. It has been a struggle. Something is always getting put on the backburner!

I was out of high school for 8 years before i went back. DD was 6 mo when i started school, and it was even harder back then. She really struggled being away from me, and would nurse constantly when i was home allowing me to do not much else. She also wasn't sleeping through the night, which meant i wasn't either etc. I look back and wonder how we made it!

I would suggest lining up some daycare- even if its just someone to come over to your home while you study and also taking the minimum amount of hours required by your school at least for the first semester. If you find its easier than expected you can always add classes the next semester. Good luck.

[punkrockmomma]

I too am going back to school in the spring. I'm 29 and haven't been in school for 9 years. I have a 2 YO DD. I am only planning on taking 12 credits my first semester. My DP will be watching DD in the morning until he has to leave for work, then he will drop DD off at my colleges child care. I plan on having DD stay there until they close, even if I don't have class that late, so I can get as much reading and homework done as I can before I pick up DD and go home.I have enough financial aid to cover as much child care as I need, which is really nice. I'm usually in bed around the same time DD is, so there won't be much time to get homework done at home, along with making dinner and spending time with DD before bed. I need my sleep or I'm a zombie the next day.

[Ianthe]

I started school with my DS1 was 3 months too.. I took 6 credit hours (semester) and it was an easy load.. 9-12 would have been fine while he was still a baby. It gets more challenging as they get older.

[darcytrue]

I have a 7 week old and currently taking 3 credit hours online and its stressful. I started this semester before baby was born so I had time to get a lot of my assignments completed and turned in, thank goodness, because I wouldn't have been able to do it all otherwise. Next semester I plan to take only one course as well (another 3 credit hours) and the baby will be almost 4 months old at that time. I also have two older children who are homeschooled.

[Drummer's Wife]

I would only take two classes to start. Really. I register today, and am only taking 6 credits this semester. It's too easy to get overwhelmed. If 2 courses are a breeze, you can always take a full load the next term.

ETA: and with a 3 month old, are you taking all on-campus courses? Who will be watching him? I just ask b/c when my 2nd baby was 3 months old I took nursing aid courses while family took care of him and my toddler. Pumping was a bit of a challenge, between lectures and practicals.

[meemee]

i do not understand the hours thing.

take what is considered a half time student. so if 12 is full time, take 6. just for the first semester. ease yourself in slowly. get your life organised aruond school. when and how you will study, what are the things you are not willing to give up, what about home life your own life hours.

keep an eye on your english adn math (are they a requirement for you to graduate?). test into it and see how many classes you need to take because they will take a lot of time.

instead of jumping in and then desperately trying to swim, start small. for every lecture hour you will have to spend anything from 2 to 3 hours to study. if you take hard science classes then you need even more time. do not underestimate how much time you will need to study. and i mean YOU not a generic should number.

[AndrewsMother]

I guess that I am the lone, dissenting, voice. If you believe that you can handle 15 hours, go for it. The first semester that I returned to school I only took 12 hours, but I regretted not adding at least one more class.