working student moms, when do you work?

[singin'intherain]

I'm a single mom and a full time student. We've been living on child support for the last two years, but my ex is injured now and it looks like our income is going to just evaporate! I'm trying to figure out what to do. I have four kids, and my hugest expense is child care- I have three in a Sudbury school at $700 a month, and another at a private kindergarten at $500 a month. I'm paying for it all through a combination of student loans, grants, and about $200 a month from our child support. I realize that if I put them all in public school we would be fine, but I don't want to do that! Next year the youngest can go to the Sudbury school for no increase in tuition, and my kids are thriving where they are.

I know a lot of mamas work and go to school, but I can't figure out how I could do that and still see the kids and get my homework done. Tell me how/ when you do it all!

[AndrewsMother]

I have an undergrad research position and I spend about 9 to 12 hours a wek in the lab, but I am paid for 20. I complete my reading and other non lab work at home.

[singin'intherain]

AndrewsMother, do you mean you do some of your paid job in the lab and some of it at home? Do you have trouble fitting everything into your schedule?

[StephandOwen]

Well, my situation is slightly different. I work Mon/Wed/Fri from 8-2 (drop off ds at school, go to work, leave work, pick up ds). I go to school Tues and Thurs from 8-1:45 (again, drop ds off at school, go to school, pick ds up) and Mon/Wed nights (6:30-7:45.... except today I got out early because we had an exam). So Mon/Wed nights are the only time I'm at school or work when ds is not at school. It's the best schedule I could work out because I can't afford to quit working completely (though ds does get child support and that helps), but I can't work when ds is out of school (well... I can since I work at a daycare but I refuse to because it would be too much for my ds to handle).

I see ds every day from after school until bedtime (except for about 2 hours on Mon/Wed nights). I do my homework after ds's bedtime or while I'm sitting in the car waiting for him to get out of school (I get out of school at 1:45, get to his school by 2, he gets out of school at 2:35).

[AndrewsMother]

*59.

Originally Posted by singin'intherain

AndrewsMother, do you mean you do some of your paid job in the lab and some of it at home? Do you have trouble fitting everything into your schedule?

Yes, that is what I meant. At the current time I don't have trouble fitting everything into my schedule, but if I had to work extra hours I would not have the time.

I can't work after 2p.m. My husband works nights and it does not make sense to pay almost $500 a month in after school fees on top of PK tuition.

In the past, I have worked 40 hours a week (m-f) and attended school full time. It was tough, and some days I hardly saw my son. What works for me is /8/

[mamajama]

I take online classes and do schoolwork at night and work while the kids are at school. I haven't been using any childcare. Good luck with whatever you decide!

forgot to mention...I also do some after school care for my kids' friends which helps bring in a little bit of extra income.

[MaWhit]

I'm a single mom, too, who also suddenly lost child support that had been nearly enough to live off of. That was 3,5 years ago, and I'd received child supprt for 1.5 years.

I go to school online, mostly work from home, and homeschool the kids. No childcare expenses, no work clothes, no gas to get to work and school. Things are tight, but I've been managing with no child support for several years now.

I think online school is key.

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by MaWhit

I think online school is key.

This is true, but depending upon the chosen major online education might not be an option. I took quite a few online classes, but the school that I attend now offers few if any. Lab classes are also generally not available online.


OP, what is your major?

[sanguine_speed]

I had to make the choice to work half time and go to school half time. I was truly a single parent at did not have any child care help in the evenings or on weekends...so if I wanted to work-and I needed to-I had to reduce my course load and take longer to finish my degree.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

One thing I did when I was a student (but not a mom yet) was try to combine working and studying. I got a job as a security guard and sat a a desk for 8 hours, studying. So if your classes require a fair amount of work outside of class, this could be an option. Jobs at the campus library or as reception in campus buildings also lend themselves to doing homework.

Another thing to consider WRT the online classes is that if you plan on earning a professional or graduate degree, some schools either frown upon or do not accept online classes.

[mamajama]

Originally Posted by pinksprklybarefoot

One thing I did when I was a student (but not a mom yet) was try to combine working and studying. I got a job as a security guard and sat a a desk for 8 hours, studying. So if your classes require a fair amount of work outside of class, this could be an option. Jobs at the campus library or as reception in campus buildings also lend themselves to doing homework.

Another thing to consider WRT the online classes is that if you plan on earning a professional or graduate degree, some schools either frown upon or do not accept online classes.

More and more universities are offering online options for professional degrees. I earning a BSW at university via distance education. Same credit and acceptance as a face-face degree. My diploma won't specify that I'm a distance student. I do have a practicum coming up in January though which obviously is face-face.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

Originally Posted by mamajama

More and more universities are offering online options for professional degrees. I earning a BSW at university via distance education. Same credit and acceptance as a face-face degree. My diploma won't specify that I'm a distance student. I do have a practicum coming up in January though which obviously is face-face.

Maybe it is different for the field I am going into. I am applying to pharmacy school, and although there is one pharm school with online classes, the vast majority of them are pretty specific about their prerequisites not being taken online. Other health-related professional programs (med school, for example) I've looked at have been similar. But for a grad program in one of the humanities, maybe it is different.

[LilMomma83]

All the time I'm not in school...

Ok, seriously now...

I go to school M-F mornings and Thursday late afternoon. I work Sat (6-12, 8-5, or 6-5), Sunday (2-9), Monday (4-8), Tuesday (12-8) at my off campus job, then I work on campus (private swim lessons scheduled by me) on W/F afternoons.

DS1 goes to full day preschool Tu/W/F, DS2 goes to in home daycare by himself T/W/F, both boys go to in home daycare (because of the extended hours - her kids are grown and she is very flexible) on Th and Sa, and DH watches them Su and M - but, the in home daycare is open, so I could send them there if I didn't have DH to watch them (sometimes he works Su and M). I pay our in home DCP per day, and she only charges us for the days they go which really helps, I explained to her that I couldn't afford the price (I did this for DS1's preschool too) because of school etc and she lowered it a little for me which helped.

It is tough though...and I have help, so I can only imagine.

Oh, FYI- I used to work at a YMCA and I could put the kids in their drop-in childcare while I worked so I earned money without paying for daycare...it was great, plus they didn't take much taxes out, and gave 35% discount on programs! I think I'm going to start again in the spring.

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by mamajama

More and more universities are offering online options for professional degrees. I earning a BSW at university via distance education. Same credit and acceptance as a face-face degree. My diploma won't specify that I'm a distance student. I do have a practicum coming up in January though which obviously is face-face.

Originally Posted by pinksprklybarefoot

Maybe it is different for the field I am going into. I am applying to pharmacy school, and although there is one pharm school with online classes, the vast majority of them are pretty specific about their prerequisites not being taken online. Other health-related professional programs (med school, for example) I've looked at have been similar. But for a grad program in one of the humanities, maybe it is different.

I think a lot depends upon the school attended, and then the schools to which you apply. A students who completes a degree at University of Phoenix is known to have an online degree, unlike, a student who completes on online degree at their local university. If a student in my hometown of Houston were to complete an online BA/BS online via a brick and mortar college 1000 miles away while working a full time job in Houston, it would be implied that the degree was completed online. But from conversations with university officials, the degree from the brick and mortar college with an online degree program carries more validity than a degree from a traditional online college.

I have come across a few law and medical schools that will not accept online degrees, but non state online classes. Either way, I think that more and more schools are discounting the quality of online degrees and moving towards denying admissions to grad/professional school to online degree holders.

[Kristine233]

Right now its only part time school but I start full time in January and I plan on doing school in the morning and early afternoon and work after that. My job doesnt have set hours, I just really have to be available from 2:30 to 5:30 and I do paperwork and stuff that I can do anytime during the day, or at home. I either send my kids to afterschool care, bring them with me or do my work at home. I get free afterschool care because I work for the YMCA.

[singin'intherain]

I can take an online class here and there, because I'm doing prereqs at a community college, and they have some offerings. But I'm going into dentistry, so it's a lot of science with labs and complicated math that I really need to see explained in the classroom.

I'm scared of having to work every day after the kids get out of school, because that would mean I would only see them for half an hour in the morning, and maybe at bedtime. They are at their dad's eow, so that makes only four days a month (about) to spend with my kids. That sounds really, really sucky.

What kinds of jobs have people had where they could study at work? Anyone work at night, or do a paper route? These are some ideas I've had, but I don't know when I would sleep.

Thanks for all the ideas, keep em coming!

[AndrewsMother]

Do you qualify for work study? If so.....
library desk
computer help desk
recptionist in a dean's office
student center information desk
front desk worker in the gym

once you transfer to a four year college/university, there are many more options for jobs that will allow you to study while working.

[singin'intherain]

I qualify for work study, but is it too late to do that now? There was a mandatory orientation at the beginning of the year. I'll check into that.

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by singin'intherain

I qualify for work study, but is it too late to do that now? There was a mandatory orientation at the beginning of the year. I'll check into that.

There is a waiting list at my school, but it moves quickly. Contact a FA rep tomorrow and inquire about FA for the fall semester. Workstudy is considered income, but it is not used to disqualify you for need based grants and loans, so that is a definite plus!

[Southern_Belle]

Originally Posted by pinksprklybarefoot

Maybe it is different for the field I am going into. I am applying to pharmacy school, and although there is one pharm school with online classes, the vast majority of them are pretty specific about their prerequisites not being taken online. Other health-related professional programs (med school, for example) I've looked at have been similar. But for a grad program in one of the humanities, maybe it is different.

I'm applying to PharmD programs as well!

You are right. The programs for the most part are not online. There are a few schools (such as UMd) that have distance campuses, but still, not online per se. Even most of the pre-reqs can't be online. With all the science, it's impossible to go an online route.

I work about 45-50 hours a week, have once class on M/W evenings, and take a class on Sundays. I end up being creative with my time, ie studying during down time at work and lots of late nights after DD goes to bed. You do what you have to do in the pursuit of something greater!