full time work and school- is this possible?

[inky leeuhhh]

I have just started school again. I'm taking 10 credits (two classes) and i work full time, getting home about 6 pm. I'm really hoping to cut my hours back in the fall so I'd be home by 3, but not sure how that's going to work out. I'll def be taking one class next quarter instead of two (have to take classes even in the summer to qualify for the program I'm in). Has anyone here had success with working full time and going to school and balancing a home life? As it is, i figure I'll be studying on my lunch break, and from about 8 pm till 11 after the kids are in bed. My classes started two days ago, but i don't have a realistic idea of how it will work yet because i've been home all day the last week with a hurt back. i'll be going back to work tomorrow. So far, it's been super busy- but i'm also just trying to adjust to school in general, as i haven't been for at least six years ( uh yeah, took a little break there..). anyway, sorry for the blabber i haven't had any coffee yet this am. anyone else in my shoes who can give me some advice or words of encouragement? thanks!

[Freedom~Mama]

Well I am not quite in your situation but I have been taking 14 credits online this semester and am home full time with my girls. I am a single Mom and have my girls all week so I pretty much just do my classes are night when they are in bed. It has been pretty tough. If I wasn't so motivated to be in school I am not sure I could keep up with it. It is def. possible, I would say the biggest thing that has helped me is keeping on track and doing the homework for one class every night. Even if I am tired I take a test, read, write an essay, do a discussion board, etc. I have been able to stay on track and am getting all A's. It has been a lot of hard work but I think that is just how it is if you go back to school when you are a parent. Good luck! You can do it!

[inky leeuhhh]

thanks. i know if i can just make it through this quarter, if i needed to i could drop down to one class per quarter. but then it would take me much longer to get through school. i'm sure if i could be home by mid afternoon i could make it work, so hopefully that will work out for me, too.

[mamacatsbaby]

Originally Posted by Beautiful~Life

Well I am not quite in your situation but I have been taking 14 credits online this semester and am home full time with my girls. I am a single Mom and have my girls all week so I pretty much just do my classes are night when they are in bed. It has been pretty tough. If I wasn't so motivated to be in school I am not sure I could keep up with it. It is def. possible, I would say the biggest thing that has helped me is keeping on track and doing the homework for one class every night. Even if I am tired I take a test, read, write an essay, do a discussion board, etc. I have been able to stay on track and am getting all A's. It has been a lot of hard work but I think that is just how it is if you go back to school when you are a parent. Good luck! You can do it!

Pretty much everything Beautiful~Life said applies in my situation except I have my DH to help some and it's still hard as hell. Took 13 credits last semester while PG, WOHM (although I was more PT), and chasing my 4YO. Aced all my classes and made the Dean's list.

Went half-time this semester and took 7 credits b/c babe was coming and no way could I do full time. In fact, I have no Earthly idea how I did so well last semester! I just got on the grind ya know? Yeah, if I wasn't as motivated as I am I couldn't do this. It's a lot to juggle. And definitely, if you're a parent and in school, you just gotta brace yourself for the extra bumpiness.

For summer semester I plan to be in school full-time again and I'll be working tons more. Craziness is what things will be . Hell, I'm just trying to make it the next few weeks through this semester!

Good luck! You can do this thing! I've got a sleeping babe on my lap, 4YO out for a few with dad. I should be studying instead of on this board but I've been working all day! I don't want to study!

[heartmama]

I was working full time (40 hours) and going to school fulltime (4 classes=12 credit hours here) last year.

It was tough. Really tough. This was at a community college which is friendlier to working adults. My dp was very supportive and took over all the homeschooling of of our then-11 year old. Still, it was not a schedule I could have done forever. There is no way I could have managed it with small children, or without a partner helping me almost full time.

I started at a 'real university' this last fall, taking 12 hours, and working about 25 hours. It was tough but I managed.

This current semester I took 16 hours (=5 classes) and cut back my work hours to 15 hours, and honestly, it was TOO MUCH. I did not see my son as much as he wanted, and was fairly stressed.

Work is time consuming, but school is HARD. If you work, you have less time to get school work done. If you have kids, there is even less time.

Whether you can do this depends on your level of self discipline, your temperament and the kinds of work and classes you take.

Remember that schools will say that for every 3 hour class you take, you should devote 6 hours of time per week outside class to study. So if you take 4 classes that means you are in class 12 hours, and then should have 24 hours of study time during the week. If you are working full time that adds up.

It also depends on your expectations. I am pretty driven in terms of grades, and wanted (and got) straight A's. However, the stress of doing that was very real.

Next fall I will cut back. My son is starting high school, and asked me to be available to help him with that adjustment. I will just take 2 or 3 classes, and work part time.

You do miss out your kids' childhood, and in the end taking 12-16 hours of classes AND working fulltime just left very little for my son (and he is a teenager...I can't imagine this with small kids).

It can be done, but for me it was quite stressful. I missed my kid!

[mamacatsbaby]

Originally Posted by heartmama

It can be done, but for me it was quite stressful. I missed my kid!

Well yeah, the stress is no joke. And for me, the guilt is God awful! I miss my kids and they're right here with me! If that makes any sense . I have to keep reminding myself why I'm doing this. If I don't I will not be able to provide for my kids in the way they deserve. In the end, if I don't go to school and just work my dead-end jobs I won't be happy and neither will they. I want them to see me achieve and surpass my goals. I want them to know that they can do the same and that I fully expect them to do the same! It's all so difficult to balance. I just have to have peace in myself and just know that I'm doing the right thing. I don't want my children to watch me work myself into an early grave.

[meandmine]

Exhausting, stressful, rewarding, intellectually challenging and a bit much.

I am almost done and glad of it. I do love the intellectual component, though.

I didn't work every night from 8-11, but 2-3 nights a week, I did, and then occasionally benders on the weekends to write papers, etc.

You can do it. It will be hard, but if you think the pay-off is worth it -- go for it.

M

[inky leeuhhh]

thanks everyone for the replies! i am pretty motivated right now, so i have that on my side. i have been waiting to go to school for SO long, and my whole family is cheering me on. i want to begin ttc, so i think after this quarter i will cut back to just one class per quarter until we figure that out. i can't do two classes, work, and morning sickness at the same time. i know that for sure! i am very lucky in that my 1 yo is super easy and will pretty much play while i study on the weekends. dd2 is 6, so also pretty self sufficient, although she is homeschooled and that does take up some time. it will be an interesting journey, that is for sure!

[heartmama]

I am still going to stay in school, because like others said this is the only way to avoid dead end jobs for the rest of my life...I'm just saying that I found 16 hours to be TOO much. Even if I didn't have a child, 16 hours of classes and a part time job leaves NO time, so for me to ever take 16 hours again and keep up an A average, I'd almost have to stop working.

Whether *your* limit is 9, 12, or 15 hours will depend. I was okay at 12 hours and a part time job, but not more than that.

In fact, if I get to law school, it is mandatory that first year students not work. Otherwise you are kicked out, because in law school, every semester is 15 hours. That can mean 45 hours of time out of class to study and do homework, in addition to the 15 hours in class.

My first year back I was SO MOTIVATED that it honestly wasn't overwhelming to work full time and go to school full time.However, it started to wear me out after about 3 semesters.

You said you are taking two classes, which I think is do-able with a full time job and kids. Still, you might find yourself needing to cut back work hours during midterm and finals week.

[meemee]

i am going to school because i want to. not because of what i will get at the end. school will let me work in a field that is my passion. i have no idea what work i will find but that doesnt matter. i cant NOT go to school.

and yes i returned after a 7 year break.

for me - esp as a single mom full time work and full time school is absolutely not going to work. there is no way i have that kind of energy that i had when i was 20. i find now i am more distracted and have low energy. mostly what i miss is just some time to breathe.

it all depends on teh type of classes you are taking. are they easy for you or do you have to struggle to finish them. do you spend a lot of time on them - writing papers, research, etc?

to me it is just not worth it. i refuse to put up with that much stress. and i refuse to miss out on dd's life. as much as i love school, dd comes first. that is v. clear to me.

one motto i have always followed is no matter what i never ever want to have regrets that i missed out on time with dd. tomorrow if dd gets terminally ill and dies i will have no regrets that i didnt spend enough time with her. every minute, hour i get with her i treat as a special gift - not take for granted. and i will not allow anything to come between us. that is why i did not go back to school till dd was in first grade.

i will never work full time and do school full time. i did full time summer school last year adn regreted it so much. i felt i took dd's summer holidays away from her. this year will be different. she is much happier to hang out with others rather than stay with me. so this year i will take classes with no regrets.

i find working was so much easier than going back to school.

is it doable - of course it is but like everything else it comes at a cost. are you willing to pay that price?