7 Tips for Moms Going Back to School after a Break ...

The first and most important one of my tips for moms going back to school is to have support. Have friends and family that are willing to watch your child while you do homework or go to school. Or, have friends and family that are just willing to listen to you talk about how hard it is to go back to school and how mean your professors are. The most important thing you need to go back to school is people that you love in your corner.

It may seem like a good idea to try and knock out 18 credits a quarter, work and take care of your kid(s), but at some point you’re going to start to feel a little burnt out. So, know your limits, know how much time you can devote to your studies and take the appropriate amount of classes. There’s no shame in taking a little longer to complete your degree than the people that started school with you, especially if those people are 17 year olds that don’t have any responsibilities.

I have a great memory, I don’t forget anything, but when I started school that seemed to go out the window. I learned very early on that you should really just write everything down. If a professor assigns reading, put it in a planner. If you have a paper due, write it down. It’s better to write down everything and not need it than to need something that you haven’t written down.

If it’s your first time back to school after having a baby, don’t try and fill your schedule. Take one or two classes to dip your toes back into the learning pool. That way, you can relearn how to be a student without overworking yourself. Remember, you have a baby now and it’s probably been a while since you were a student; you don’t have to jump right back in like you never left. Things are a lot harder after a break so take it easy. If you find that you can handle more than the work load you first take on, add more classes to your schedule a little later.

My first time back to school after having my son, I tried online classes. After I got about halfway through the semester, I realized what a big mistake that was. I’m not very good with online classes since I set the pace and tend to put things off. Now, I know that I have to take a class where a professor is setting the pace. So, be sure that you know what kind of learning style you need to be successful in school.

This is the hardest tip to actually follow, especially if you have a child. But, in order to do well in school, you need to focus on school. Try and keep distractions to a minimum and really focus on the classes that you’re taking.

The first thing that you should do when you decide to go back to school is check out the financial aid office and speak to someone about what financial aid is available to you. Then, look on the school’s website and see if they have any services that apply to you. For instance, some schools offer a discounted day care center to students, some offer carpooling. Just make sure that you know what help you can get while going back to school.

Well ladies, these are the tips that I think will help moms going back to school after taking some time off. What helped you when you went back to school? Let me know down below!