So, you have decided that you want to go back into education? Great news! We are never too old to start achieving our dreams. Going to university as a parent can be a different experience to say the least. You now have a number of different commitments, and so studying is not your whole world, as may be the case if you went straight into university after school. However, this does not mean that you cannot pass your course with flying colours, and enjoy it in the process. Read on to discover some useful tips on going to university as a parent.
Organise childcare in advance – You will need to have a plan if you are going to go to university. Juggling being a parent and education can be a challenge, especially if you also intend to work at the same time. This is why you need to prepare in advance and organise childcare. Will your partner be available to help? Can your parents or other family members chip in? This will help you to build a good picture regarding your availability in terms of when you can attend university and when you can study.
Don’t be so hard on yourself – It is vital to remember that age is just a number. You may be worried because you have not studied for so long, but if you give yourself plenty of time to study, you will soon get used to it again.
Choose an online programme – For parents, online programmes offer a number of different benefits. This is something that more and more universities are offering. The University of Exeter is one of many UK education establishments that provide fully online courses. The most obvious benefit being that you will not need to attend the campus, meaning it is easier to fit this into your daily life. Not only this, but you can study as and when suits you, again making it easier for you to fit education into your life. Furthermore, you have the option to choose any university in the UK; you are not restricted to those in your local area.
Study smarter, not harder – You have probably heard this saying before, and it definitely applies to studying. You should study during those moments whereby you are going to be able to give it your full attention and get more done. For example, why not get up an hour or two before everyone else in the morning? You will get two hours of complete quietness, and you can get on with studying without any distractions. You will probably achieve more in this time frame than you would if you attempted to study from when your child got picked up from school to when they went to bed.
Hopefully, you now feel more prepared to go to university as a mature student. While this presents a unique set of challenges, it is also an exciting chapter in any parent’s life and you will be setting a great example for your children too.