I am a first-time mother and current college student. I’ll be the first to admit that I am clueless about raising a child, but I have four months left to learn. I decided to take my academic side and school myself on all things motherhood.
I get asked daily if I’m going to finish college now. When I say yes, I get many questions. How will I care for my child, while studying for an exam? Who is going to watch my child during my classes? These questions made me want to learn about juggling college and motherhood.
Mothers and fathers enrolled in college make up a quarter of all undergraduate students, according to Affordable College Online. Not to single out mothers, but women make up 71% of all college parents.
The support that college mothers receive will vary between whoever you ask. Some are fortunate with outside support. Some aren’t as lucky, but most parents can agree that we all struggle with providing a decent life for our child and ourselves.
Luckily, I have learned about support systems for college parents. Many of them, as an expectant mother, were new to me.
Scholarships and grants for financial support are available for mothers and fathers in college. Several colleges provide daycare services and most provide flexible schedules for parents. There are even support groups and counseling services for when you just need someone to talk to.
Here is a little motivation for college parents out there. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, “Student parents are often more motivated to pursue college by a desire to improve their children’s lives.” This leads to college parents having incredible grade point averages and graduation rates.
My baby will only be 7-8 weeks old when I start my fall semester. I worry about if I’ll be making the right decision, but I know that creating a better life for my son is what I want. Getting schooled on the vast resources available for college parents is extremely important and beneficial.
My first lesson on motherhood is don’t be too stressed over returning or finishing college as a parent. Take a breath and relax. College only lasts a few years. Motherhood lasts a lifetime.
