Making it through school with kids
Earning a college degree is rarely described as easy. The late-night study sessions, group project meetings and 10-page papers take time and energy for any student to succeed. For those who have children, earning a degree becomes an even more difficult task.
Jordynne Hill, a sophomore in business, is grateful her mom can help out. She said she didn’t plan on having children during school, but said because she does have a 1-year old daughter, she still has to get through school, even though it is harder.
“If I did not have my mom to watch (my daughter) in the mornings while I am at school and when I need to do homework, I would absolutely not be able to keep going to school,” she said. “It takes up a lot of my time that I could be spending with my daughter. But in the end, I know it will not only be better for me, but it will be better for her if I am educated.”
Hill said she manages the additional stress by multitasking.
“You have to learn to feed the baby and finish your homework at the same time,” she said.
Professors play a key role in the academic progression of student-parents.
“For the most part, I have had really good teachers who are understanding. But I have had struggles before of not being able to get an assignment done on time, or missing class on an important day,” Hill said.
“I cannot help it when my daughter gets sick and is throwing up and needs me to hold her all night long, or if something goes wrong and I need to take her to the hospital,” she said. “Unexpected things come up and it can be a struggle to meet deadlines.”
Hill said she can tell when a professor is going to be willing to help, based on how they treat the class.
“However, I have had one or two teachers who do not care. It has almost felt as though they were trying to get me to fail the class, and that on top of an already hectic situation made everything worse,” she said.
Genny Bull received her associate degree in business before moving to Korea with her husband and 1-year-old daughter. Bull also struggled with working with some of her professors, but others were more understanding.
She said she didn’t have to drop out of school, but it was hard handling both responsibilities. She needed to take online classes in order to complete her degree.
“Not only is Laci time-consuming, but she was up every two to three hours because she had to eat,” Bull said.
She said she handled her online class by scheduling everything.
“When she was asleep or had just eaten, I would have to do my homework or take a test. The hardest part was those that were timed,” Bull said. “If Laci got fussy, then I would have to get her and try to take care of her while taking a test.”
She said both she and her husband did not plan on having children for a couple years, or until after she had finished school. But they had a change of plans.
“We felt like we shouldn’t put off having kids, so we didn’t prevent it, and Laci came at the perfect time,” Bull said.
She doesn’t regret their decision, even though it made school more difficult.
Katie Carter, a junior in interdisciplinary studies, is returning to school after an 18-year break. She is the mother of three children who are 14, 11 and 7 years old.
Carter’s husband is a veterinary consultant and though the family is working to pay off student loans, she said finances were not her reason for returning to USU.
“I always wanted a degree, but I quit school back then to put my husband through vet school,” she said. “I finally got a window of opportunity.”
Carter said it is difficult to be a student and a mother, but she and her husband strive to maintain healthy relationships with their children.
“The hardest thing is balancing school, family and religion. That is what grounds me and what keeps our family solid,” she said. “We make sure we spend time as a family. Family always comes first.”
As a family, they make sure to incorporate exercise daily and they have one-on-one dates with the kids. She said they plan fun activities like sledding, bowling, dodge ball, Foosball, softball and other games they make up each week.
Fortunately, Carter said she has never had a problem working with professors.
“I’ve never had to ask, we have worked it out,” she said.
Carter explained she keeps everything running smoothly because her family is “definitely a support system.”
She plans to have a career as a marriage and family therapist and would love to travel to struggling countries to help with the universal problems regarding relationships and family stability.
Chelsey DeWeese, a junior in psychology, had to drop a class this semester because she could not work out a baby-sitting schedule for her 11-month-old daughter.
“The only class I am able to take this semester is an online class because I can do it at home while I am watching Ellie,” DeWeese said. She will continue to take online classes until she can find a schedule that will work with her classes.
DeWeese said she often finds herself falling behind in her schoolwork because it is hard to manage school and care for her daughter simultaneously. She feels her professors’ cooperation is key to her academic success.
“While some professors are understanding, others are not. And it mainly depends on them if I am able to catch up on work and pass the class,” Deweese said.
It was not in her plans to have children during school, “but now that it has happened, I am that much more determined to make it through to my bachelor’s degree,” she said.
Travis Hansen, senior in public relations, said raising a child and going to school and work is a huge struggle. But he has never considered dropping out, despite the sleepless nights.
“My wife doesn’t go to school and she takes care of our son through the day,” Hansen said.
The couple have considered having another child, but decided to wait until Hansen graduates before thinking about.
“We would still consider it, even with graduate school, though,” he said.
Hansen’s professors have understood when he has a family distraction.
“My professors have been so great in helping me when I have to take care of him while my wife works or if he is sick and we take him to the doctor,” he said. “They have always helped me out.”
– natasha.bodily@aggiemail.usu.edu