I am a single parent.. and want to finish school..?

Question

How would i juggle a 5 year old with school and work.. and what kinds of things are out there to help me finacially? I make decent money.. but i want to do this to set an example for my child.. andy Ideas?

To make it worse i am not sure what i even want to be? is that stupid? can i just take generals.. or is there a site to help me figure it out?

You all have given some great help to me... an Hope as well.. thank you..

Answer 1

You should go to your local school and ask for help. Make an appoinment with a counselor.
In California we have CARE & EOPS Programs, in other states, the names might be different.

CARE Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education
Eligibility Criteria:
* Need to apply for Financial Aid
* Need to be EOPS eligible
* Member of a household that receives CalWorks financial assistance
* Need to have at least one child under fourteen
* Need to be a single parent, at least 18 years of age
If you qualify, yo will get:
Parking permit or bus tokens,Book vouchers, Financial Assistance, Individual, academic and career counseling
Fee wavier to transfer to university
CARE grants, Single parent support groups
,ASB cards provided,Gas Cards
---------------------------------------------
Go girl!!!!!!!

Answer 2

Have you tried working with the FIA (Family Independent Agency) or looked up the WIC program for single parents? You have alot more options then you think. It's going to be sorta embaressing at moments but be proud that your doing the right thing. I've watched alot of friends go hungry because they were to proud. I think it's an incredable thing that you want to go back to school. Follow your dream! You are absolutely not stupid for not knowing what you even want to be either. I had to dip into alot of things befor i found theater. But low and behold it's now my life ambishtion. LOL but first i need to work on my spelling. Anyhow depending on where you live there is always an online class guide for you. Make sure you study it well befor you pick becasue classes are overwhelming at times so i'd go with something easy to start with and slowly work into it. You will be surpriesd and how much you cant remember from High school. I hope the best for you and your child and if you ever have any quesitons feel free to write me and i'll do my best to help. Peace and stay safe.

Ninja Pokey,
[e-mail]

Answer 3

Very carefully - I am in the process of this myself. I am in my final year and I have a daughter of 7 and I am also a single mother and work a full time job (I have taken pretty much all night classes for the last 2 1/2 years).
It can be done but you have to be patient and very motivated and you have to accept the fact you will not have much of a life for a couple of years (depending on how many credits you take - I have taken 12 - 15 per semester). If you go the school you are thinking about enrolling in they have people that can help you with financial aid - scholarships - and student loans. Do some research on what you want to be google different jobs for a description- you could also start with generals and get them out of the way first and hopefully by the time it comes to picking your major you will know what it is that you want to do. It is alot of hard work to juggle all these duties and school but if you have the motivation and you can stick it out it will be worth it for you as well as your child. Good Luck to you!!!

Answer 4

Hello Lolita,

I don't have the best of suggestions. I only want to give you encouragement.

I think that it is possible for you to go to school. But you do have quite a challenge ahead of you. Perhaps if you took only one class a semester, even though that would be a slow haul, at least until your child gets older, you can plug away toward any goal you might have. Don't let the sound of that daunt your enthusiasm. It's a realistic picture. As your child gets older, you might be able to take more than one class a semester, varying each semester with the child's (or children's if you decide to have more) needs.

The time will pass anyway. A class a semester will build toward any future goals, and even if you have difficulty deciding "what you want to be" every class will ultimately help you with all jobs that you ever have. A college education (or if you switch at some time to a trade) will show dedication, perseverance, intelligence, and all good things in the job market. All knowledge comes in handy at all jobs!

There are vocational counseling services at schools. There are general degress (liberal arts or liberal science). There are "Career Days" at some universities to show you various job/career markets.

I have a AA degree from a community college. I tried university and did not succeed there, mostly because I did not know what I wanted to be. The time passed any way! If I had stuck to my own advice, I could have more than a four-year degree now, and I would have more mobility to do other things in life. I have, however, continued with Adult Education schooling, taking classes as I've needed to keep up in my own trade (secretarial work). But, I'm going to go back to one class a semester to take math, a subject that I am poor in but as you can see is an indispensable tool. Like I said, THE TIME WILL PASS ANYWAY. You will need to organize your time, but if you took one course a semester, you will achieve much in your life, and eventually you WILL discover where your passions are and then you'll have the groundwork for whatever you want to do accomplished.

The time will pass anyway......do you want to spend the scant extra time that you have going out to clubs looking for some ersatz "Mr. (or Ms.?) Right"? Or do you want to build a life that will last for your entire life?

Some community colleges as well as universities offer day/night care for while you are taking classes.

Financially, the first two years if you go to community college are more reasonable. The Junior and Senior years would be rougher for you. And, should you decide to get a Masters down the road (all totally possible even at a plodding pace), you would probably need to take out a loan.

I know that I write a great deal. But, as the Nike commercial says:

Just Do It!!!!

You will never regret an education.

Best wishes.

Answer 5

First of all, congratulations to you, Lolita, for wanting to complete your education. It won't be easy, but it can be done, and depending on where you live there may be some very helpful resources available to you.
Before you embark on this project, check in with the school you plan to attend. Make an appointment with the guidance or career counsellor, outline your objective and ask for their help in pinning down a goal.
At the same time, ask about financial assistance, about daycare possibilities for your child (some very fine schools have day-care facilities available for faculty and students. And several universities allow parents to 'work off' the charges for day care by helping out in the supervision. These are all things you can explore.
You might be better off to apply for a student loan, take a couple of years off from work, and simply complete your education, then get a job and pay back your loans etc.
The other option to consider is the military. They have some great supportive plans as well, can certainly help you with career counselling, and offer good post-enlistment benefits as well as veterans benefits once you complete your term.
good luck to you, whichever route you choose.

Answer 6

Well you need to find a school near by. Go and talk to a counselor. They will be able to help you by informing you for Financial aid. Student loans and also look on line. There are thousands of grants the give you free money for basically nothing. They have some for being Italian or Spanish. Even for being disabled in some way. I would say on line classes would be best for you but you may also be able to have a Friend watch your child a few nights a week while you go to school. There are a million options you will just have to look to see what works.

Answer 7

There should be nothing that could prevent you from accomplishing something you want to do - being a single mom is enough, but should also motivate you to do the same. It is worth the sacrifice.

I am also a single mom, and am two years away from my degree. I raised three boys, one was my nephew. I took as many classes as I could, when I could. It has taken me a while to do it, but I have managed to get 1/2 way there.

Suggestions: Online courses and credit hours for "life's work". Check with your local college for credit for prior learning through your job. You might be surprised that you can get most of your credits throught his mechanism. Online courses will allow you to do work at your leisure, but be mindful of due dates. Instead of leaving the office for lunch, use that time to do your assignments or take classes.

As a 5 year old he should be in the bed around 8pm - this gives you 2 hours each night to do more homework related stuff.

There is always financial aid through grants (if you can get it) and your employer should/may also have tuition benefits.

Yes, you can select general studies. But think of something you would really like to do - and be realistic.

Stay encouraged - YOU CAN DO THIS!

Answer 8

I'm a mum juggling a 2 year old and school its pretty hard keeping up with the work you just have to have the will power to do it. You could study from home if you found somewhere that would do that or take a night class depending on your working hours

Answer 9

no, it's not stupid to want to better yourself, a degree will help you financially in the workplace, and will open you up to new options. it will be hard to prioritize a child, school, and work, but so long as you accept that, it will be worth your while.

there are alot of schools that will cater to your needs and schedule, and you should always put the child first, even before work (tho keeping your job is more important than keeping the child happy with you, you need to feed him)

you may even want to consider on line or hybrid classes, there is a service group that can help you with finding the school best suited for you, but I'm sorry to say I do not know the name. i should be easy enough to find with some internet sleuthing though.

and yes, you can go start off without a major in most schools, giving you time to figure out what you want to do with your degree.

Answer 10

It's a very good idea. You'd be helping yourself intellectually and financially while modeling for your son that education is important. You can talk with a career counselor and the counselors available at your local are schools. Another suggestion is for you to look into online options, so this can be done in practical way for you in terms of extra expenses and time at home. I know that some local universities in my area have online options. I would stick to schools that have physical location and a reputation though. As far a finance, there's grants, scholarships, student loans. Tons of options, see financial aid counselor at school you eventually choose. You can also find books in the library listing various scholarships and grants awarded from hundreds of groups. Scholarships can be based on anything from interests, ethnic background, financial need, religious beliefs......... the list goes on. I hope this was somewhat helpful, though long. Good luck.

Answer 11

Hey,
If you are looking to save some money, and study you have two options. You could either work for the school you'll be studying or you could have a state/govt job. Either job will more than likely cover you tuition costs; both these jobs tend to offer these benefits.

You can look for these jobs at the schools website under Human Resources, Job Opportunities or over at Monster.com, and search under Government Jobs.

Also, if you are not sure want it is you want to study you can go ahead, and take the following test: http://www.projectcareer.com or you could also try http://web.tickle.com/channel/career/list.jsp.

If none of these websites give you a better view of what it is you want you should consider investing in a psychologist because they have excellent tools, and exams that will orient you in what your good at, and what it is you like. It's your future and your son's, invest!

Anyways, wish you the best of success!