According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, did you know that around 22 percent of the undergraduate student population are parents raising children?
Indeed, parenting is one challenging duty that robs your time and drains your energy. How about going to college? Its workload and demands can make life even more difficult.
But regardless of the complexity of these two responsibilities, many people have executed them side by side and achieved significant success. So if you’re looking to know the secret of balancing parenting and being a college student, here are our foolproof tips.
1. Plan Your Time
The best way to make one’s day, month, and year unproductive, or at least less productive, is to live without having a proper plan. Besides making you forget or feel lazy about essential tasks, lack of planning makes your day way more stressful than it usually should be.
As a parent and student, you need to prioritize managing stress by creating routines. With adequate planning, you can ensure that important activities are done on time and may even schedule some time to rest, helping you rejuvenate each day.
2. Make The Right Friends
Unforeseen circumstances are part of life. For example, you or your child can become ill; you might be involved in an accident, traffic delays, etc. Building a good relationship with the right individuals can help you through difficult, unforeseen moments.
They’d keep you posted on class assignments and practicals and even help you understand complex concepts that have been discussed in the classroom. Plus, there are times when you’d lack motivation and need the encouragement of a trusted friend to get back on track.
3. Seek Help When You Need To
Thinking you can shoulder all the tasks alone is setting yourself up for a stressful journey. To balance parenting and schooling, it’s essential to learn to seek help from your spouse, family, friends, or colleagues when you need to.
For instance, if you’re having a hard time studying for exams because your child is ill or just being stubborn, asking your spouse for extra support or having a family member around can significantly help reduce your workload and allow you more time for study.
Or, if you’re looking to do some essay assignments but can’t get enough time, getting help from a custom writing website can help you get the highest quality and save you from missing deadlines. Finally, remember that your family and true friends want you to succeed, but they may not know where you need help if you don’t communicate with them.
4. Avoid Perfectionism
College is a highly competitive environment, and it’s easy to feel pressed to pursue straight As like many others. However, treating yourself like everyone else and striving for perfectionism can take a massive toll on your parenting.
You may find yourself drifting away from your kid and becoming more engrossed with studies which can affect your relationship with your child.
As a parent and student, you should focus on striking a balance, even if that means being average on each side.
5. Talk To Your Instructor
Your instructors are humans too, and they understand the challenges of balancing parenting with studies. Some of them might once have been in the same situation, so they know how to show extra sympathy for you.
Suppose you miss a deadline or couldn’t attend some classes, letting your instructor know your situation before that time can help them give you some room for unforeseen circumstances. So while you’re striving to participate in all activities and perform well, your course instructor will understand if you lag in a few areas.
Finally, don’t forget to have fun amid all the work and stress of everyday life. A few moments of fun activities can keep your mental strength in shape and help you cope with the pressure of life.