If you are a parent, you probably spend a lot of time wishing you could do more for your kids. Whether that’s feeding them better food, sending them to better schools, or providing better opportunities for them, it’s something every parent wants. One way to make sure your children have the best life possible is to get a college degree or professional certification! Being prepared for a well-paying career can pave a path to success for you and your kids. That’s why we’ve put together this list of tips for parents in college.
Whether you are going to college for the first time, trying to finish a program you started years ago, or just want to take some classes and learn some new skills, there are options for you at York Technical College. York Tech in Rock Hill, SC is a low-cost, high-quality technical college with tons of great programs available no matter what your career goals are. To get started, click the button below! To learn some tips for parents in college, keep reading.
Make a Schedule
If you are a parent who wants to get a college education, the most daunting task may be finding the time to take classes. Between feeding kids, getting them to school, and taking care of the house, you probably feel overworked already. However, the purpose of going to college is making your and your kids’ lives better, so more time can always be found. To get started, write out what a typical week looks like for you. Put every activity you do on the schedule and estimate how long each of those tasks take. When you’re done, you should have a visual idea of what your schedule looks like.
Making a schedule is helpful because it makes it easy to see what activities can be removed, shortened, or rescheduled to give you the most possible time for other activities. These other activities could include taking a couple college courses! You may be surprised at how much extra time you have in your schedule. And if you don’t have much free time, the next tip could be helpful.
Take Online Classes
Have you made a schedule but still can’t find time to be on campus for classes? No worries! You can always take online classes. Most courses, especially those that many students need to take, have completely online class sections! Online classes allow for more flexibility and often don’t even have a dedicated class time. Instead, they consist of coursework assigned online to be completed before a due date. This allows you, as a parent, to work on your education when you have time.
Do your kids go to bed at 8PM? You can work on your classes for an hour or two each day after you put them to bed. Do you find yourself with free time in the afternoon? You can get your classwork done then! No matter your schedule, online classes give you much more flexibility if you have the self-discipline to get all the work done. If you’re curious what online courses are offered, contact us today!
Arrange Childcare
Professional childcare is expensive. It’s something that not every parent can afford. However, you probably know a handful of people who have raised children or who are currently taking care of their own kids. Whether it’s your parents or your friends, you can leverage your personal relationships to find caring people who will watch your children for a few hours each week while you get your career training.
Friends and family are likely to be supportive of your dreams, especially when that dream is to start a lucrative career. This means you may be able to convince your loved ones to take up some childcare responsibilities while you take college courses. This will make it much easier to focus on your studies and get your certification, diploma, or degree.
Set Goals
You don’t have to take six classes per semester. You can complete your career training at whatever speed works best for you, even if that means only taking a class or two each semester. This is something you are doing for your family, so you can go at your own pace. However, it’s important to have a firm, achievable goal in mind before getting started. Whether that’s to be HVAC certified in two years or to have a degree in accounting in five, your goals will keep you motivated even when things get stressful.
Before you invest time and money into career training, set a SMART goal. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Instead of saying, “I want a good job,” say, “I want to earn a basic welding certificate by this time next year.” This is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. If you set SMART goals in your career, you will have higher odds of success!
Many parents don’t think they have enough time to go to college. If you plan out your time, you’ll see that there’s always some extra time hiding somewhere. Some parents think no one will help them take care of their children. If you reach out to friends and family, you’ll be surprised who may be willing to lend a hand while you earn your degree or diploma. No matter your worries, there are ways to overcome them! If you have clear goals in mind and follow these tips, you can get a college education while being a fantastic parent. If you’re considering starting your career training at York Technical College in Rock Hill, SC, click the button below.
