Going Back to School Without Backing Out of Your Commitments

A new semester is just around the corner. As summer approaches the edge of fall, students of all ages are gearing up to go back to school. For parents, going back to school can be a challenge. You already have so many responsibilities: how do you add “college” without something else getting lost in the mix? Not only do you have the delicate balancing act of going back to school with your work and home life, but your child may have their own anxieties about re-entering the flow of learning after a summer of sun and fun.

"Balancing the delicate act of going back to school with work, and family, and other responsibilities may seem overwhelming, but with effective time management and a stable schedule planning, you can walk the straight line toward graduation," said David Hall, Rio Salado's Director of Academic Advising. "Stay organized, get ahead of things, and communicate your intentions with your family and support system to make going back to school a positive experience for everyone involved. Remember your purpose and break your educational journey into smaller milestones to keep yourself motivated." 

Time Management

As a parent, you know better than anyone how little time there is in a day. Balancing your commitments to family, work, friends, and personal interests and hobbies is a challenge. Adding in school means something will have to give when it comes to your daily schedule to make room for classes, studying, and assignments. This is where time management comes in. The key to a successful education as a parent is to be organized and efficient with your time.

The first step is to inventory your time. Audit what an average week of your life looks like. How many hours do you spend working? When are you with family? How much free time is left for you after work and family responsibilities are fulfilled? Are there periods of time during the day where you are least distracted and most productive? Once you get a sense of your daily structure, you can play with it. Think of it like jazz: once you know the notes, you’re free to improvise and take risks.

Students often find it very helpful to have a daily/weekly planner, either on paper or digital, in which to record commitments by the hour.  It is a great visual tool to notice where you have open times to get your own schoolwork done. 

Schedule class work during your free time. If you already have a jammed schedule, waking up an hour or two earlier to study in the morning or staying up later in the evening to study while the kiddos are asleep can make a big difference. Find little pockets of time that you can devote to reading and studying. Do you find yourself spending a half hour watching TV or endlessly scrolling online? Put your devices aside and pick up your study materials. Sneaking in a bit of learning like this – as though they are snack breaks for learning – can also help reinforce what you’ve learned and give you a sense of forward momentum. In order to make progress it’s important to feel like you’re making progress.

You Can’t Be Too Organized

Home life can be chaotic and unpredictable: Kids get sick, They have to go to places, personal emergencies and crises can arise at the drop of a hat. That’s why having a stable schedule and staying on track with schooling is crucial. Mark down due dates for everything and keep them somewhere you can see- a wall calendar is much harder to ignore than a note app on your phone that you check once a week. Don’t forget to track other important dates for non-school things like children’s games, school performances, sports practices, etc. That way you’ll ensure you’ll never “double-book” yourself and put yourself in a difficult scheduling situation. 

Combine analog with digital by setting reminders on your phone. That way if you forget to check your planner or overlook a written note about an upcoming quiz or project due date, you’ll have a digital nudge to keep you on track. You can also set up a shared digital calendar with your family so you can track each other’s appointments and set reminders for each other to keep things organized.

Get Ahead Of Things

Procrastination is a luxury you can’t afford when you’re juggling work, family, and school. Something has to give when one part of your life needs more attention, and it’s easy to let your studies fall by the wayside if you’re already dragging your feet when it comes to getting your schoolwork done. “Frontload” your coursework and do it in advance as much as you can. Don’t wait until the last minute: get it done early. Not just because it’s one less thing to worry about, but taking care of your assignments ahead of time means you won’t have to scramble or play catch-up later if an emergency comes up.

Communicate Your Intentions

It can be hard to transition into a “back to school” mode after a long summer; it can be even harder to make that switch if everyone else in your close circle isn’t on the same page. Before you go back to school, communicate with your family about your plans. If you live with a partner, recruit them to step up and fill in with home and child responsibilities. Offer your kids incentives and rewards for giving you space while you study or ask them to join you at the study table. Check in with them afterward: spend time doing something together so they don’t feel neglected and know how much you appreciate them. Doing this early on helps establish you going back to school as “A Good Thing” and could help ease any anxiety they may feel at the possibility of you being less available.

Steer Clear Of Distractions

When you live with kids, a distraction-free space may seem impossible; but one of the best things you can do to prepare yourself for success is to set up a clean, relatively secluded spot where you can learn. Find a place in your home that doesn’t have a lot of foot traffic. Keep only what you need for your work close at hand; leave your TV, game console, and/or the books you read for pleasure somewhere else. If you spend a lot of time on social media, log off your accounts and consider adding two-factor authentication. The hassle of trying to log on can be a deterrent from hoping online. You can also set up apps that lock you out of certain sites so you have to stay on target. This is something you can use for your kids too to help them stay on top of their classes as they delve into more demanding material.

Noise is also an important factor: quiet is key for a successful study session. If you can’t find a quiet space in your home, consider investing in some noise-canceling headphones.

Build a Support Network

You don’t have to go through your educational journey alone. Have peers and mentors you can touch base with. Connect with fellow students in your program and get a study buddy. Finding other parents who are in school can be a great way to stay motivated: you can share tips with each other on how you navigate your various obligations. Don’t overlook the benefits of mentoring the younger generation as well: a study buddy who doesn’t have kids or is in a different phase of life could benefit from the wisdom you’ve acquired (not to mention that youth has a fresh perspective that could be good for you, too).

Keep in mind that your teachers and school staff are part of that support network. Communicate early on with your instructor and let them know you have children. Share your eagerness to learn but also let them know that you may have situations in life that could draw you away (hopefully briefly) from your studies. If you fall behind or have to miss a due date, communicate that issue as soon as you can. Remember: your instructor WANTS you to succeed. Many of them have families of their own and understand the complexities you’re dealing with.  

Know Why You’re Doing This

It’s easier to honor a commitment if you can stay focused on WHY you made it. What’s bringing you back to school? Do you want to earn a degree to provide a better living for your family? Are you trying to achieve a personal milestone by graduating college? Striving to broaden your horizons? Know why you’re doing this and remind yourself of it often, especially in times when the work gets hard and you find yourself questioning your decision to go back to school.

When you have a concrete goal like “earn a degree” or “master this skill” in mind, you can make an action plan to help you achieve it. Break it down into smaller goals. Make a list of the classes you need to take and/or the skills you need to acquire and turn them into milestones. Instead of one big goal that may be a year or two down the road, you can have several smaller goals that you may achieve in the next few months. Winning is addictive: the more you accomplish, the more you feel you can do more.

You can even involve your family in your goals. Pass a hard test? Complete a class? Celebrate it with some ice cream, a movie night, or dinner at your favorite restaurant. These sorts of activities can act as both a thank you to the people close to you for supporting you as you worked toward this achievement, and also as a way to encourage them to keep being your cheerleaders.

Take It Easy

The temptation to hit the ground running when you’ve been away from school for a while (be it a summer or a few years) is strong but you don’t want to over-commit yourself. If you haven’t studied in awhile, talk to an advisor to find a slate of classes you can ease into. You don’t want to take on a workload that’s too big to handle; that kind of experience could demoralize you and put you off staying in school.

The same “don’t do too much” approach applies to studying, as well. Spending hours studying isn’t productive: research has found that our ability to retain information diminishes after 25-30 minutes of concentrated work. Study in chunks of time and take breaks to recharge your batteries and give your mind time to go back to neutral. Taking breaks can help alleviate stress and give you energy. It can also give you a few minutes to check in on your family, play with pets, have a snack, or do whatever else you need to do to center yourself.

And much like how we need a day or two a week off from our jobs, it’s not good to spend every day of the week studying. Give yourself a “sabbath” and take at least one day for yourself where you can focus on fun stuff. Devote yourself to hobbies, hang out with family, read a fun book, see some friends; live your life. Taking time to enjoy life can elevate the reasons you turned back to school in the first place!

Article by Austin Brietta