Starting on your degree or or starting back to college for an advanced degree later in life is one of the most intimidating things you can do. But earning a degree while parenting is like putting gas on the flames of scary. However, in the end you not only hold a degree that can unlock new career potential, but statistically you have also made it more likely that your kid will become more successful in their life as well.
As I was preparing to start my MBA at Walsh College the intimidation factor was growing. It had been 11 years since I completed my undergrad. Thinking of going back to college felt like stepping up to the first tee at Augusta with a crowd watching. Then being told if you don’t win you have to pay the first place prize money out of your pocket. And this feeling doesn’t go away immediately. To be honest, I was two weeks into my first semester and I told my wife, I was dropping out.
Ultimately, I stuck it out. Doing two classes per semester, for five semesters, I earned my degree in about 15 of the longest months ever. Now on the other side I can honestly say it was entirely worth every early morning and late night. It may not be for everyone but if you have ever considered going back to school, kid in tow, here are my best tips for getting through with a passing grade.
Updating Your Daily Schedule
The first thing which quickly become apparent is that study time is at a premium. Something I wish I had done earlier was to adjust how my daily schedule functioned. I enjoy my early morning coffee, with a slow wake up and occasional sunrise run. However when you have a discussion post, a five page paper and an exam to study for, there is no such thing as a quiet morning.
Depending on the age of your kids this may be more difficult. Adjusting your daily schedule to get out of bed earlier could be one of the only options for the quiet you need in order to focus. It seemed as though the evenings were never guaranteed and the more important quiet time was to your task list the less likely it was to be afforded to you. My advice would be to slowly start adjusting your daily schedule to be a little earlier each day until you have allowed yourself at least a two hour window of functional quiet time before the kids get out of bed.
Capitalize on Downtime
Speaking of study time being at a premium, take advantage of every chunk of time you can find. This will be a game changer. I’m a student who needs to have designated time set aside specifically for getting through a paper, or study session. But as a full-time working parent, going back to school and trying to still be a good dad finding focus time in your day is hard. So when you do get it, you don’t want to be wasting it on the easy stuff.
Set yourself up for success by getting as much as possible onto your phone. Then, make a habit of checking into the materials anytime you have more than a 5 minute chunk of time. This could be while you’re waiting for your to-go order at the local pizza place, or sitting on the toilet (bonus quiet time if you lock the door). Take this time to read the next few slides of your lecture, or review the requirements for you’re paper. Remember five minutes may only be 5 minutes, but you would be surprised how many five minutes chunks you get in a week. Let those add up and clear the easy stuff out so when the bigger chunks of time come along you can be more efficient with your time.
Keep a Routine
Keeping with the theme of routine, find one that works for you and stick with it until the end. There will be days where it doesn’t seem as necessary and there will be time when you are between semesters and really don’t need to keep it up, do it anyway. Think about how it felt to get your body into this routine in the first place. It probably wasn’t easy to start but it got easier over time and ultimately you settled in. It is a million times easier to fall out of a routine than it is to start one. Don’t let the days off of school mean days off of routine. Get up and enjoy a morning workout or even just a good book, but whatever you do, keep your routine.
Take a Play Break
One of the most difficult parts of getting a degree while being a dad, is the being a dad part. School is hard, no argument there, but it’s also important to not miss out on this time with your kids. Finding that balance is rough. That being said, its not healthy to do five hour study binges anyway. So find a good cadence of every hour or two and take a 15-20 minute break. Then your focus can completely shift away from school work and onto your kids and playtime. I found a short bike ride or a quick Lego build session was often just what I needed to reset my brain and also not feel like I was neglecting my kid or my wife.
Invest in Helpful Technology
I cannot stress enough the importance of setting yourself up with the right technology. This will be huge for your run at a college degree. This could be anything from a new computer you can trust when it comes down to zero hour. Or it could be as simple as getting an Audible account to listen to the next chapter in the book for your discussion post this week. These are both things I invested in before I started and I could not being happier that I did. You have enough to worry about as you go through classes, your technology should not be one.
Ultimately going back to school for my masters was one of the best decision I have made. And I am thrilled to say it had an immediate payout when I earned a promotion shortly after graduation. I am not someone who believes college is the right choice for everyone. But, if you are on the fence about going to school, don’t let intimidation get the best of you. Your support system is bigger than you know.
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Nice job 👍
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