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How to get up for a 9am lecture: have children
By Molly McDonnell
At the end of my first year of my studies, I fell pregnant. My biggest fear was that I would no longer be able to complete my degree but thankfully, with the support of my tutors, I was encouraged and supported through the process of deferring for a year.
Despite my little boy being just 9 months old, I felt determined to come back and start my second year. The transition from previously studying as a student without a child versus with a child was extremely difficult at first but I soon adapted. Now, I couldn’t imagine this journey in any other way! So, here are my top tips for surviving being a student parent.
1. Treat uni like a 9 to 5
Before having a child, I used to love a ‘late’ start or an ‘early’ finish within my timetable. Now, I choose to pretend they don’t exist. With a hectic home life, the only way I can be productive and utilise my time is by being out of the house and in the library for as long as I can during the week (depending on my childcare arrangements each day). The biggest bonus is having children gets you out of bed at the crack of dawn so there are no excuses not to make a 9am!
2. Make the most of all the help you can get
The amount of help available at University is unbelievable. Of course, you need to actively seek it but if utilised correctly the help available can be very beneficial. Since having my little boy, I make regular meetings with my student support tutor at the beginning of every assignment and she helps map out a critical path and time management plan for the upcoming weeks. Which leads me on to my next tip…
3. Time management and organisation
Pretty self-explanatory and this is obviously important for everyone studying at university. However, this is something increasingly important since becoming a student parent, as this has been my key component to ensure I keep on top of my deadlines. Making plans, critical paths and setting yourself targets for each week helps you stay on track as well as giving you a sense of achievement when you manage to tick things off.
4. Incorporate parent life into studies
This definitely might not be possible on all courses but from my experience, this has been a really nice way to include the fact I am a parent at university. For example, I have used subjects surrounding parenthood to create unique fashion campaigns for my assignments that set me apart from many of my peers. I even managed to get my little boy involved in a photoshoot on campus, which worked out great for my work.
To sum up, I’ve learnt it’s important to give yourself credit and appreciate all that you are achieving. As we know, it is no easy task raising children let alone whilst studying for a degree!
For me, the most difficult part of studying as a parent is how unpredictable parenting can be. You can never pre-plan for your child coming down with a cold or going through one of the many ‘stages’ of sleepless nights or constant tantrums and this can take a toll on your university schedule.
That being said, it is the most rewarding feeling knowing how much you have accomplished despite how difficult it can be at times.
Molly McDonnell is a 3rd year Fashion Promotion student at Manchester Metropolitan University.
@mollygmcdonnell on Instagram
