It's really personal - it all depends on how organised you are, how motivated, how easily distracted you are, etc! I started a Post grad cert by correspondance whilst pg with DD, just doing one topic at a time. My final assignment for the topic was due about a month after she was born, and I had great aspirations of getting it done in the 4 weeks before DD was born, after I had finished work. Needless to say, I am a great procrastinator, not very organised you are and very easily distracted, so it didn't happen and I applied for a month extension. Still, the week before the new deadline, I still hadn't really got going! Luckily for me, my mum was on sick leave, recuperating from having her veins done, so was still well enough for me to go to their house so she could look after DD and I could get my essay finished. I ended up postponing the course for a while. Although I am thinking of going back to do a different course next year, in semester 2, when the new bub will be around 6months!