a million questions for uni student mummas!

[Glass half full]

Thank you all for your replies. You have certainly convinced me that it is possible, as difficult as its may be. Your stories are very inspiring

Hi Shades, I hope you get some answers you're looking for here too. What are you thinking of studying?

[Smoke Jaguar]

A bit like TFB - a DP who supported me in a very non-tangible sense. Not even sure what his version of 'support' is, really.
Anyway, a bit different, I had my Hons degree in Arts already when I began my current course in Psych. I fell pg the same year. That's when someone really could have tapped me on the shoulder and told me to wait!
I have the dodgiest looking transcript and I have two units to do - I also have a deadline because uni says if I don't finish by December I'm out!
It's been awful, and now I know why mummies wait till kids are in school before going back to study. My brain hasn't been nearly as 'with' DS as I would have liked all these years because of due dates, classes or weekend schools (I've done a mix of on and off campus study modes), exams, and guilt because I haven't done enough study.
I would suggest waiting at least until the youngest is in kinder. My DP SAID he'd take up the slack around the home, and I asked him to really listen to what I was asking of him and he STILL cried foul when I said he'd need to be looking after dinner and laundry and housecleaning if I were to do well at uni. So, I ended up being homemaker AND student, and I've never been great at either, and I only get top marks for mothering (which is fine, cos that's what I'll be judged on by my kids when my time is up), because I decided that my parenting would be the last thing to 'give', even if it meant barely passing with crap marks.
I wasn't even in a hurry to finish my degree, it was just my stubborn streak of "well, I've already started it...", and when I'm done with this year I won't even have a psych qual! And I'm not going back for that till this third baby has been conceived, born and raised to kinder age...I just can't do that to my kids again while they're so little and doing all that developing that I can't relive later.

[Me+him+bub]

i was in my fourth year of bachelor of nursing when I had my son, I completed it when he was only 12 weeks old, I then worked full time for a year as a graduate RN, and now it has been 18 months i'm pregnant with my second and am starting my diploma of midi at CQ university in february over another 1.5 years with yet another 3 month old! it can be done if u have the right help and determination, have u considered online nursing study via open university or charles darwin university, it helps alot!

[*EJ*]

All the ladies who are studying with a young family are an absoulte inspirtation to me, i really appreciate your honesty and advice.

It's a huge thing to take on study and motherhood at the same time (which i always imagined) i've found out from the replys.

What do i do!?!?

I have a lot of thinking to do, i know i want to do more study but it's the timing. Waiting for my youngest to be in Kinder seems like i long time (i could be getting closeish to 40 by then ) but i could be putting a huge amount of pressure on myself. I know i'm a strong person but i don't want to push the boundries .

So much to think about...

[Sopdet]

Children aren't in the mix for me at the moment but I am almost a full-time student and I work full time. I'm trying to work out the logistics of a child into all of this in the next year or so, still not sure if it is possible being pregnant during some of my subjects (specifically those that I spent time in the lab). When the pregnancy happens, I'll just have to manage & maybe rethink some of my subjects.

Next year I'm back to doing a mix of off-campus (on-line) and on-campus subjects, currently I'm 100% off campus and it has a lot of pros and cons, the fact I can study when I want to is a pro, but also a huge con! I procrastinate (like now, I've just finished one assignment, need to upload it to uni, plus finish off 3 more forum posts for one subject and I'm on here instead). I've found that I can get a nice 20 min chunk of study done at lunchtimes at work, which can be watching/listening to part of a lecture, doing a chapter or 2 of a text book. For the 3 subjects I'm doing now, I should be studying a minimum 15+ hours a week for them all, this is on top of 40 hours a week at work, running a household and having time for a social life (which is suffering at the moment). My final year will have to be done full-time.

[krysalyss]

I would just try it and if it is too much drop back to part time. Even if you only do one subject a semester, when your youngest is old enough for kindy you will already have done quite a lot and it will take you less time to do the rest.

[*EJ*]

Realisticly how do you think someone would go with a 5yr old in kinder and a 3yr and 12 month old at home (which is what it would be next year)???? I think i would only consider part time or off campus.

[Smoke Jaguar]

I've been doing one unit per semester (after a spectacular fail trying to do two) and this semester I have to squish in two just to be allowed to finish, because my time limit is up. I put in 6 months intermission for DS, and 12 months for DD, which if far more than is usually allowed (she was due in October, no point starting Sem 2). Seriously bad timing because of our circumstances this year, but the squish is the only way now! So, just to warn you that the clock starts when you begin, and dropping back to part time will put the pressure on to finish within a certain time frame, where if you wait to begin, once you've started you just power through.
I realised that by the time I have a psych or social work qualification, I'm going to be nearing 40, or in my 40s. Meh, that's ok by me - when I'm 40 I reckon I'll still feel unstoppable
My mum didn't get her HSC till I was about 8, and then she worked different jobs before embarking on her teaching degree when I was in high school already. It wasn't easy, but even now that she sees me struggling with study she admits that at least we weren't little when she did it!

[krysalyss]

That's a good point Mayaness. Didn't think about the time limit. Is it 10 years?

[*EJ*]

Thanks for the insight girls, I really want to do this but i'm leaning towards waiting for a year or two to start. I really want to be there for my kids while they're at home. Maybe by the time i get to begin i'll be so ready for it i'll power through and enjoy it without feeling too much pressure and guilt

[My Three Sons]

how old were your children when you started studying? 19months, 3.5yrs and 5.5yrs
Do you study full or part time? I study full time- I wanted to do it at monash,and this was their only way. Also, i didn't want it hanging over me for 6 years. I wanted to get it done and start working and earning again.
To those of you with no/little support, how do you do it!?
I have support, as do most of the other mums in our group. I certainly take my hat off to those who do it alone (either their partner is mega busy or they are a single parent). I am very lucky to have my hubby there, as well as my mum and dad. I couldn't do this model of study i think without them!
Did you find it hard getting into it after a long break from high school? I did a Uni degree after high school. It was an 8 year gap though for me. I did get a credit though for one of my electives this year It was hard to get back into it, but the uni have a TON of support services. The library often holds little drop in work shops on essay prep/writing etc, and the learning advisers in there are always more than happy to help you in refining or improving your skills!


How do i even begin to contact uni's? The open days are acutally next month so i was thinking maybe going to some of those but what are the questions i should be asking? I'm currently a SAHM and DH is working so we're on one wage, are there alternative financial options available?

I see you are in melbourne I am helping at our Uni open day... if it is out your way come and visit us! (monash@peninsula)
If you want to apply it is all done via VTAC. TBH most unis suck at giving out info i found- and different people at the same uni gave different advice. But if you go to the open days you should get people who actually know!


For me, my week is VERY full on this semester- 2 half days and one full day of Uni PLUS an online subject PLUS 2 days of prac placement every week. Assignments and case studies to write, and follow through appointments/births to attend. BUT i love it to bits, and wouldn't ever go back and not do it!
Give it a go... if you get in, and it is too much, you can always defer for a year or 2.
Questions to ask would be - Do you offer part time (if you are interested in that), What qualities do you look for in your applications- do you look at experience, past degrees, STAT tests etc- what level degree would you need to be considered? What mode of teaching do you do? Is there lots of on- campus/off campus units. How is your practical placement offered and at which hospitals? Do we get to put in preferences for where we are placed?- at monash you are NOT given the option for Midwifery at least! How many students do you take each year?
Most of you Uni costs can go on HECS, but if you want to buy books etc, then that is all additional. Then you have costs of Uniforms and placement parking- (hospital parking SUCKS, but some are better than others) I perfer to buy my books, but plenty of girls get by using library copies. You also have injection costs to cover too to make sure you are all up to date, plus police check and working with children checks.
My husband is our sole provider. We have 2 kids in daycare full time and a school age kid. Childcare is a lot of our costs, and sucks, but it is doable. Thankfully DH is on a good wage, although i know there are others who do it as well who don't work! So it is certainly possible. Just means giving up extra luxuries while you study.

Realisticly how do you think someone would go with a 5yr old in kinder and a 3yr and 12 month old at home (which is what it would be next year)???? I think i would only consider part time or off campus.

I got 6 High distinctions and 2 distinctions last year... so i think that someone with a 5 year old, 3 year old and 12 month old (mine were 5.5, 3.5 and 19m) would do FINE!

[Glass half full]

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences.
I decided today to apply for the university preparation course at my local uni, buuuut I have no idea where my year 12 results are So I'm going to have to find out where to get a copy from before I can complete the application. It is very exciting to be taking a step closer towards higher education!!

Turns out the Uni open day was today. I almost went but the weather was shocking and DF got called out on a job (see what I mean about little support) I'm not too fussed though, they have a great website so I have found a lot of info on there.

Thanks again ladies

[My Three Sons]

YAY... how exciting for you!
Don't worry about missing open day. The first open day i went to was the one after i had been accepted- i deferred for the year!

[hj1981]

YAY!!!! Goodluck with it all! and i think the uni prep course is a great idea!

[*EJ*]

My Three Sons thanks so much for your suggestions and info on how you manage. I'm a little overwhelmed as i've just been browsing the monash nursing website, vtac website AND the open uni website. I think i have a brief understanding of what is required of me to even be considered into a bach of nursing. I was looking at the open uni option of completing a few units then trying for a transfer. I have to wait for 2012 to do this. I'm thinking i could maybe do a bridging course in the mean time as it's about 13yrs since i last studied.

I am very close to the penn campus and i was planning on coming along on Saturday.

Thanks again for taking the time out of your extremely busy week to share your experience