When do you find time to study?

Ok, I know I'm mad.... I've already got a bachors degree, a grad certificate and a masters. I've just been accepted into a second Masters degree. All my previous university study was done before I had kids. I juggled full time work and part time study fairly well, however, being a teacher I would work when I got home before DH did, some at night and did big chunks during the school holidays.

My question now is that, with kids, when do you find time to study? I rarely get both girls' naps to line up these days, so I'm guessing it'll all be at night....is that doable? Am I crazy for considering this?

EDIT - I'm at home with the girls this year so it needs to be done around them somehow...

Whist a masters degree is likely to be more demanding than a general bachelors (which is what I'm doing) I think it would probably be doable. It will take hard work and dedication, and you will probably have to think of your study time as your you time to some extent. Before we moved, I studied at night, when DH was on night shifts (usually 3/7 nights) and if I needed more time, I would take a library day, while DH looked after the kids. Now we are living where we are, I have two 6 hour days kid free, so I use that time to study as well as nights when DH is on night shifts.

i find it hard, but neither kid sleeps during the day, or goes to bed early. I try early mornings, or when i only have one of them (DD at kinder). What i reckon would work is to go out (library/cafe etc) when dh is home and can look after them. but haven't got around to actually doing it yet.

It is doable but takes commitment and late nights!!

I just finished my 3rd Uni qualification having a bachelor and now 2 grad dips wishing now I had done masters as was exactly same course just essays marked harder and 1 subject was different.

I did work at night once kids were asleep and would generally be up till 0100 reading and doing modules and essay work. My course was basically all online with very little face to face time. I did have placements so kids went to cc 1 day a week.
Weekends when I wasn't working I would get DH to take kids out for a bit or keep kids in lounge while I sat in bedroom and did work, this did not work that well as kids would regularly come down.

I did mine 2 yrs part time 1 subject per semester for 3 and 1 with 2 subjects. I decided to do theb2 subjects semester 1 of 2nd year.

Good luck

Im only doing my cert 3 in my course, even that is full on with a toddler, I make sure I do at least 2 days study a week. Im halfway through my course and I started in April. Im doing mine through an online service provider and it's nationally accredited.

I study while DDs asleep. Have occasionally pulled an all nighters to get assignments done too!

I am doing a masters 1 subject a semester too and have struggled at times to fit everything in.

Lucky DS is a good sleeper and hates being up past 5.30pm, so once he is down I generally have 2 hours before dh gets home to study. Then we do the chores/ dinner prep together. Since dh is also doing a masters we will then 4 nights a week study after dinner too. Then the weekends are no study times so we can actually spend some time together. Unless one of us has an assignment due then we head off to the library while the other hangs out with DS. While its not perfect, we figure there will be no perfect time to do it, so while DS is young and doesn't mind so much it made sense (mind you most of the readings are much more challenging this time around being sleep deprived.

Good luck with whatever you choose

I do a bit in the evenings. Just dribs and drabs as I'm usually too tired. I'll skim over readings and draft up layouts for assignments and read/post on the uni forum just to keep abreast of things. Then I do serious study on the weekends. I'll block out a weekend when an assignment is due and I lock myself in the bedroom most of the weekend while my husband looks after the kids.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I guess I'll just sign up for a subject and see how it goes. If it seems too hard I'll unenrol and tackle it in a few years time when the girls are older.

I'm going to do the rest of my Masters by intensives. It was just too hard doing to with weekly classes etc. I am a complete perfectionist, and so was probably spending 15-30 hours a week on it, and I just can't now that I've got two kids.

So I'll do the rest by intensives, with study leave when I can.

Chody you saw my frantic attempts at last semester!! Lots of preparation and I was still submitting stuff at 2 minutes to midnight!
I have realistically had to set my goals lower which is hard. I never wanted to just pass, but this last few months realized that as long as I pass I am happy!!
You can do it, I will madly cramming with you :)

I studied full time externally this semester just gone. It was a Bachelor of Arts so probably not as involved as what a masters would be but the majority of my work was done at night and on weekends. We barely went out over the past 6 months, every weekend was hubby looking after the kids while I did work. I have 2.5yr old and a 7 month old so he was a new baby when I was doing full time. I did a bit of study during the day, mostly readings while Dd played and baby was in the Ergo. You really can't get work done during the day. Hubby is a teacher so I crammed on the holidays when he wasn't doing planning etc. Do you have support? In the last few weeks my mil was coming over once a week to help so I could get work done. I haven't read the above posts so I'm sorry if I've repeated what others have said. I'm about to start my Dip Ed now. You can do it! It's hard but if you're focused and organised then you'll be fine and considering you've studied so much before, you won't have a problem! Good luck :)

I am currently doing my 3rd degree. I have just submitted my last assignment for the end of the first semester. With 3 kids and working 3days a week I will admit I am finding it very difficult to find the time although its doable. For me I didn't have a choice as it was a requirement of a new job I applied for.
When I have a run of things due I get up early in the morning (4.30 or 5am) I am not a night person and if I try and do anything when the kids go to bed its not worth my time.

I don't have a husband/partner, so all my study is based solely around when ex takes DS for his allotted time, day care and working hours. Which basically boils down to only studying one weekend a fortnight and late at night (DS is not an early to bed kind of kid unfortunately). I found it do-able but only at a rate of one subject per semester, I could do more but I can't get out of my head that I *have* to get a credit, therefore I turn into super cranky mummy when I was doing more than one subject at a time. Ex is taking DS less this year so I took a leave of absence. Next year I will go back doing at least 2 subjects a semester plus working part time, while DS goes to school 5 days. Hopefully I will be able to manage it all.

I work parttime & use childcare on days when I am not working. Before DD2 was born I managed to study fulltime & work parttime, but something has definitely gone bang in my head since then because now I can only manage a single subject per semester & I work fewer hours than I used to. But I have a sleep disorder now so I can't burn the midnight oil anymore like I once did.

I get by doing just one subject per semester. Generally I have to take time in the weekend because the kids are up way too early up too late for any reasonable study time during the day. So usually DH will go hunting in the morning and then I study in the afternoon.

However, this past semester the study gods have smiled upon me and I have been able to get DD2 to have a decent nap while DD1 and DS are at kindy and school so I have a good 1.5-2 hours every weekday available. It has been fantastic being able to do it during the week and only having to use up weekend time when assignments are near due.