Back to college with new baby

I'm thinking of going back to college next autumn and am expecting our first child in May. i don't expect the actually lecture hours to be too long, but there would be a large amount of work around this. I'd like to hear from peoples experiences and get some advice as I've heard it can be hard to find time to read a cereal box when you have a baby. I would be planning to be off work for this time but I don't have relatives that can be babysitters at the drop of a hat so this would have to be organised and paid for.

Advice on what specifically?

How to manage time etc.

moneygrower said:

I'm thinking of going back to college next autumn and am expecting our first child in May. i don't expect the actually lecture hours to be too long, but there would be a large amount of work around this. I'd like to hear from peoples experiences and get some advice as I've heard it can be hard to find time to read a cereal box when you have a baby. I would be planning to be off work for this time but I don't have relatives that can be babysitters at the drop of a hat so this would have to be organised and paid for.

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My advice would be no more than a selection of frequently used cliches that would
include:

- Don't bite off more than you can chew
- Take one step at a time
- Look before you leap
- All in good time

and so on.

You will be undertaking a massive (unknown) challenge by having a baby for the
first time in May. My advice would be to reassess your situation in August before
college starts and see how your fixed.

You can always register for the course in the off-chance that your ready for it, but
i think it would be unwise to commit yourself to it totally.

'wait till august' yeah that's fair enough, I'm sure they wouldn't expect the fees before then.
I just wondered if anyone had done this and managed okay or was it a disaster. I could find nothing using google, kept getting parents concerned about their children in college, I'm sure he'll be bright but probaby not that far avanced.

It's not impossible;
- It will help to have someone on the course who is friendly enough to share work with you - the trips to library for copies of prescribed reading etc.
- If you can have a laptop or pc where you are living, this will allow you to work on assignments etc. when the baby is tucked up in bed.
- Make sure that your college advisor / course director is aware of the situation, they may make some allowances when it comes to project deadlines etc. (if the baby is sick for example).
- If you are on your own you may be able to get SU funding towards creche fees (check it out either way).
- There may also be a creche on campus which would be a great help (you should put your name down for this immediately if you want a place - there is usually a lot of competition for places from college staff).

Best of luck with it!

Edited to add: I found it was great to totally separate 'college time' and 'baby time' - 9 to 6 was for college, 6 to 9-ish for the baby only, and thereafter either relaxing or working on assignments. It looks like you have a partner, so at least you will have some help.

moneygrower said:

'wait till august' yeah that's fair enough, I'm sure they wouldn't expect the fees before then.
I just wondered if anyone had done this and managed okay or was it a disaster. I could find nothing using google, kept getting parents concerned about their children in college, I'm sure he'll be bright but probaby not that far avanced.

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Try www.rollercoaster.ie

Hi Mel, putting 9-6 as college time puts it in perspective, I'm not sure I'll be will to do that when he's only four months old. Thanks, it's given me food for thought...

I had no choice at the time, well, I did, but I wanted to graduate with my class... my little one didn't suffer, but if you have a choice, might be nice to enjoy the first few months with your baby.

The course I want to do is in the process of being modularised, but it's not finalised so I don't know the details yet. Hopefully that would give me some flexibility. I'm not the most disciplined person, as is obvious by the time I waste here , which is probably a bigger hurdle than a baby!

Mel said:

I found it was great to totally separate 'college time' and 'baby time' - 9 to 6 was for college, 6 to 9-ish for the baby only, and thereafter either relaxing or working on assignments.

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That's one co-operative baby!

Bushfire said:

That's one co-operative baby!

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best in the world!
But separate within reason obviously!

how did you separate it Mel, did you have the baby full time in a creche? Is it possible to study with the baby in the house?

by the way I hope I didn't imply some kind of mother earth criticism when I said I hadn't considered leaving the baby from 9-5 at four months, I was more questioning my own commitment to going back to college as it hadn't even occurred to me I might need that kind of time to study.

moneygrower said:

by the way I hope I didn't imply some kind of mother earth criticism when I said I hadn't considered leaving the baby from 9-5 at four months, I was more questioning my own commitment to going back to college as it hadn't even occurred to me I might need that kind of time to study.

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That's ok - it wasn't always easy, but i had an end-date in sight, i was in 4th year of degree at the time, so it was a case of completing what i'd started. I did another post-grad year after that and it was getting easier by then. He was with a childminder to begin with until I got a place in a local creche. It was just a case of treating it like you would treat a job - when all my buddies were in the pub duing the day doing the student lifestyle I was in the library or pc lab doing my work, and then off home to baby (i'm not being a martyr, but i suppose if you want something bad enough you'll do whatever it takes... of course I was younger too and had more energy - it might be a different story now.)
But anything is possible; I've heard of people taking babies to lectures in those carry seats, there was a lady on my course who had 3 kids and had her 4th just after we graduated... a lot will depend on the type of course you are doing, but in fairness even university courses aren't always a fulltime committment - we have a colleague here who is doing a fulltime degree and also spending a couple of days a week in the office.
Feel free to PM me if you want to ask any other questions..

I did an arts degree after school and I certainly had lots of time for other activities! I suppose I'll get a better idea when I see how they've laid out the course, I know it's certainly not a lectures all day kinda thing so I'm sure it's managable. I'm inclined to think where there's a will there's a way, baby in a sling might be an option!

Moneygrower it is possible - although when I look back I don't know how I managed - I was pregnant in first year (great planning ) baby born in May was allowed sit exams in Autumn so got back into second year in September. I had a great childminder who took him from 9-6. Any free classes I had were spent in library catching up. My friends were very good to me and the odd class where I nodded off - they took the notes and photocopied them for me. Sleep was my main problem.. I was wrecked as baby was up all the time. You might be luckier in this regard. Another advantage was my partner helped more during times of exams etc and I also lived at home so there was a support network there. The college had a hardship fund which you could apply for - it wasn't much but helped towards costs.. This is 11 years ago so it was alot different regarding prices for child care etc.. but I do think there is probably alot more options these days as alot more students with children in college. I kept telling myself this will be all worth it when I graduate the course..... thats what kept me going.. best of luck with all.

God fair play to you both. Sounds like a case of get on with it really, I think I will apply now and decide in August when I have a few months of baby under my belt, so to speak!

Try speaking to the mature students officer in the college you're thinking about. They can advise on a range of issues.