Back To School...For Mom!

            Monday I start my 4th quarter back in college. Fall quarter will kick off and I am taking 13 credits between 3 classes this quarter. I get asked a lot if going back to school was hard after being out of school and in a way even the "working" world  for so long. To be honest it wasn't. I mean its challenging, dont get me wrong. Yet I was ready. So the timing was right for sure. Had it been a year earlier, the kids younger....I think it would be harder.
          Ive learned to adapt to the new schedule. I am a very schedule orientated person so I keep myself on track with study times at night and when the kids are in school. I sneak in any extra time I need when I am in the car waiting for the boys, at parent pick up, when they are in swim class I will bring stuff along. Learning to study again was likely the hardest thing. Not only that but studying with two little ones around is a lot different than studying when I was 19 and on my own. ;) 

One of the things I enjoy most is its something thats for ME. I take time to go to class, study, do online work. I interact with classmates and instructors both online and in person and its brought me back into the world of adults! I mean I am an adult, and always was but Ive been a stay at home Mom for almost the past 7 years. My world (as I wanted it, this is NOT a complaint!) has revolved around two little ones. When I did have adult interaction it was usually with other Moms at my Moms club...our favorite cashier at the store or my husband of course. So having this new world thats just mine in a way, is kinda nice. The kids love that I too am in school. I love to be able to set an example for them, that continuing education is important and cant happen at any time in life! It wasn't hard on the paperwork side to get started.

                  I knew right away what I wanted, I needed to finish up an AA type degree and I wanted it to be in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and I choose a degree that would do that while focusing a little on Para-education so I could work after my AAS degree was done right away, while getting my BA for my teachers certificate. I applied for pell grants to help offset any costs if needed, keeping in mind that I will be looking at a much greater cost for my BA. Right now I am finishing up my AAS that will transfer over to allow me to then work on getting my BA. Ive been able to get away with very little advising, only because I knew what I wanted and have a very keen eye to look at the list of classes I need to get done and schedule it out over the next few quarters as to whats best for my degree and myself and our family's schedule. I think the only bump in the road I have found is that my specific AAS transfer degree is so new its not taken at to many 4 year schools yet. That may change by late next year so I have more options. I could have switched to a different one but I really have learned a lot from this specific degree to I choose to tough it out and figure it out when the time comes.

           Overall I love what I am doing. When I walk into my sons school to volunteer which I do many hours a week (MANY!) I know I am doing the right thing and thats where I want to be. I want to learn as much as I can from the staff and really cant wait to be able to work and put what I am learning to work for the kids in our community.