Free Essay

Parents in College Have to Juggle Responsibilities

In:

Submitted By jeanette30
Words 1004
Pages 5
| PARENTS IN COLLEGE MUST JUGGLE RESPONSIBILITIES | PARENTS AND COLLEGE | | 1/12/2014 | `COMP101

|

Written by: Garang Wol:

Parenting and going to college at the same time is not an easy thing to do. It’s a full-time job especially for single parents. Being a parent and attending school at the same time is very challenging, according to CPCC Family Resource Center coordinator Linda Jones. The most important things parents in college have to deal with right now are money, time management, and finding good-quality childcare. Nedine Muwne is a mother of three children and is in the dental program at CPCC. Muwne, 29, and her husband both work and attend classes at CPCC. “My husband and I needed more than day care for our children especially when the 11- years-old gets home from the school and if the day care center is closed for the other two children,” she said. “For working parents, balancing jobs, children and school can be tough, but we are parents and we have no choice. The only way is to understand a situation we are in,” she Muwne. The only assistance the parents in school get is childcare money and financial aid. “They get money to pay for their school fees and books,” said Sara Graham, program director for TRIO- Student Support Services. It’s not easy for the parents to make it on their own, to be in school and take care of children. “The most important thing is childcare,” she said. Parents in college have encountered problems with time. “Studying and taking care of children is not the only thing they do in their life,” she said. Parents always have to plan what they’re going to do first in the morning before they come to school or go to work, "which is very important, but it’s not easy for the parents,” she said. Jones also said the situation is not the same for all the parents in the college. “Some have support from their family, close relatives or friends to help them either financially or to take care of the children when they are at school or at work.” Those parents seem to be better off than the single parents are, she said. I always encourage them that you are doing so wonderful and I am happy. I want them to be successful in their life,” Jones said. Katrice Smith, a single parent of two children, 11-year- old Kierra and 11-month- old Kyla, is in the respiratory therapy program at CPCC. “It’s not an easy thing to be a parent and a student at the same time,” said Jones. Smith, 28, lives with grandparents who sometime help take care of the children. She works full time and comes to school part time. “I have a choice," she said, “to extend my education or become part of the system of welfare which I feel is not a productive option." Smith also emphasizes “I am very fortunate to have my grandparents helping me to take care of my children when I’m at work or in school and also I get food stamp from the Department of Social Services, but that is not what I want for myself and my children,” she said. Curtis Bickham works as a part- time adviser with CPCC, Transfer Resource Center. “According to my previous experiences parents in school have a lot of problems with time management because of the children and school,” said Bickham. He also added “Parents in college always used the school resources more effectively than traditional-age students, because they are mature enough to understand how valuable the school resources are for them.” According to a Sept. 1998 issue of “Parenting,” “Going to school on top of being a parent and worker can be quite stressful," says Marsha Padwa, a psychology instructor at the Harvard Medical School, who conducts seminars on work-family balance for parents in the Boston area.
“Juggling job and family is tough enough. Yet there's a sizable group of moms and dads trying to balance yet another demand: college.” More than one-fifth of all undergraduates are parents, according to recent reports from the National Center for Education Statistics. Of these moms and dads, approximately 75 percent hold down a job with more than half of them logging over 35 hours a week.

Summary: This week for our Individual assignment, I chose to learn about parents that have to juggle being a parent and going to college and work. The reason I chose this article because I can relate to these parents because I am one of them. I am going to college online and raising two children. I have a son that is eight years old and my daughter is five. Some people think that I should have no problem raising my children and going to school all because I go to school from home. What people do not realize is how much harder it is to go to school online, rather than being in an actual classroom setting. There is a lot more work when you go to school online versus actually being in the classroom. Everything I do has to be carefully research and then written out and then typed in my own words. As well as having to make certain I always use the APA format. When you are going to college on the actual college campus, it makes it a little easier for the students who have trouble with writing papers or comprehending everything that they read. I myself have a harder time because I have A.D.D. I still have a hard time trying to juggle school and parenting but I can say that it has become a lot easier than when I first started going to college. I have learned a better way to manage my time between being a mother and having time for school.

References:
PARENTS IN COLLEGE MUST JUGGLE REESPONSIBILITIES:
http://www.cpcc.edu/spark/archives/parents-in-college-must-juggle-responsibilities

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Personal Responsibility Is a Master Key to Success

...Personal Responsibility is a Master Key to Many Successes Teri Warrick GEN 200 Dr. Ward July 18, 2013 Personal Responsibility is a Master Key to Many Successes Personal responsibility is something taught and learned. It is accepting and owning one’s own choices and actions regardless of the consequences; to take complete ownership of one’s physically, emotionally, and psychologically self. Acceptance of personal responsibility requires integrity, commitment, and dedication. Possessing the ability to recognize how some decisions and actions can affect the people around you. Parents teach these values to their children at a very early age. Parents teach commitment by encouraging children to follow through with a promise, dedication by encouraging them to keep trying, regardless of how many times they may fail, and accountability if they choose not to. These are all building blocks to learning personal responsibility. As a mother and a college student, I have the personal responsibility to dedicate myself to my children and my education. I have had to utilize all resources available to me to be successful at both, and it takes honest commitment and dedication to achieve that success. Balancing family and school...

Words: 1039 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Extracurricular

...activities can enhance a student’s school experience in many ways. Students have a variety of extracurricular activities to choose, from speech team to chorus to multiple sports for every season. This variety can benefit students immensely. According to the children's education company Scholastic, extracurriculars let your child enjoy himself in a fun, stress-free environment, get some exercise and make friends outside of school. For all the positive aspects, extracurricular activities can cause some problems for students. Some people think extracurricular can increases the chance of attending college. Most colleges now require extracurricular activities as a primary factor to be accepted in a particular university. If a student began engaging in an activity at an early age, it will help them get to college. With their learned responsibility, it will be easier for them to be focused and pursue what they want with universities as their stepping stone. However, balancing schoolwork with extracurricular activities can be stressful for some students, especially when an abundance of activities takes up valuable time they need to study or complete homework. They get tired because they have to apportion time of extracurricular activities with homework that they have to finish. So, the student can lose time to study and learning is affected because their tired. Extracurricular can keeps kids busy. For working parents who cannot be home when their children get out of school, extracurricular...

Words: 519 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Effects of Part-Time Job to Academic Performance Among Fourth Year College Students

...Part-Time Job to Academic Performance among Fourth Year College Students in Ateneo de Zamboanga University Khadija A. Arip Lorraine Mae P. Bastasa Writing and Research Ms. Daryl Jane B. Barrios Table of Contents I. ABSTRACT II. INTRODUCTION III. BODY A. Definition of Part- Time Job B. Possible Causes of Part Time Jobs in College C. Effects of Part Time Work in College D. Advantages and Disadvantages IV. CONCLUSION Abstract Most likely, every student transcends their limitations nowadays. They juggle time in working, education, and social life. For what reason that is, well, they do this in order to be able to pay up for education expenses. Some others just do this to earn a little extra spending money, for them to be able to buy something which they want to avail without them begging their parents for it. Basically, part time work is their only choice to get that money they need if they do not have student loans offered at their university. Some students need to pay up for rent, tuition, and etc. Working part time gives them the money and the thought of realizing how important it is. They are also provided with the thought of handling their responsibilities very well if they work part time during college days. Indeed, working while studying can be tough to handle. It forces you to manage your time and your responsibilities. Sometimes, it makes you choose between the two....

Words: 2177 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Personal Responsibility

...Personal Responsibility Katie Lee Reimer Gen 200 May 20th, 2012 Bonnie Ferguson As a student if they put the blame other people for their mistakes, or failing a class they are not taking responsibility for their own failures or faults. Personal responsibility is taking action to fix what they did and did not do for their assignments or when studying. College is not like when they were in high school and they would blame failing a test on the teacher or the fact that they did not get their homework done because of some excuse that they would have made up on the spot. In college it is an entirely different experience. We are now paying for our own education and not relying on our parents help in a lot of cases, so there is no blaming other people for not passing that class, or studying for that test it is all on them. Only the student that is in the class can be responsible for themselves while in college and that will lead to their success. Especially when working in a team, they can’t blame Susie for not getting their part of the assignment done, it is their responsibility to make sure that they get their assignments done no matter what kind of things get in their way. That includes sickness, or even death of a loved one. It’s now time for students to learn how to juggle the struggles of what goes on in their lives with school. If you take responsibility for whatever the outcome...

Words: 597 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Responsibility

...Personal responsibility Albert L. Sanchez Gen 200 Glenda Tali 7/26/13 Personal responsibility Personal responsibility will help you throughout your lifetime whether trying to obtain an education or trying to set personal goals. While at the same time avoiding consequences while successfully trying to get your goals. It is that personal responsibility requires the student to accept full accountability for their actions just like Belva Lockwood stated, "I am very simple-minded, When I wish to do a thing, I know only one way—to keep at it until I get it." (Calabro, 1996). To receive success in school students must own up to responsibility of their goals and dreams. By managing your priorities from time management, goal setting, and of course their consequences these three tools will excel a student to become a success in their careers. Personal responsibility and college success go hand in hand because it needs students to own up for their actions, behavior, and choices and will fully affect their success in their life. Personal responsibility and what it means to me, well it begins from the day our parents showed us what is right and what is wrong. When we are young we will get into trouble and we get disciplined for it and we learn from it. When you do the right thing we get praised for it and we better ourselves. From there on it is engraved in our thoughts through our lifetime sometimes it is common...

Words: 714 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Transitioning to Adulthood

... February 1, 2012 Transition to Adulthood Transition into adulthood is a period where adolescents experience major changes. With transitioning adolescents has to make adjustments during this period in life, such as developing new skills, and learning to manage with new experiences. During final years of high school it is now time to determine what in fact adolescents plan to do with their future, whether it’s going to college, getting married, having children, moving away from parents, buying first car, or even going into the job force after graduation. These preparations could be difficult for adolescent girls especially if they have children because of taking care of a child, she must also try to find job to be able to provide financial for her child and juggle possible going to college or trade school to receive a degree. Being separated from family and friends gives an adolescent girl the chance to become independent which allows them to gain much more responsibility and depend solely on her to get things done. When going into adulthood it is important to gain developing advanced reasoning skills (includes more logical thought process and the ability to think about things hypothetically) and advanced thinking skills such as spirituality , faith, trust, and beliefs (Adolescent Growth and Development, 2009). Initiation phase allows young women to create her own identity, and has her space to figure out who she is or want to become...

Words: 338 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Kings

...numerous amounts of responsibilities can change fun into stress in a matter of seconds. Having to juggle work, extracurricular activities, chores around the house, and school can impact one’s life in a dramatic way. Which transferred with me as I went to college to be successful. Growing up in a household where working wasn’t a necessity makes it easy for me to appreciate everything that my parents have done for me from the time I was born till now. Work is one of the main reasons why most teenagers as well as I become stressed. Having to go straight from school to work isn't as easy as it sounds. Being in track practice until 4:30 and having to be at work by 5 is very difficult. Rushing from one place to another, then having to work from five o'clock to nine-thirty, getting home, settling down, and then doing homework becomes very tiring after doing it 6 days a week. As soon as I get home from work I rush to the restroom to take a shower and then I immediately do my homework. Sometimes I forget to eat because I try to finish all of my homework and I end up falling asleep. Whenever I fall asleep doing my homework the stress that I had the previous night follows me because then I have to worry about getting my homework done before I go to class where I have to turn it in. Nine times out of ten I usually finish but there has been a few times were I couldn’t finish and I would I have to turn it in for a late grade. Work is one of the many responsibilities I have on my to-do list. ...

Words: 995 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Adfsg

...3/26/2016 I Have A Plan Iowa ™ ­ Article SEARCH En español cuando disponible Sign In | Create an Account | Talk to Us | Need Help?     Print This | E­mail This | PDF This The Importance of Extracurricular Activities for Teens Academics are an important part of each student's high school years, especially since high school grades play an integral role in college acceptance. Parents spend a lot of time encouraging their teens to study more ­­ and play less ­­ in the pursuit of this goal. They believe that devoting a great deal of time to studying guarantees success in future college applications. However, there is another more playful component of a well­rounded education ­­ outside the regular academic program ­­ that may positively impact students' success. Extracurricular activities, such as basketball, baseball, tennis, debating, chess clubs, student government, yearbook, drama, choir and computer clubs can round out students' academic careers to great effect. Besides being fun and a great way to socialize with peers, extracurricular activities can enhance students' time management and stress management skills, improving overall productivity. Extracurricular activities also increase a candidate's appeal when applying to college. "Studies show that students in extracurricular activities have higher [academic] scores. They learn to manage their time, relieve stress and learn to strive for excellence in more than one thing," says Kenny Smith, a school counselor in Thatcher...

Words: 831 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Responsibility

...Responsibility, It Is Personal Gen/200 July 1, 2013 Lisa Hailey Responsibility, It Is Personal The term Personal responsibility can be defined in many ways, yet there is no one definite definition. To be personally responsible, one would first have to have the ability to be accountable for ones actions. Everyone is raised in their own unique atmosphere, and the levels of responsibility introduced during that upbringing will vary largely. For some people, the concept of personal responsibility will be introduced at a very young age, for example a young child learning to play a musical instrument, or competing in a dance performance. Other children will learn personal responsibility very late in life, usually due to tragedy, or a change in lifestyle. Unfortunately, there really is no set age of requirement for someone to assume personal responsibility, and once the decision has been made to become responsible, not everyone follows through. Personal responsibility can also be referred to as "accountability," defined by Merriam-Websters’ as "the quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions." (Merriam) If I was to define personal responsibility, I would say that it requires taking control of your destiny, being liable for your actions, and understanding the difference between responsibility, and obligation. To be accountable for one self generally means one would admit to one's mistakes...

Words: 1411 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Salary - Gender Issues

...Papers Mara Fisher SOC 150 Indiana Wesleyan University March 9, 2014 I have read and understand the plagiarism policy as outlined in the IWU Catalog relating to the IWU Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I certify that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. I also certify that the work submitted is original work specific for this course and to my program. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act/s, which could include expulsion from Indiana Wesleyan University. Why I Think Women Are Paid Less From a functionalist perspective, financial inequality for women is a product of the traditional division in human societies. Men tend to take more instrumental (objectively rewarded) tasks such as wage earning and women attend to more expressive (subjectively rewarded) tasks such as those involved in child rearing. While both types of labor are functional for society's survival, the instrumental tasks, which the majority of are held by men, have always been more highly rewarded than the expressive tasks looked after by women. Men and women are taught these traditional roles and have tended to conform to their requirements. Functionalists point out that while gender roles and their accompanying inequalities have changed somewhat in industrialized societies, traditional arrangement remains...

Words: 1082 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Home Schooling

...What is Home schooling? Home schooling occurs when parents take charge of their children’s education — organizing subjects, teaching lessons or arranging for tutors, evaluating progress, and supervising social contacts. Homeschooling, also known as home education, is the education of children outside the formal settings of public or private schools and is usually undertaken directly by parents or tutors. Despite the name, only a portion of home education may be delivered in the family home, with the rest being provided within the local community or elsewhere. Where did it originate from? The earliest public schools in modern Western culture were established in the early 16th century in the German states of Gotha and Thuringia. However, even in the 18th century, the majority of people in Europe lacked formal schooling, which means they were homeschooled, tutored or received no education at all Regional differences in schooling existed in colonial America; in the south, farms and plantations were widely dispersed such that community schools like those in the more compact settlements were impossible. What countries are popularly known for homeschooling apart from Australia? Home-schooling is legal in many countries. Countries with the most prevalent home education movements include Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. ...

Words: 1089 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Analysis: Why Student Athletes Should Be Paid

...I still think it’s a really good idea. Students athletes like me need a stipend in order to survive the college life. Being away from home and your parents it’s a little tough. Some parents not always have the funds to send money or necessities to their children that aren’t able work to provide for themselves in college. Especially for those student athletes whom coaches prohibited working outside of school it’s a bit difficult to survive. Nick Saban head football coach for University of Alabama agreed as well for student athlete stipends a few years back, it was said that Coach Saban liked to think that his athletes as well as student athletes across the country work hard for their program as well as coaches and deserve to be rewarded for their effort. And again I agree with Coach...

Words: 1132 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Dorm Life

...Dorm Life As a college student, I did not realize the importance and the amount of responsibility that it takes to maintain a dorm room living on my own, in comparison to the expectations living at home under adult supervision. Back at home as a high school student, my priorities and expectations from my parents were to attend school five days out of the week, manage my time to complete all assignments and to complete all chores that were expected to be done on time. Some of these chores consisted of cleaning my room, taking out the trash, and do my own laundry. When it was time to clean and organize my room, I had a tendency to clean and organize it the way I felt most comfortable. I did not have to worry about arranging all my personal valuables with limited space or share a room with another person and their own valuables. It was easy for me to place objects where and how I wanted and not have to feel stressed out on where I could find certain items when I needed them. My ability to organize my room and remove myself from distractions as a college student is not the same as to living at home. The most challenging, and time consuming problems moving into a dorm room is trying to manage a room that has provided me limited space on what I can work with when moving into a whole new environment. Moving into a dorm room can cause problem such as organization of the room, the cleanliness of the room and dealing with distractions. First, placing and organizing personal items...

Words: 1252 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Rose Essay

...share, take turns with other students and follow a schedule different than that to which they’re accustomed. A new high school student may find it difficult to juggle the demands of several different classes after years spent with the same group of students in a single classroom with the same teacher all day. College students must learn to balance new freedoms and responsibilities while attending school, and will undoubtedly be confronted with experiences and situations that will challenge the values they’ve learned from their families. While any student will likely find school to be a disorienting place, the unique set of challenges and obstacles encountered by adult students are perhaps the most discombobulating. About 30% of adult students entering colleges in the United States are first-generation students: those who are the first in their families to pursue higher education (Ramsey, 2010). “First-generation students face many challenges once enrolled in college as well. Many, for instance, feel out of place in the academic environment. They may lack study and time-management skills, have trouble understanding what faculty expect from them, and underestimate the time needed to complete assignments” (Vien, 2010). Further, adult learners may be unfamiliar with the tools required to complete assignments. Computers have become commonplace in the last decade, and many adult students last drafted a research paper on a typewriter. The Internet has become the de...

Words: 1257 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Clfm

...what type of history we would like to study. I understand that the department is small, but it would great to see a variety of courses. For example, Latin American history or even a course on women’s history in the United States. I look forward to the courses being offered next semester that will be taught by Dr. Mazza. When I was deciding on which university to attend, I was unsure of where to go. Ultimately, I chose APU because of its location, not its religious affiliation. Being at a Christian university has been a far more different experience than I could have ever imagined. Everyone on this campus is beyond friendly and has helped me grow in my faith in ways I never imagined. I rather enjoy attending chapel it’s a much more personal experience. I don’t enjoy going to chapel in the Felix Event Center it feels very impersonal and I can’t connect or relate to the speaker at the time. Kaleo, and prayer chapel have been the ones to open up to me the most. During Kaleo, it’s the one time that I can attend chapel and sing. I was raised in a Catholic family, and Kaleo is completely different from what I am used to. I do enjoy having the guest speakers tell us...

Words: 1056 - Pages: 5