University + Children!

It seems that these days it is becoming harder to enter / re-enter the workforce unless you have a qualification or degree of some sort. A lot of friends I have who are Mums have either furthered their studies or are looking into doing some kind of course to secure a job in the future.

The thought of adding in another element to your already busy life can be scary BUT it can be done!
I am often asked about studying in general and asked how I do it or am told I'm crazy (which I probably am!)

So I thought I'd share my story ......

I began because I wanted to do something more for myself after having spent 5 years as a 'Stay At Home Mum'. I loved being home with the kids but I needed something more to stimulate my brain. I had previously worked in Real Estate as a Property Manager and also in an administration/reception role and I knew that I no longer wanted to be in that field  and that I wasn't ready to head back to work yet.

I vividly remember the moment when I knew what I wanted to do. It was the morning of the 18th August 2012 (Specific huh?) and I remember it well because our youngest was only 6 days old. I was sitting on the couch feeding him, flipping through the Saturday paper and drinking my coffee. I saw an advertisement for the local university's open day which was the following day. I showed hubby and told him that's where I was heading the next day. He told me I was completely nuts!! To be honest,  I didn't totally disagree with him. So hubby looked after the big 2 kids and my Mum and I went and toured the Uni. It was amazing and huge and overwhelming! I loved it! My brain was spinning with ideas and it was filled with inspiration and motivation after talking with some of the staff and current students.

That night I began the application process. What I found is that it's not easy applying to VTAC as a mature age student. I sat the STAT test (a general knowledge test) which is required for entry to University and from then it was a long and grueling wait to see if I had secured a place! I received an offer for my third preference which was a double degree in Nursing & Psychology. Hubby was very apprehensive about me beginning as I had always been the one at home with the kids and it would all need to change. He encouraged me to defer and I told him there was no chance, he then asked me to defer and again he got the same response. This is what I wanted to do even though it required a lot of change. Our eldest was in school when I began but it meant that our youngest 2 would need to be in daycare and our youngest was 4 months old when he began as we needed to secure a position! It was tough but it had to be done in order for me to proceed and since we have done it, I haven't looked back.  

Fast forwarding to now, I am currently completing the last 3 units of a Bachelor of Nursing. I ended up transferring from the double degree to a single degree.  The degree is 3 years long with full time study. Everyone freaks when they hear the words 'full time'. I promise you, you don't have to be on-campus from 9am to 5pm five days a week. A full study load is considered 3+ units. Each unit is worth 1 or 2 credit points and each credit point requires 10 hours of study. Have I confused you yet?

At the moment I am completing what's below....

Unit                                                             Credit Points                        Study Hours
Child & Adolescent Health                              1                                       10
Mental Health Promotion                                 1                                       10
Comprehensive Nursing Practice                     2                                       20


I am required on campus for a total of 8 hours each week between the 3 units leaving a total of 32 hours private study time. I know I told you before it's not full time hours and this looks like it is BUT not everyone has the time to spend 40 hours per week studying and most people don't. When the time comes to complete assignments etc you will most likely spend in excess of 40 hours per week studying but majority of the time you won't hit that number. For my University we run from March through to October, so we are able to have time off each year or we can continue to study over the summer period to reduce our workload the following trimester. It is fairly flexible! You can study part time and do 1 or 2 units a trimester but obviously that lengthens your degree so you have a few extra years to complete your degree!

On a personal level though, the key to succeeding is commitment. You need to be driven and need to want it. In order to get through Uni I try and plan my days as well as I can as I need to take into consideration 4 other people in my family. I still need to cook, clean, get the kids to and from school plus complete all the other normal daily things and study. Some days I fail and I just pick up the slack the next day. Sometimes things have got to give though and that can often be the dishes or the washing and other days/weeks it can be the washing, dishes, vacuuming, mopping, dusting..... you get the point. I just try and roll with each day and that's what helps me get through. My hubby is a great source of help but he works hard too and I am a little (ok, very) picky about the way things are done so would rather do a lot of it on my own. I also suffer from anxiety, so this can also cause set backs daily when things are tough. You just do what you can, when you can and ask for help when you need! It doesn't last forever (I'm currently chanting this to myself while I complete my last couple of weeks on campus!) There are times where I have wanted to quit, even as recently as last week but I keep reminding myself it's all temporary!

I spoke to a Mum one day who wanted to know all about my degree and how I did it. When I told her about the placements attached to Nursing and how it all ran, she freaked and ran for the hills. She wasn't ready to commit yet and I get it. It's a massive decision and a huge commitment. It's not for everyone. However for me,  I knew that I wanted this and have stuck with it even when things get tough. You miss out on friends events, special days with the kids, coffee dates with friends, hair appointments.... the list goes on. You cry because you think your 1,500 word essay was shit and are disappointed when you get a Distinction instead of a High Distinction, you cry over the journal article you really wanted to use that is 1 year too old, you get excited when you are placed on an amazing ward but get placed with a nurse who should have said no to having a student that day and you can cry because you simply miss your bed or watching your fave TV show. It's an emotional roller coaster and it has been 3 years of hell, exciting times, focus, dedication, anger, upset but most of all new friendships and looking forward to an amazing career ahead.    

Studying isn't easy but you can do it!!

Please feel free to ask any questions and I will try and assist as best as I can.
Please remember that this is my experience and the way my University is run. I am sure that there will be many different views on how people approach University and that there will be variances with how Universities are ran. 

Until next time! Xx