The Life of A Single Parent 4

Did you know that 20% of all college students these days are single parents? Well, that number is steadily on the rise. As crazy and chaotic as college life is for a single person, it is probably 100 times more chaotic for a single parent. Society tends to look down upon single parents with the general attitude that we are lazy, careless, and perhaps reckless in choosing our sexual partners. That is quite a burden to bare, and a lot to overcome. Balancing work, school and family obligations are tough for any student, but for those with children especially.
 As a single parents we are not expected to excel like our single counterparts and to be honest college life is not particularly forgiving for the single parent with exam schedules, finals, doctors appointments, parent meetings. Without the help of a strong support system it is easy to just throw in the towel. Therefore, I feel it is essential to learn effective time management skills and use that time wisely. I personally try designate time for all areas of study.

• Know what your objective is for the week, keep a day planner (essential)
• Reserve a couple hours every afternoon for my children's homework
• Designate a couple of hours each day for my homework (usually before kids get home from school, while my little one takes his afternoon nap)
• Keep one day open a week for group projects, power points and such
• Every Wednesday we go to my oldest sons football game, you gotta have some fun every once in a while to avoid getting burnt out.

These are just a few suggestions, find what works for you, and stick to it. It really is all about time management.