Online Education and the Working Mom

Raising a family is without a doubt one of life’s most rewarding and challenging experiences. It doesn’t matter whether or not a household has one or two parents, or whether one or both are working full time, childrearing presents unique stresses on time and finances for parents around the world. Often the most challenging periods are weekdays, typically filled with music lessons, after-school activities and homework. Weekends may require driving great distances to games, competitions or social events for the kids. It’s gotten harder and harder to carve out quality family time, and even more difficult for a parent to set aside a corner of the day to pursue his or her own personal, professional or educational goals. With such busy schedules, many working moms who think about going back to school may feel that there simply is no time to take classes and pursue a degree or certificate in a field that will lead to a more satisfying and financially rewarding career. In most cases, it’s physically impossible for one parent to get away several times a week to put in the time to attend regular classes. Imagine working eight or more hours a day, only to come home, share a quick meal with the family, and then head right back out to sit through a lecture. It’s easy to see why returning to school during our kids’ school years is all kinds of overwhelming! The great news is that with the increase in fast and easy internet access as well as high quality online degree programs, there are manageable and affordable ways to go back to school for that desired degree. Distance education has so many pluses to it, and with a little searching, it’s possible for a working mom to find the perfect degree program to fit her family’s busy schedule. Some of the most obvious advantages of online education for a working mom are: • A flexible schedule. With online courses, students can work for a few hours after the kids are in bed, read an assigned article on their e-reader during soccer practice and take an online test while the kids are doing their homework. Most working mothers are already experts at logistics and time management skills, meaning that with some simple adjustments, online school work should fit easily into the family’s master schedule. • Many programs are self-paced, meaning that students can complete the coursework according to their own schedule – within reason, of course! For instance, if a family is headed out on vacation, the assignments due during that time could be submitted early. The flip side is that it may take longer to complete an assignment in some cases, and self-paced programs are designed to work with these situations as well. Of course, there are some practical things to consider. Online works best if students have daily access to a computer with a reliable and fast internet connection. Also, students should be familiar enough with computers and word processing that they will able to jump in and write papers and navigate the syllabus with minimal stress and frustration. Online education just might be the perfect solution for working moms looking to further their education without sacrificing their day jobs or their commitment to their family!