Single mothers who want to continue their education should set realistic goals, create a support network of friends, family members, and other single mothers, and get detailed financial aid information.
BE REALISTIC
Being a mother isn't an easy job, and being a single mother, as you well know, is even harder. Getting a college degree is a challenge even for young people with no major responsibilities whose parents are paying their way through, so clearly, getting a college degree is an extremely difficult feat for a single mother. However, it can be done, and many single mothers have successfully achieved their goal of acquiring a college degree. If you are willing to take on this challenge, the most important thing is to believe in yourself. A positive attitude and self-confidence are essential to your success. You have to be realistic about the challenge that you are facing. While you may wish that you could go to school full-time Monday through Friday, the fact of the matter is that that might not be plausible given your life situation. You may have to go to school part-time, or maybe you should consider taking some e-courses (online classes) offered through the college that you enroll in. You may only be able to swing thee days a week, or even less than that. Take a careful look at your commitment and schedule so that you can come up with a realistic plan to accomplish your goal.
CREATE A SUPPORT NETWORK
Single mothers are used to relying primarily on themselves, and sometimes they find it very difficult to ask for help. You are going to have to accept help from others if you want to make it through college while raising one or more children. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Your family and friends are likely to be very eager to rally around you as you try to build a better future for yourself and your family. You should also look to other single mothers in your situation. If you know other single mothers who attend your college, get together with them - you may all be able to help each other out with study sessions and babysitting. Also, it is great to have other women around who can understand your plight to talk to and call on for support. Finally, you should check to see if your college has a daycare program. If so, these programs are often very affordable to students, and you will be able to stop and see your little ones during your breaks between classes.
RESEARCH FINANCIAL AID OPTIONS
As a single mother, you are probably not in the ideal financial situation. However, financial aid is available so that you can go to college despite the fact that you may not have the funds to pay for it right now. Talk to a representative at the college's financial aid office, and be completely forthcoming about your monetary situation. Financial aid advisors are trained to make it work for you in some way, so be positive! Even if you don't qualify for as much financial aid as you wanted, you can still look into scholarship programs. In fact, there are several scholarships that are geared towards single mothers who are continuing their education. Also, student loans can help you to make ends meet while you are attending college, and there are several student loans that do not require repayment until at least six months after your graduation.
BE PREPARED
When you begin taking classes, introduce yourself to your professors so that you can explain to them that you are a single mother returning to school. You aren't looking for sympathy here - just understanding. Reality is that you may miss some classes because of your child or children - sicknesses, their school functions, et cetera. If you are a diligent and dedicated student, then most of your professors are likely to be very willing to work with your special situation. However, there are going to be some people who do not want to act compassionately towards your situation, so be prepared to sometimes be penalized for things that are out of your control. Stay on top of your assignments, and do your best. If you have to miss class, make sure that you have someone that you can call about what you missed - either the professor or a classmate. Just stay the course (pun intended), believe in yourself, and you can do it!
