Mom’s Guide to Grad School 

Yes! I know it has been a loooooong time since I have made a post but my hiatus was for a good reason!!!! I EARNED MY MASTER’S DEGREE! (Doing a happy dance!) I think that is a good reason to take a break from blogging, right? I am so thankful, humbled, and proud that I earned a Master’s degree.  I obtained a Master’s of Science degree in Biotechnology with a concentration in Biosecurity and Biodefense! Yes, I know SCIENCE GEEK 🤓(and proud).

So, this first post back, I really wanted to encourage and empower other Moms to do the same! Here is a list of tips that helped me survive Grad School life!

STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL MASTER’S DEGREE

1. COMMUNICATE YOUR INTENTIONS
First things first, you have to communicate your intentions to go to school with your spouse, partner, family unit, and support system. Continuing your education as a Mother is rather interesting and definitely will effect other people.  Communicate with your support system FIRST! Explain that you will need to rely on them more for various tasks.

Also, explain that you may have less time for them and will not be as available as you may have been. I never encountered anyone that was mad or resentful about me continuning my education, so this is the easy part! Its just best to communicate that there will be some changes but very manageable changes.

2. BUDGET

Review your budget! Investing in your future can be costly but well worth it. If you are a stay at home Mom like me that plans on re-entering the workforce one day, an advanced degree would not hurt.  😜

Review your budget and see if you can afford to further your education. There are grants and scholarships for women and Mothers, but as a stay at home Mom, I did not find any that applied to my situation. 😤😒 If you are a working Mom, look into tuition reimbursement programs at your job! 

So, I self-financed my own education. This step was simple for our household because there would be no change to our budget.

3. ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE FOR THE HOME

If you do not already have a schedule for your little ones, it is imperative to establish one now!! Having a predictable schedule helps ensue you will be consistent with getting your work done.

Bedtime is CRITICAL! Knowing that my kids were in bed at a certain time every night helped me determine how much time at night I could focus on schoolwork.

Also, if your kids are still napping, utilize this time if you can! Of course now that I am out of school, my duo has been napping at the same time for a hour and a half everyday! 😒😂

4. CROSS REFERENCE YOUR SOCIAL CALENDAR & SYLLABUS

It is easier said than done, but try to keep the changes for your kids as minimal as possible. One way in doing this is maintaining their social life. So, try to still make social events, family time, and other bonding time activities. Look at your social calendar and your syllabus at the same time and mark down the big assignments in advance, so you know early on which weeks/weekends you will be less available. 

We love adventuring to museums, nature centers, zoos, etc often so I continued these activities on weeks/weekends I had more time. The other times, I planned playdates with family and friends. 

5. LET YOUR CHILDREN SEE YOU DO SCHOOLWORK

My littles have not started “real” school so they really do not completely understand the concept. Even though, I completed the majority of my coursework while they were sleeping, I would read my textbook and other books in front of them. This reinforces a love for reading to watch me read.

I rarely did not play or engage with my littles to complete homework because I didnt want them to equate school as a bad thing because it was taking time and attention from them.

If you children are older, you can probably complete your coursework while they entertain themselves! When I tried that once, I ended up with a broken laptop 🙈

6. TAKE A NIGHT OFF!

School is stressful! School is hard work! To maintain sanity, take a night off! One night every week, I did nothing for school. NOTHING! I would just watch tv, read, or rest! Blogging helped keep my mind off of school work as well, but blogging is HARD WORK! So, that became stressful too (hence the hiatus lol) 

7. FORGIVE YOURSELF

My duo was accustomed to homemade activities and a well rested Mommy lol but unfortunately with the late nights and early mornings, it was hard to have the energy and time to keep this up!  So, this made me feel really guilty at times. Kids are resilient. (and coffee will keep you going lol)

The day after graduation, my daughter come home from preschool and said “Mommy, I played graduation today. I got my Masters degree.” It was the sweetest thing I have ever heard! It washed away the guily feelings I was harboring about pursuing my education. 

8. HAVE FUN
Hahahaha! Yes, I know but through the whole process try to just enjoy it and have fun!

What do you think of these tips? Any pointers you would give? Leave all further questions you may have in the comments! Every degree program is different, so what worked for me may not work for you, but I encourage you to seek out educational opportunities because it can be done! I hope these tips empower you to achieve higher! I am not going to lie, there were times that I wanted to give up because of all of the work, but looking at my little duo kept me motivated.  School is stressful! I have my first gray hair now! 👵🏾😂🤣 but it is well worth it! 

I hope this was helpful! 
Enjoy!!
.
Maya

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