The College Journey - A Guide for Moms

As I come to an end of my baccalaureate (bachelors) degree, I have reflected a lot on the past four years (hence the multiple posts). I was thinking about my journey and I really wanted to share the real truth behind what it takes to go after your degree as an active, fully employed, single mother of two. Take into consideration that my story is not like everyone else’s, my circumstances are different. This post will be different from the other posts as it will not go directly into my life but it will discuss some of the real-life relatable circumstances I encountered that others in my situation may go through as well, what to expect, and how to power through.

Figure out where you want to go (i.e. 4-yr College on campus, 2-yr community college on campus, or an online school). Keep in mind that some community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees and have online classes as well. Another thing to keep in mind is the price, online and community colleges are fairly more affordable than universities and you can complete your degree with little to no money to pay back.

Once you have your choices in mind, apply for financial aid, I honestly suggest you do this regardless, as soon as possible. Financial Aid applications open up around February or earlier; however, you will need your previous year’s tax information so if you haven’t filed yet, you will need to wait until you have. If you have not filed taxes due to lack of work or any other reason, FAFSA will tell you how to proceed. Click here to apply: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. There is no penalty for applying if you choose not to use it. The money allotted to you will just be given to someone else, more than likely a late filer.

Once you have secured your funds and selected where you want to go, it is time to register for the school(s) of your choice; most schools allow you to do this online. As with the FAFSA, there is no penalty in registering and deciding not to go. However, keep in mind that some schools have a registration fee that is non-refundable. I have not encountered a registration fee with community colleges but you may encounter this with online schools and universities. It is during the registration that you will specify what major you want your degree to be in; if you are unsure then general studies is always an option.

Once you receive confirmation of registration from the school they will more than likely require a copy of any past transcripts. This includes any college and high school transcripts, you do not need the official transcripts from your previous colleges unless you are looking to use those classes towards your future degree program. Most unofficial transcripts can be printed online or emailed to you from the school. Ordering your official transcripts is fairly easy and can also be done online and is typically under $5 (I paid $2.50 for mines).

Each school requires some kind of placement testing, do not let this scare you. It is really to see where you are and what pre-requisites you will need to take, if any. You can study ahead of time for the tests if you want to improve your score. The higher you test, the less pre-reqs you have to take, some people test high enough to not have to take any pre-reqs at all; any class starting in zero is a pre-req (i.e. 095). Pre-reqs do not go towards your degree and must be completed with a C grade or higher before you can move towards classes that will actually go towards your degree. For example, in order to obtain a business degree you need a ton of math-related classes but before you can take any of those math classes, you will need an understanding of basic math. Once you have completed the test you have the option to accept your score or retake the test. You will meet with a placement coordinator immediately after the test and they will give you a printout of what pre-req classes you will need to take.

After meeting with the coordinator you will need to complete an orientation and meet with your guidance counselor. There you will go over your previous transcripts and work out your school schedule for the next 2-4 years or so. They will help your determine when to take what classes and how to best accommodate your schedule. If you are required to take pre-reqs you may be required to meet with your counselor on a quarterly basis until your pre-reqs have been completed. After that, you will be assigned a new counselor that is program specific. Please keep in mind that not all classes require you to pass a pre-req, pre-reqs are usually focused more on math and English classes. So while you are taking any pre-reqs, you can still take classes that go towards finishing your degree; you and your counselor can figure out which classes those will be.

So now you will just need to register for the classes you will want to take. Once you have registered, you are ready to start once the quarter/semester begins. Before beginning make sure that all disturbances have been taken care of as much as possible and have all of your text books and supplies ready to go. One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to be prepared to have a limited social life. Over my entire educational journey, I have been in a relationship and based on my schedule for the quarter, we established a date night. If there was a day I did not have classes or homework that would be due, we did something fun. If I knew an event was coming up and I wanted to go, I would get my homework completed in advance so that I would be available. If the kids had games or tournaments, I would bring my books and study in between (i.e. my daughter was a wrestler and there was hours between her matches. My son had games and they had to arrive early so I studied before his game started). However, during their games and matches I was all eyes on them. This school journey has been a balancing act for me. I am not going to say it has been easy but it has been worth it.

For me I get really excited at the beginning of the quarter, by the end of the quarter I am ready to throw my books across the room and say to hell with it…lol; however, I always push through and finish strong but these are real emotions that you may encounter. When the world around you is crumbling (or at least it seems) you will need to literally tune it out at least long enough to finish that test or assignment. I am not sure how I learned to turn everything off, even my emotions during a quiz or test but I literally go into this mode where nothing else around me exists but my school work for an hour or two. Once I am done I am back in the real world and ready to deal with whatever is going on around me.

Remember that life is always going to keep going and it will not stop nor will those around you take into consideration your mission. You must be prepared to take on all obstacles that come your way and say no if necessary. If you are mentally prepared to take on this journey, then trust me all else will align in your favor to help you through. You would be surprised just how much.

And...It Is What It Is!