To do a masters with a baby

[theprincessthepea]

I’ve just been accepted onto a part time masters. My baby will be 6 months old when I start.

I did 2 years of my degree with my now 12 year old when she was the same age and got a first class honours.

I had very good family support then. I still do now, but will rely on parents less as they are a little older (although my mum is super hands on again!).

I’m getting this feeling that a masters is more demanding and I’m probably more risk adverse in my 30s. I work part time and will need to inform my employer before I come off maternity. I found job hunting difficult and landed a part time job (after 10+ years of full time) and want to use the degree to real I’ll, restart and hopefully make good connections for when I’m ready to work again - plus I’ve always wanted to do a masters.

AIBU for thinking I can study with a baby - probably looking for success stories of those that have done it as a “mature student”.

Will you also be working or will this replace work? I think it's quite demanding to do it on top of work ... but then again if it makes you happy and will fulfil you, you'll find a way! And a happy mum is good for baby.

I know people who have studied with a baby. I’d be lying if I said they found it easy, but in most cases their hard work, stress and efforts paid off.

Have a good think about what’s right for you and good luck if you decide to go ahead!!

You absolutely can if you can afford the childcare for while you are attending and for any outside revision/project time.

I did a PhD with a baby/toddler and it was totally fine, even doing international travel for research.

But I had childcare in place. Basically, I treated like a job. 9-5 I did my PhD and dd was in nursery. And I had a supportive Dh who could have her in evenings, weekends when I was especially busy and when I needed to travel. I teach MSc students now and I don’t think the workload is vastly different than undergrad, but you would struggle doing it while also caring for your baby if you don’t have childcare.

I guess a bigger question is, do you want to go back to work, essentially, at 6 months? I don’t think I would have. I started at 12 months, but 6 months would have been too soon to put her in nursery for me.

I did my postgraduate as a mature student with a 2 year old but by using a childminder for when I was in lectures and for 4 additional hours a week and got a distinction. I almost feel a baby would be easier than a toddler as they are less mobile.

I actually did my undergraduate by correspondence course as it was pre internet whilst working full time and the same child was a baby.

Go for it and good luck.

It really depends on how the course is set up...
Can you get in touch with the programme or course leader? See what other people on the course are doing?
If it is a course full of international students who are not working or recent graduates with no "life" experience it might be very different to if it is a course which has mostly mature students who already have jobs and maybe families.
And how it is taught and assessed will be important - weekly sessions or study weekends? In person or distance? Essays? Group work?
So many variables - find out as much as you can before deciding.
It IS possible regardless - but there are lots of ways to make it less challenging for you.
Good luck!

Thanks for the encouragement so far!

@onlyjustme thabks for the advice. I didn’t think to ask about the structure but I will email the course leader and find out more. I selected part time - I wonder if it’s better to have an intense year and complete a full time course vs part time

@mindutopia I agree - 6 months is very young for nursery so I have family support until December at least and I’m adding baby to nursery as waiting lists are ridiculous!

@ILoveADoubleEntendre good question. I will be going back just 1 day a week in 2025 (they were doing cuts before I went on leave so 3 days turned into 1 day). Which is why I picked a part time masters.

It won’t be easy of course, but I’m sure you’ll be fine :)

I did a doctorate with a toddler, with no other support other than my dh. It was fine and I'd do it all again as I loved it!