Student parent support thread - New for Sept. 2010

[MiaWallace]

Starting a new thread for a new academic year.

Previous thread here

If you are currently studying a course or about to start one (at any level) please come and join us. We offer each other support, tips and encouragement, plus we use the thread as a means of procrastination

We started off the previous thread with a short introduction so here's mine -

I'm 30 years old. Recently married with a 5 year old dd. I completed my degree in Education studies in July and I'm about to start my primary PGCE in September.

Hi all, can I come in? I am doing a secondary PGCE and started properly yesterday after being in primary school observing last week.
So far we have had loads of reading and I have already been accidentally sent to the wrong group, so am in trouble with one of my tutors who has sent emails to my other tutors to find out where I was. Oh joy and happiness!

It's a long bloody day though, in eveyr day half 9 to half 4, which means needing help to pick up dd1 from school and dd2 has gone from me being a sahm to being in nursery half 8 until 5, and is so shattered she isn't eating tea.

How do you all split family/student stuff? I have a nice gap in teh middle of the day atm, 3 hours today, so am getting as much stuff done then as I can, and then doing nothing until after bedtime when I print off reading and do a bit of that with DH in front of the telly otherwise I'll never see him. My fellow students sans kids are all arrnaging evening sessions and weekend stuff which I am not really happy about as I want at least one day at the weekend to be for me and dd's (dh works 6 days a week)

Can I join in? Will be starting pt PhD next month. I'm working ft at the other side of the country and I have a nearly 3-year old, so I've no idea how it's going to work....

I've been in school for two days so far this week (I've got school placement for a week before starting PGCE.)

I'm already exhausted. Don't know how I'll make it through the next year.

Excellent, returned home to find emaails saying firstly that I was in the right group all along, so was running around earlier like a headless chicken for no reason, and also that an important form I completed and sent off managed to delete some of the vital info between me saving it and sending it, so I have had a terse email basically telling me it's not good enough.Awesome.

All the prereading I did today was pointless as no other fecker had done it and we went trhrough it together in class anyway so that was 2 hours wasted I could have spent doing stuff that has to be handed in in under a fortnight.

Prolesworth, am sure its not a pile of shite. And if it is its only one of your assigments so doesn't decide the outcome of your whole course

Ilythia that's some start to the course! hope things smooth out for you now!

Mia I have only done 2 days and feeling the same. Although mine is 2 days of lectures. Went to get some library books out today and found that my card has been blocked and noone knows why or how to unblock it

Nickname taken welcome what is you phd in?

ah, you are a voice of reason dylsmum

Today was a bit better, lots of others admitted they are cacking it because they don'#t know anything or can't remember it if they ever did, so at least I am not alone!

ARGH! Freshers week is next week. I've just been presented with a reading list that has already got me questioning whether or not I can really do this with a very demanding 18 week old DD at home. Not to mention me and DP have just decided we're ready to start planning our next baby.

AND I have to commute 90 mins by train there and back every time I have a lecture.

I went back to sixth form when I was 3 years older than my "peers". I spent free periods sitting alone, and in the two years of being there, I made one "friend", who only spoke to me when friends his own age were busy. Surely I'll just sit around anxiously, watching the 18-year-olds who get to live in dorms and share kitchens, and go out drinking instead of looking after a baby and worrying about housework, thinking how little we have in common and how it's not worth even trying to form any ties.

Am I setting myself up for complete failure?!

babylann, no you are not setting yourself up to fail. It may take some organising with an 18 week old dd. I began my degree when dd was 15 months old. It was ok once I got into a routine, I found I would study while she had her naps and then again in the evening. Got harder when she stopped napping, so I increased her hours in chilcare so I could have a few hours a week to devote to uni work. Then I was able to settle to the time I had with her.

As for finding ties with people in uni, I have made some very good friends on my degree the closest are a couple of mums around my age with children similar in age, but I also made friends with the younger people, and the couple who were younger.
I have started my PGCE this week and found the same- there are some who are older than me, some who are parents, others who are younger and childless. In the group I have spent the most time this week I am not (quite!) the oldest, I am the only parent and the majority are younger than me.

The commute sucks, I drive and then aprk and ride into the centre in all takes 1 hr 20 in the mornings, I hate it but its the easiest way. Am hoping it will ease, or I will at least get used to it. If you are on the trains and don't suffer travel sickness, you could use the time constructively and do some readings etc.
GOOD LUCK.

I got my timetable today I hate it! 3 days 9-6, one day 9-4 and one day i am in 9-1 sometimes, sometimes not at all! Add the hour and 20 mins it takes to get there, and the hour drive home (always seems quicker home) I am going to be out the house 7.40am-7.15 roughly. How am I meant to find childcare around that when xp gets a new job? Can I be really selfish and hope he doesn't get a job for the next year? Feeling stressed and tired tonight. Will worry about timetable when I have more energy to find a proper solution

Thanks dylsmum. I've got no choice but to go for it this time. I was meant to be going first time around when I got pregnant, and I deferred a year. When I told my midwife, she sighed and said: "I'll tell you what I tell everyone else. Don't hold out for the 'right time'. If you put off going to university now, you're never going to go." So even though I was planning a few years off, I decided to do it now to avoid it slipping out of sight.

Unfortunately DD takes very frequent but very short naps. No longer than 20 mins or so at a time during the day. And increasing childcare isn't really an option, as I'm desperately trying to avoid daycare, at least until she's older, so I'm depending on wonderful family and friends who've offered up their free time.

Sorry to hear your timetable is giving you such stress. It does actually make me realise mine really isn't that bad. But I guess PGCEs are always quite intensive, as you have lots of placements?

Hi everyone! I just found you, hope it's OK if I join too?

I'm 35 and have a 21 month olds DS. I'm just about to start a degree in digital media, and DP is also about to start a foundation degree in Radio Production. DS has a place at the uni nursery from January so we'll all be going to the same school!

I've got my last day at work tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to starting at uni, can't wait now

dylsmum, my PhD cuts across law and politics. I don't want to be too identifiable...

babylann, I like your midwife's advice! And obviously people take different attitudes to childcare, but my DD started at 12 weeks and has always loved it (well, at the start she didn't really notice it). It's worth considering, even one day a week, just to take the pressure off. And I don't think it will be like 6th form where you sat alone - with any luck, there will be other mature students there.

Dylsmum your timetable sounds awful. Hope you are able to find a solution to your childcare soon.

dylsmum, that sounds hellish.
Our timetable isn't fixed yet which is helpful I have 2 sets of the timetable from each side of the course and I have to try and match them up, is not easy as I am still waiting on my new diary

I was pelased with holding my own in a presentation planning meeting today though, everyone was either about my age or much younger (its been 10 years since I graduated).
I am about middle of the ages on my course as well, some with kids, some without, but those without haven't minding me legging it after class so I can get home, which has helped.

Just finished my prereading and printing up for this week, just got a presentation tomorrow and then more revision of a levels over the weekend, yay.

I also found out which school I have been placed in and am really chuffed, it's about 10 miles away, so not too close as I am nowhere near the catchment but also not so far as it will bugger up childcare thank god. ATM I have dd2 in full time nursery and DD1 in reception with a friend/neighbour getting her from school when DH can't and looking after her for a bit until I get home.

My slowcooker is working overtime too, tomorrow will be the 3rd time this week it will be used!

Ilythia, it is a pain of a timetable, although there were some changes made so it now stands I only have 2 days I am in til 6, then one days til 4, with fridays now finishing at 1 and an odd couple of hours on the other day. So not as bad as we were first told thank fully.

GLad you are happy with your placement our haven't been organised yet am hoping with one closer to home than the uni is!

My slow cooker will be used lots as well.

Hi everyone...........I have dusted my slow cooker off today aswell. Starting my degree tomorrow and not sure Im doing the right thing- am very broody- but know I need to get this degree to get a decent job!

Leaving home at 730am each day and returning abouut 6pm- 3 days a week. Plus one day placement which Im hoping will be closer to home!

Better logon and print my timetable out!

Hi everyone! I'm new to the whole mumsnet thing, so thought I'd jump in here to say hi. I'm 26 have been married nearly two years and have two little boys 3 and nearly 1. I'm studying a law degree part time which I started 8 weeks after my first little boy was born as I was climbing the walls! I'm now about to go into my fourth and final year, though am hoping to get on the BPTC full time course starting next year as I want to be a barrister.

Anyway, starting back Tuesday night and am really looking forward to it, especially as my eldest just started nursery five afternoons a week, so I'll actually be able to study!

I'm starting my PGCE this morning. Feel sick with nerves. Argh!

Another newbie to this thread, enrolling on my PGDip tomorrow (training to be a careers advisor) and very excited/scared/excited!

I'm 35 and feeling very rusty on the whole academia thing, haven't had to use my brain for too long!

I'm a lone parent (although my ex shares custody), my DD is nearly 2 and will be in nursery pretty much full time for the year, so will be worrying about how she'll cope with that on top of everything else!

Thanks Prolesworth. Had a good first day but feel like my brain is about to explode!

HI phoenix and maggie, I have found that going from SAHM to full time studying with dd's in full time school/nursery hasn't been that much of a shock, mainly as I have been too shattered to do any thinking about it

Took friday night and saturday day off, did a bit of work saturday night but found it too hard on sunday so rearange the girls bedroom, now it is much easier to get them ready in teh morning and keep it tidy so thats one less thing.
Today was hellish, 9:30 until 5 with half an hour for lunch, but luckly its the busiest day of the week, just printed off 90 pages of a report I have to read for tomorrow so shall be back after that.

One thing that is pissing me off is that they haven't made clear what exactly is expected of us, for example, we had a lecture today with prereading and there were questions in the notes, now I didi all the reading and answered the question, but thenm we were given half an hour in class to do one question in groups and shared the answers, so that's 3 hours fucking wasted[grrr]

Ilythia we used to have that happen when I did my degree very very annoying

Mia it is information overload from the word go isnt it.

Maggie and phoenixmum good luck with your courses

I have just finished one of my long days, am exhausted and haven't yet done my work for tomorrow, so of course I am now on here instead of doing it

Hi all.

I start back on Thursday, got an induction for the Media Centre at uni. Standard thing so I can book equipment again, but just nice to be back into uni stuff! I've had a brilliant idea for a fiction film I want to do this term so I'm just trying to write a bit of a script, then I can ask the cleverer scriptwriters on my course to help me make it decent.

Quite excited but I know this year will be hard. I went to a dance society taster session yesterday and learnt some hip hop, which was great fun and I plan to dance with them twice a week to keep me fit, and give me something to do other than uni work! BUT, I have a huge bruise on my knee from learning to knee slide. You break your fall with your hand then slide, but one time my knee hit first and is all bruised :(

On the plus side, my hair is getting dyed purple on Saturday so it'll at least match!