Anyone gone from SAHM to fulltime studying?

[bisley]

What was it like? How old were your children? How were they with the shift?

I am pondering retraining at some point. DC1 starts school in September, dc2 in two years time. I can't see a 'good' time to start. Whenever I do it I can imagine it being a massive shift for them. More so maybe than going back to work to work full time.

bump?

Yes I did it when ds was 2. It was incredibly hard and amazingly rewarding. I had alot of support to do it and not alot of sleep.

I did it for 2 years, have never looked back.

If your in a good relationship with lots of support and a real determination to do it is possible. Financially it's not easy and its very stressful.

Thanks cupcake. It sounds like you got a lot out of it.

I'm sure DH would be supportive, but I'm not sure I like the sound of not a lot of sleep - feels like I'm just coming out of baby sleep deprivation!

I did, well I did an part time evening course first while I was a SAHM. Then full time Uni when dd started reception (with some wraparound care) and ds was 2.5 and he went to nursery. He had a full time place as timetable changed frequently but only really attended part time hours.

Surprisingly school is not as easy as you think. Their demands and expectations seem to be far greater than nursery (costumes, random coloured clothes, craft supplies etc. expected at a moments notice not to mention school events).

It was a huge change for us but we also moved at the same time, which although an even bigger change made it easier in some ways as it was a clean start with new routines.

I'm just finishing my third year of my four year course. To he honest money doesn't stress me out as much as time, I'm taught in intensive blocks with breaks in between and towards the end if the block coursework deadlines loom and its all very stressful.

But I get very bored in my summer holidays (3 months opposed to kids 6weeks) so I wouldn't change it.

Thanks littleducks. The level of organisation required just for school let alone anything on top does worry me. I would need to do an access cours or something first so I have at least a year to get inti the routine before I would start at university. The course I'm interested in has a part time option but it makes it 4.5 years rather than 3, which seems so long.

The lack of sleep was due to me working through the night some nights. Ds never slept well so i just used to get up and get coursework done. Dh did need to entertain ds at weekends because I was studying. Ds was only in nursery the hours i was attending uni, all other time for assignments/placements and practice hours was split between family or done in evenings/weekends or at nighttime. It did make me feel very guilty but he now has a really good concept of further education and study because he's seen mummy do it.

It also depends greatly on the level of the qualification and what the course entails. Some full time degrees are actually fairly part time for the first few years.

Does it include placements/working hours/experience etc. It sounds like your looking at a first degree which means you'll at least get your holidays free on most courses except for your final year where the 6 months from oct to April will be a very long demanding slog.

My course was full time post grad (MA) with two placements and a requirement of 100s of hours of working practice which had to be done on a voluntary basis. We worked through all the holidays and were expected to attend seminars and tutorials during academic holidays. We were told by tutors it was a full time course and working along side would be difficult. They were very right.

Be guided by the people teaching the course and if they say it really is a full time course then believe them. The people who I studied with who had school aged children found it significantly easier to juggle time but did rely a lot on family, after school clubs etc.

It hasn't put us off. I'm due dc2 in a matter if weeks and dh is applying for an MBA starting next Easter. It's slightly different in that he will be working full time and studying open learning. We are under no illusion of how hard this will be on the family.

I did an access course when my youngest two started school and have now finished yr1 of my degree. My three are 10, 6, 6 and I find it better than if I was working fulltime as I have school holidays at home. My degree means a lot of work placements so have been working a 40 hour week and studying on top of that but now have 4 months at home with the children. We are better off financially than we were when I was a sahm as I get a bursary from the govt and help with childcare costs also things like council tax are cheaper for students. I agree you need support but it is doable.

Thanks katedan, that's interesting about help with childcare etc. I was worried about not being available as a SAHM and actually spending money rather than earning it.

The course is undergraduate but professional, iyswim. Think Speech and Language Therapy or physiotherapy. So there will be placements, not sure what the hours will be outside of them though. I've emailed them to ask the difference between full time and part time.

I did. I started last September, when my DC were 4 and 18mo. It is hard, but for us it's easier than me working full time, as I get the same holidays as my DC, and the whole summer off. So really, I actually still feel like a SAHM apart from frenetic uni activity for 3 months in winter and 3 months in Spring! :)

It is hard to study after cooking dinner and getting everyone to bed but I manage it, and childcare costs were not too hideous as DC is at nursery in the mornings and DC2 at a CM. I spend as much time with them daytime and do as much work as I can in the evenings and weekends, when DH is about to do most of the childcaring.

I am hoping 2nd year will be easier, as DS1 starts school in August and DS2 nursery. It's tricky planning childcare, as it can't be done far in advance as my timetable changes every term. My head of school is accommodating though, and gets the timetable to me ASAP, so we plan from there.

I am glad I did it sooner rather than later; I almost waited to start this year and I am so glad I just went for it. Terms go so fast!

Studying with young DC is not for everyone but it is working out great for us, as I am getting on with my plans for a career after both DC are at school, and they still have me loads of the time.

Good luck whatever you decide :)

Thanks FoxPass, it's been interesting to hear about the holidays - definitely a major advantage over working full time! I've got hold of the timetables for the first year of the course, I'd forgotten how part time most undergraduate degrees are. I did Chemistry and we had 2/3 hours of lectures every morning and 3 hours of labs every afternoon. The 'full time' timetable for this degree has 'private study' all day Mondays and Fridays and absolutely nothing on a Tuesday afternoon. Definitely seeming more doable!

There is a four week placement which I guess would be properly full time, but I'm sure we could sort something out for that.