Ever dreamed of going back to college to continue your education? Read the real-life stories and advice of a few busy moms who have successfully balanced being a student and a mom to reach their goals. Plus read how the new Inspiron Intel 2 in 1 Laptop, which I received for review, is a valuable tool that can help make this dream a reality for you.
I love the beginning of a new year. It feels like a real chance to start fresh. It feels like a time full of possibilities, when anything is possible if you set a goal and work hard for it. One of my long time goals has been to advance my education a little more. But, as is probably is the case for so many other busy moms, there seems to be so many obstacles blocking my way.
I have a few friends who have been an inspiration to me, as they have been on a journey over the past few years to continue their education. These amazing women are not only full time students but are also fantastic moms. Because they have both been an inspiration to me, I decided to ask them a few questions to gain some advice on what it takes to be a mom and student.
Kimberly Egbert is a full time stay at home mom to a school aged child and a newborn, she is currently working towards her Bachelor’s Degree at University of Phoenix in Health Administration with a focus on Health Information Systems. She told me that she decided to go back to school because she was stuck in a retail job that she hated.
She said, “It was not where I wanted to be, nor where I thought I would be at my age. Also, it didn’t allow for the life I want for my kids”
Another friend, Monica Mariner is a mom to a toddler and preschooler. She just finished earning her MBA through ASU’s online business school, WP Carey School of Business. For the first 18 months of working on her degree she also worked as a full-time stay-at home mom which she managed with the help of a child care center where she took the kids when needed. When she was 6 months away from completing her degree she also worked full time as a lab manager for the teaching labs at ASU, which was a position that she qualified for because of her degree.
She said she decided to go back to get her MBA because, “It was the fact that I always wanted a graduate degree and we believed we found the right one that would give us a better life and help with our short term goals (staying at home with the kids for a while) and our long term goals of making more money and starting a successful family business.”
Both women decided to go back to school when times where somewhat uncertain during their lives, and say that it required a little bit of a leap of faith.
Kimberly said, “I came up with a whole list of reasons why it just wasn’t the right time. My daughter just started school, money was tight, time was tighter. But then, I realized my daughter would be in school for the next 12+ years, money would always be tight if I was stuck in retail and if I really wanted it, I would MAKE time! I just had to bite the bullet.”
Monica explains that for her, right up until the time she started school (after she had even paid her deposits) things where somewhat uncertain with her husband’s job as he was working as a freelancer for his company and didn’t have a full-time commitment (which did coincidentally come right after Monica started school).
She said “Right up until the month that I started the program we didn’t know what we were going to do, only that we had gotten our answer [that Monica should start school] and we needed to go forward with faith.”
Despite all obstacles, both ladies have persevered through their degree programs. They both say that the key to their success has been having a solid support system and learning to lean on them by accepting help and offers for babysitting from family and friends.
Monica added, “Also, learn to forgive yourself when you can’t be everything to everyone. It took me a while to get there, to know that I didn’t have to be the typical, crafty, SAHM mom because I didn’t like doing that kind of stuff and I wasn’t good at it.”
Kimberly tells how she is using going back to college as a parenting tool to motivate her daughter to do well in school.
She said, “I let my daughter do her homework next to me as I am doing mine. It sets a good example for her and keeps me focused since I know I am being watched!”
Both Monica and Kimberley agree that without technology accomplishing their dreams of furthering their education would not be possible.
Kimberly says, “Going to school online allows me to do my work any time. I have deadlines set by my professor’s for assignments, but I can work on my lecture notes, discussion questions and other assignments any time I have a spare moment… Technology has also allowed me to make some friends who are in the same boat I am in. My school has a student forum that allows students to reach out and help each other, and I can keep in touch with class mates.”
Monica, who also attended class online says, “Going back to school would not have been possible for me without technology because my degree was completely online. With our current economic situation, unfortunately there was no way we could have afforded the child care centre for me to actually go in to take my classes in person so thankfully they had a fully online program that had been running for several years”
For this reason, having a reliable laptop is a valuable investment to any busy mom considering going back to school. Intel has a fantastic option, the new Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 Laptop. This innovative device is such a versatile tool for a versatile life as a mom and a student.
It is a fully functioning laptop with a full keyboard that is perfect for writing essays and long assignments. However, the keyboard also folds over turning the laptop into a full tablet that is perfect for reading lectures and taking notes on the go. Busy moms can bring it a long to do class work while waiting in the school carpool line or soccer practice pick-up. Another innovation on this laptop is that it can fold back in “tent mode” to make a propped-up screen, ideal for watching school videos while multi-tasking through a pile of laundry to be folded. To learn more about this innovative device and how it can be a valuable tool for going back to school visit the Intel Website today.
One final thing that I wanted to know from my friends was, “Was it worth it?” Both of their answers where an inspiration to me.
Monica recalled all of the tough times, when she said, “You know it’s going to be hard and you think you’re ready for it, you even have a semi-good idea of what it’s going to be like, but you really have absolutely no idea the depths to which it is hard until you do it.”
Then adds “But now that it’s over I’m so glad I stuck with it and it all paid off.”
Kimberly had similar sentiment when she added, “A million times, YES! It is hard, and sometimes I feel like quitting. But, there is no feeling like completing a class and having your family tell you they are proud of you.”
#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Intel This could include Intel providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.
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