[aimee__]

Hi guys, I'm new here.
I'm starting uni again this year - I dropped out of my first course before the end of the first year in 2008. Difference being this time around I have a two year old.
I've just got term dates through and it's all beginning to feel real.

Overall I am very excited but naturally have a few worries about managing money and finding quality time to spend with my son between studying, him staying at his dads and maintaining a relationship with my boyfriend who will be moving several hours away to start uni as well.

Have you been a lone parent going to uni? How bad was it?!

[ashtoreth]

(Original post by aimee__)
Hi guys, I'm new here.
I'm starting uni again this year - I dropped out of my first course before the end of the first year in 2008. Difference being this time around I have a two year old.
I've just got term dates through and it's all beginning to feel real.

Overall I am very excited but naturally have a few worries about managing money and finding quality time to spend with my son between studying, him staying at his dads and maintaining a relationship with my boyfriend who will be moving several hours away to start uni as well.

Have you been a lone parent going to uni? How bad was it?!

i'm afraid i cannot help over-much as i do not have any sprogs, however, have bumped this for u, should anyone come along that can shed some light and shares your circs.

[jami74]

(Original post by aimee__)
Hi guys, I'm new here.
I'm starting uni again this year - I dropped out of my first course before the end of the first year in 2008. Difference being this time around I have a two year old.
I've just got term dates through and it's all beginning to feel real.

Overall I am very excited but naturally have a few worries about managing money and finding quality time to spend with my son between studying, him staying at his dads and maintaining a relationship with my boyfriend who will be moving several hours away to start uni as well.

Have you been a lone parent going to uni? How bad was it?!

I'm not a lone parent so maybe not qualified to answer. I also haven't started uni yet but I did do an access course and I do have children.

My plan is to make the most of the time that I'm at university, so whenever there are breaks between the lectures I will use this time to study. If lectures finish early I might stay at university for an hour to study rather than going home where I will be expected to be Mummy straight away. In my access course I found it easier to keep study time and family time separate. I think a couple of hours of quality time where I focussed solely on my children and then put them to bed was better than a longer period of time in their company where I was trying to study at the same time.

I'm not really sure about managing money. I already try to shop cleverly to buy the best priced food and look for deals (like 3 for 2, buy 1 get 1 free etc). What I have found helpful is to bulk make some meals. Eg: I cook a packet of mince (the soya version since my children have gone veggie), add a packet sauce mix (eg bolognaise or cottage pie) and then share it out between foil containers (from the pound shop) with either lasagne strips or topped with mash and cheese and then freeze. They make easy and cheap ready meals that just need heating up in the oven.