Mature student mums

Hi all,

I'm currently 31 years old with young children and planning with eager anticipation my return to university to study a MA in history/historical studies. I am hoping that this will lead me on to further study and experience and as I enjoy my subject so much, I'm very excited. I graduated 10 years ago so it's taken a while to get to this point. I will be studying part time so that I can continue to support my young family with school-work, activities and general home life as I have done for the past 5 years.

I wondered if there was anyone else in a similar boat? I'm very excited to progress and while I'm aware that it may all end in my being in the same situation employment/career wise, it's not the only string to my bow and is part of my 'bucket list' so I'm very happy that I even have the opportunity. I'm highly unlikely to be able to start before my youngest starts school in 2 years time, but as with anything when you have children, everything takes longer than normal! :biggrin:

I would love to talk to anyone who is in a similar situation so I stop boring my husband with 'history stuff' and so I can pass the time and hopefully when the time arrives, discuss applications, work etc too.

Hope to speak soon.

Reply 1

H1ace

11

'mature student mums' aka MILF'S looool

Reply 2

booboobubs

1

Original post by aimlou83

Hi all,

I'm currently 31 years old with young children and planning with eager anticipation my return to university to study a MA in history/historical studies. I am hoping that this will lead me on to further study and experience and as I enjoy my subject so much, I'm very excited. I graduated 10 years ago so it's taken a while to get to this point. I will be studying part time so that I can continue to support my young family with school-work, activities and general home life as I have done for the past 5 years.

I wondered if there was anyone else in a similar boat? I'm very excited to progress and while I'm aware that it may all end in my being in the same situation employment/career wise, it's not the only string to my bow and is part of my 'bucket list' so I'm very happy that I even have the opportunity. I'm highly unlikely to be able to start before my youngest starts school in 2 years time, but as with anything when you have children, everything takes longer than normal! :biggrin:

I would love to talk to anyone who is in a similar situation so I stop boring my husband with 'history stuff' and so I can pass the time and hopefully when the time arrives, discuss applications, work etc too.

Hope to speak soon.

Hi,

I'm about to start a degree in Archaeology at Birkbeck (hopefully) this September. I'm 36 and have a child of 8 and a younger child of 1. To say I'm bricking it is understatement! I keep thinking what on earth am I doing and how am I going to cope! Sometimes I think I should just apply to do it distant learning part time. I really wanted to try and get this done full time with Birkbeck as they only teach evenings and focus on mature students more than the other unis.

I'm currently researching for an evening babysitter to sit with the boys 4.30 until 8.30 as that's when my other half gets home. Oh and I bore my partner constantly with history stuff!!

Reply 3

aimlou83

OP

6

Oh wow how exciting! I'm jealous :-)

I would recommend childcare.co.uk for childcare. I used that site to find my wonderful childminder whom I still use nearly 5 years on whenever I need someone to take my boys. Also with those hours maybe try the local college. Their childcare students may want to get some work experience hours in in term time :-)

I'll be studying part time but on campus. I find the actual campus facilities to be really useful and I think that my having somewhere separate to home to go and study will be useful. Part time will be to spread the cost (I'll be self funding so need to raise the fees - eek!) and the time-scale. I'm very rusty and I think going for a full time 1 year course would be asking too much. If I take 2 years to complete I'm less likely to mess up! :redface:

Are there any periods in particular you like? I'm a british early-modernist (by degree paperwork lol) but anything from Normans to the Victorians I love. I took some archaeology at undergrad and I remember I loved the romans - it's all so fascinating.

Good luck. x

Reply 4

Ftmshk

12

Well done, and good luck with the course. That was me last year, although my DD is a little older. You will probably find you need to do some studying at home and some on campus, although a lot of it is reading and taking notes, so I found it fairly easy to do that in the evenings. I did my MSc full time, and tried to treat it like a full time job. I'm guessing you could try the same approach for part time, and maybe have some days where your uni studies take priority, and some days where the children do!

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Reply 5

loubelle

2

Hi
Well done for going back and I think with children it's a really hard thing to do. I am just about to start adult nursing at surrey and I am 40 and have never been to uni before. I have 3 children, all at school but I am worried about how I am going to cope after school and with a heavy workload. I have looked into child care in our area and have found a kids club that looks fun so I think I will go for that as the kids seem to like the look of it. I feel guilty because I think they are going to have to give up some of their clubs and its such a shame. I guess you can't help feeling guilty no matter what you do.

Reply 6

LilBlueBug

12

I am about to start a BA in Politics at Strathclyde, but am planning on taking classes in History and Public law for my first year. I am 37, with five childlings aged between 3 and 16. I have been in college the last three years. Part time at first, because I wasn't sure if I could do it and then its grown from there. Just completed a HNC.

I second the recommendation of childcare.co.uk. Also check with local childminders as you often find they have their own network and can quickly point you to someone who has spaces. I had difficulties the first couple of years due to my classes being on at weird times and getting a childminder who was happy to work those times. I am thinking the amount of juggling I have done the last three years maybe I should just join a circus?

I have no idea what I have let myself in for in terms of the degree. The HNC I have is the highest qualification I have earned so far and I am so very proud of that. Even with all the open days the Uni have run for mature students. We got to sit in on a first year lecture for the subjects we were interested in and I understood it. But I still think that it was a fluke and that maybe I am just kidding myself.

I am relieved in that I already know some people at the University. Though most of my friends from my college course are going onto other subjects and only one of them is a mum. But I have met a mum locally who I will actually share some classes with which will help my nerves and hers I think.