OPINION

Opinion: Balancing the scales of school and parenthood

Balancing parenthood and your education can be difficult, but there are resources available. Jada Hauser | The Washtenaw Voice

Yana McGuire

Staff Writer

One thing that being a parent and a college student have in common is that they are both tricky. The pressure to be attentive and productive comes from both sides in separate ways, and can cause an overwhelming amount of stress. If this sounds like your current situation, knowing you are not alone is good.

The 2016 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) results showed that 22 percent of all undergraduate students are parents.

Fortunately, WCC offers resources to help balance the scales.

Online classes

Caitlynn Jackson, a WCC journalism major and mother of a 5-month-old, believes that asynchronous courses are the most helpful tool for maintaining balance.

Taking courses online also gives your schedule more flexibility to schedule time with family. “Half of my classes are online. The fact that WCC offers those helps me a lot because I just have to make sure I turn in my work at the due date. It helps because you do not have to worry about being in class physically or worry about your baby interrupting or missing any information because you have to take care of your baby,” she explained.

For most of us, there is no way around taking at least one in-person class. Fortunately, WCC offers childcare scholarships to help ease the stress of daycare costs. In addition, there are three private lactation rooms available by reservation on campus to help mothers express milk comfortably. A room can be reserved by contacting the Student Resource Center either by phone 734-677-5105 or email src@wccnet.edu.

Utilize support systems or create one with Campus Connect.

My daughter was 7-years-old during my first stint in higher learning. The support of family and friends really helped relieve the pressure of my busy schedule. However, I did not realize the positive effects of having non-biased support from fellow parent students that I meet in my classes could have on me.

The joys of camaraderie that come from having someone to relate to when talking about issues and finding solutions can boost morale and motivation to continue.

Jackson states that she “would like to see WCC have a young mom support group. Having a young mom support group will bring [a sense of] community to us moms.”

Currently, there are no clubs on Campus Connect for student parents at WCC. However, anyone can contact Student Activities for information on how to start one.

Yes, being a leader or member of a new student club can seem like just another weight that could tip the scales. However, the rewards of gaining leadership and/or networking skills while surrounded by positivity may be the weight that helps balance everything out.