Hello,
I am a 28 yr old single mother of 4 kids. My youngest two are 12 month old twins. Next are my three yr old boy and 8 yr old girl. I love my two boys and two girls but I wish I would have completed my MS degree prior to my twins being born. Now that I am divorced, it is not so convenient to complete the last eighteen hours of the program. I feel like giving up but I am so paranoid. With this economy the way it is and all the responsibility on my hands I need to finish my Master's and get my career going. Don't you agree? Although I have a job in the oil and gas industry, I am a contractor. No real job security or benefits. I could take 9 hours a semester and finish in a year or take 6 or less and finish in 1 1/2+ years. My mother offered to keep the kids in the evenings while I attend class next year. But anyone with their MS degree knows that may not be enough. I need to research on the weekends and spend some heavy time on the internet during the week with the least distractions as possible. Is it worth spending quality time away from my kids?
Thank you all so much for your advice. I really want to obtain my MS degree in Technology Project Management. The career IS stressful. But when I complete projects successfully, I gain so much pride. It is well worth it. For instance, I am an Engineering Tech at Shell. I assist engineers with reports and software, above all I have advanced knowledge in Excel. Atleast I thought I did until a couple of months ago. An engineer wanted me to WRITE a macro for him. You know - VBA, programming codes. I ordered all of these books and was still devastated. I turned into a headhunter searching for someone that was a programmer and AVAILABLE to write this macro and tutor me. Everyday I felt discouraged because it was hard to learn on my own. I got so depressed I started questioning how smart I was. "VBA for the Absolute Beginner" could not even help me! I finally found a programmer who has 15 years experience. She even offered to be my mentor! The engineer was happy about his new shortcut and I was SO relieved.
That is when I decided to go back to school. Texas is the oil and gas industry, there are a lot of construction companies too. I hope it will support my career, corporate wise. I do have a desire to do some small business ventures on the side but that is so up in the air. I better get the parachute book maybe that will give me some direction. Thanks!
P.S. You are SO right about better now than later (mom, kids, economy). I don't want to keep procrastinating or regret anything. No, this job as is does not sustain me intellectually which is why I want to learn more about Technology Project Management. Sometimes I feel like a Tech and other times I feel like data entry or admin. I expect more out of my career...I am an anxious 28 yr old. I am so scared of failing because without a rich husband it's hard out here. Everytime someone asks me, "What's going on?" I answer, "Real life...that's what going on." lol
Take Care.
C.
Do it!!!!!
I am a single mom in Katy going to school part time, too!
YOU CAN DO IT!!! Take the time to invest in yourself...
Shari
If the Masters will make a big difference in your earning power, as long as your mother can help with the kids, go for it. Your children are going to require more of your time as they get older so it may be harder if you wait.
It really depends on what your master's is in. Will it necessarily make a difference in your income? If not, and having 4 kids who are so young, I would postpone it at least until all the kids are in school.
I have a master's, but it was a lot of work, and I got that before I had kids. I'm now working on an alternative teaching certification. The master's will give me an extra $1000 or so a year, but what people really want is experience. Instead of working on your master's, build up your network to include people who will give you glowing references for the kind of work you want to do. That may mean volunteering for projects at first. Figure out what it is you really want and are good at (the book What Color Is Your Parachute? is good for that), and go for it!
Do it. You will be investing in your and your children's future and providing a positive role model to boot. Your mom is clearly behind you on this so take this opportunity and run with it.
I agree with the other posts. Go for it!!! Not only will you create a path/example for your children and their future but obtaining your Masters is a great success. Maybe don't take a full load of classes so there will be a little balance. It is also good that your mom has your back and will help. Good luck and feel proud of yourself! You will be acheiving a huge accomplishment!
C. -
As I am sure you know, you have two parenting jobs - providing for your children's food, shelter, safety and security, and providing for their emotional well-being. If finishing your MS will help with job #1, I say go for it! You don't know if your mom's ability to help while you do this will be around for ever. Also, think what you are modeling for your older kids: educational attainment and career success! You can do it. Best of luck.
GO FOR IT!!! I regret not going to law school and I am 33 years old. It is an investment in their future. You will probably get a better job (pay & benefits) and give them a great example to follow. I am sure your mom will continue to help you, as she will also be proud of you when you complete your goal. You only have two semesters by this time next year you will almost be done, the economy will hopefully be better and you will be ready to go. Don't hesitate... just initiate!!!
hey, good for you! your mom has offered to help, and that is great. i know you want to spend quality time with your kids, and the bonding time with those twins is so important. but, a grandmonther's love is so special. and if you get this degree, it is not just for you, but so you can be and awesome provider for your family. a year flies by! about weekend time for studying.... you are divorced, but is dad out of the picture? we going through this, and saturday is a big work day for me, not for dad, so he takes the kids on saturdays. we have not worked out all of the details, but if there is some flexibilty with custody while you do this massive project, that would be great. one more thing, it is amazing what happens when you put your mind to something. sometimes solutions you had not even considered present themselves. again, good for you!
I would say, YES! Here are my reasons: you have free childcare while you go to school and study; your children are young and likely will not remember your absences, especially since they'll have your mother with them---the older your mom gets, the less likely she'll be available for this; your 8yr old will need you more and more as she gets into her pre-teen/teen years, and you can plan for that better if you have a job with a company that offers benefits, flex time, paid leave, etc. Also, in terms of seeking permanent employment, being able to state that you are a Master's degree candidate is beneficial.
