Beginning college with a family and mortgage.

rockdj316

Hi folks,

I'm 30 and I've been considering going to college and getting part time weekend work and giving up full time work for the time being but my issue is that I'm married with 2 young kids and one on the way in sept and have a mortgage.

Has anybody else ever been in the same boat and is there any help out there.
Just wondering if it's doable and what the story is with it?

Sup08

rockdj316 wrote: »

Hi folks,

I'm 30 and I've been considering going to college and getting part time weekend work and giving up full time work for the time being but my issue is that I'm married with 2 young kids and one on the way in sept and have a mortgage.

Has anybody else ever been in the same boat and is there any help out there.
Just wondering if it's doable and what the story is with it?

I would love to do what you are thinking of.

It is a big commitment and you may qualify for some grant assistance from SUSI.
Without knowing your personal situation financially, but if you can afford to do it and really want to get a different/better career. It may be worth it in the long run, but to it would not be easy, especially with a new baby at the very beginning of the course.

Think long and hard of the pros and cons, maybe think about postponing for 1 year until the baby has become more manageable.

Best of luck with what ever you decide.

Skcornnelg

I am just finished my second year (of four) in college. I am a mature student, two young children (4 and 2), a mortage, and i work part-time at the week end. So it is doable!

However, as much as I love my course and all the planning we did leading up to getting my place, it is very hard on multiple levels.

Financially it is tough. My wife works fulltime shift work and it is her that pays the majority of our obligations. Most of my wages and governmental support goes toward saving for the student contribution each year as well as transport costs to college.

In terms of childcare, we are lucky in that my mother-in-law takes our children on days that she is working and I am at college. There is no way we could afford childcare without her.

Perhaps one of the hardest aspects of being gone seven days a week is the lack of quality time with your family and friends. I try to treat my days in college like a job, go up 9-5 each day, do all my work there and try to spend the time with them when I come home. I think if you are to start this Sept you might find it particularly difficult with a newborn, especially as it is probably a time when your partner would need you at home the most. As Sup08 said, it may be easier to wait until the following year. Working weekends and finiancial constraints also means that my social life has become non-exisitant!

However, there are some positives! I am studying subjects that I love, and have loved for many years and the prospect of gaining a career in an area that I dont dread going into makes it feel worthwhile. Also, the college term is only 12 weeks per semister so technically you will only be there for 24 weeks per year. My exams finish mid-May and I wont be returning until the end of Sept so I will have the whole summer free (at least from college). Plus you will have mid-term and Christmas breaks.

So, yeah. Doable but hard! You will need a solid support system in place and for those around you to know exactly what to expect. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions.

dixiefly

Before enrolling / paying for any course I would check out online alternatives. Coursera is the number 1 that springs to mind but there is a lot out there. It mightn't be available in your chosen field but check out anyway.

MouseTail

I wouldn't do it, and didn't. I went back part-time. Part-time is tough, juggling a family, work, college, but it is doable, and at least the Mortgage gets paid, and the stress of lack of making ends meet isn't there.

Supercell

Would you consider doing a part time course over a longer time?
I'm married with 2 (soon to be 3) kids a mortgage and a full time job and just finished a year back in DIT (finished my primary degree about twentysomething years ago). It was three evenings a week and I found it OK. Financially doing it part time would have been impossible as my wife stays at home looking after the kids.
I found that as we were doing less subjects than the full time students that I could manage my free time better for studying and family time.
Best of luck whatever you decide, its quite something going back to college after a break, one way or another!

AngryLips

Skcornnelg wrote: »

I am just finished my second year (of four) in college. I am a mature student, two young children (4 and 2), a mortage, and i work part-time at the week end. So it is doable!

What was your experience in terms of finding a part time job? Was it easy/different from looking for full-time work? How did you go about it?

I'm about to do the same (without family) and I'm just assuming this will be enough for me to eek an existence from.