This post is sponsored by and SheKnows Media
I was given the opportunity to attend a class at The American Women’s College at Bay Path University in exchange for sharing my experience in a series of posts.
A few weeks ago, I went out to the movies with my sister-in-law to see the new Melissa McCarthy comedy, “Life of the Party”. The trailer alone had completely captivated me – simply put, she’s a middle-aged mom who goes back to college to finish her degree. Of course, the film is filled with hilarious mishaps, but also moments that were, surprisingly, touching. The film tackled a subject that I’ve been talking about for six weeks now – moms pursuing their educational and career dreams through online courses from .
Going back to college does not look like the film portrays though, no matter how hard you try. There are parallels, sure, but when you are a 30-something mom of three, going back to school means working from a laptop in the early morning hours or late at night. Going back to college as an online learning student means you have more freedom to take your class wherever you can or need to. For moms, you won’t live on campus and socialize on the weekends. You’ll be in your own home, catching up on laundry on the weekends, taking classes around your schedule.
The past six weeks have been a journey – and I only took one class! I am SO excited to be able to share that after having my final assignments and the final draft of my essay graded, I completed the course with a 91% – an A-! I am THRILLED!
Accelerated courses are no joke, but for busy moms, that means you can complete a degree in less time than it will take others. It means that you can continue or finish an education while working, while taking care of your family, maybe even while traveling. The American Women’s College gives you flexibility and the ability to pursue the dreams you may have put on hold.
The most inspiring part of this six-week journey has been the comments from everyone on what degrees they would pursue if they went back to school. I want each and every one of you that has commented, or thought about commenting, to know that you CAN do whatever it is that you said or thought! What’s holding you back?
If it’s finances, talk with someone from about making sure your FAFSA is completed. See what grants and scholarships are available, and, if you are comfortable with them, look into loans.
If it’s concern about having the time, I’ve talked about this before. You have to look at your schedule and see where you can fit it in. You might have to do less binging on Netflix, less lazy weekends, and use the time you have available more wisely; before work, in the evenings, wherever you can.
If it’s a concern about not knowing where to start, take advantage of the resources available and talk to someone from . That’s what they are there for! Potential students can learn what classes they can take that apply to multiple degrees while they decide what degree to pursue.
It’s okay to fear the unknown, but you’ll never know what’s possible if you don’t explore your options and what’s available to you!
Through all of this, I truly do hope that I’ve inspired even just one person to explore educational options for themselves. I know that I’m walking away curious!
I have to say a big thank you to my professor, the staff at TAWC with whom I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with, and everyone involved in this opportunity. I wasn’t sure what would happen or how I would do having to use APA formatting to write an essay, but I surprised myself. All of the resources available to me as a student helped with everything I needed to learn and practice. It’s been quite some time (uh, 13 years…) since I graduated high school, so it helped having those resources and an approachable professor! I believe I’ll be continuing to explore my options, maybe even as far as seeing how financial feasible it is to pursue a degree. I’m inspired by the women in my life who recently graduated high school, graduated with a bachelor’s, and are working towards degrees.
If they can do it, surely I can. And why shouldn’t you too – it’s YOUR time!