Have you thought about returning to school to earn your master’s degree–and then think it’s impossible because you’re working full time and raising a family?
Balancing family and work is a challenge in itself. Adding a master’s degree to the mix can seem overwhelming. However, with some strategies and support, it is possible.
Tyler, a 33-year-old father of three children under age five, started his master of science degree in Cybersecurity from UW Online Collaboratives when his youngest was born.
“Studying and doing classes and working and raising children has been a challenge and I’ve had to hone my ability to prioritize and manage my time,” he says. “The huge benefit of the program is that the courses are 100 percent online, so it gives me the ability to still have my professional career, come home and spend time with the family and then usually at night when the kids go to bed is my time to study and do homework.”
You can go back to school as a working adult if you find a program that offers flexibility. Here are some tips:
It’s going to be easier if you create a schedule you can stick to.
For each course you’ll probably need to set aside x hours of time to study. When creating your study schedule, ask yourself: When will it be easiest for me to study?
“My kids go to bed at 9 p.m., so I know 9 p.m. to midnight is my time to study and then I’m back to work,” Tyler says. “The flexibility of doing your coursework anytime is huge for me because I wouldn’t have been able to do it otherwise. I wouldn’t be able to attend in-person classes.”
Maybe you prefer to study when everyone is asleep at night like Tyler, who engages in ‘time boxing’. This means he sets aside periods of his day to complete specific activities.
“Being able to set time specifically aside, having an environment that suits me and my ability to work efficiently is really important,” he says. “That’s probably one of the big things too, is having the right environment, whether physical or mental.”
Working full-time and raising a family while going to graduate school is a challenge, but Siobhann Steindorf, who earned her Master of Science in Information Technology Management this past year, also managed by scheduling her time.
“If my kids have a doctor’s appointment, I would bring my textbook with me and I would read while I was there. Or just any time I had free time I would read a chapter. I had a plan. You schedule out that time to do it. And it is a commitment, but it’s possible.”
Build a support network to help you when you need it.
Even if you’re working on your own schedule, you’ll need to find time to study, and this might require you to lean on others for help. Whether it’s hiring a babysitter, asking a family member or friend to help with the kids, don’t be afraid to seek support when you need it the most.
It also helps to have an employer that supports your educational journey, financial or otherwise.
“At Miller [Electric],” they do a great job of promoting continued education, so they supported me throughout this process of returning to school and thinking about the future,” Tyler says.
Siobhann, who earned multiple degrees before getting her master’s, was supported by a former employer, Ho-Chunk Nation.
Ho-Chunk helped her earn a degree in software development and gave her opportunities to do programming while she worked as a data analyst.
“I’m forever grateful for the tribe too because I don’t think I’d be where I am today without having that opportunity to have worked there. I worked in their education department, and they let me build their website. It was an amazing opportunity for me.”
Be adaptable and ready to prioritize.
While it’s important to stick to your schedule, it’s also impossible to predict what might happen day to day. And that might mean having to make a choice when faced with a time crunch.
“But you just forgo some things, right? Sometimes people say, ‘Hey, do you want to go out?’ And I can’t. I’m in graduate school. It’s that balancing act,” Siobhann says.
And remember, your professors are here to help you if things really get tough and you need to prioritize your family.
Elizabeth, also a graduate of the Information Technology Management program, celebrated a major milestone while in the program – having a baby in November 2022. She appreciated the flexibility she was offered as she was about to give birth.
“My cohort was really understanding and accepting. My professor was super understanding. He let me get some stuff done a month or two in advance. But everybody was flexible and just super helpful. I thought I’d be overwhelmed. But it just worked out great,” she says.
Mitch, one of the first graduates of the Information Technology Management program, agrees that the ability to adapt your schoolwork schedule to fit your life is key.
“My children are young, so it was a big decision for me to go back to school. I never want my job to take away from my family life. But since the program is 100% online, I can do coursework when I have the time. For me, that is usually early in the morning before the kids are up or later at night once they’ve gone to bed. Being able to pick up my phone or iPad and have the textbook and assignments readily available has been beneficial for me.”
And, thanks to the flexibility of UW Online Collaboratives programs, students can take a semester off if they need a break from their studies.
If you’re not ready–or you’re unsure–about committing to a master’s degree, know that there are other options available to build your skills and help you reach your goals. UW Online Collaboratives offers a variety of online graduate certificate programs in subjects like technology, sustainability, biodiversity, healthcare, fintech, digital marketing, and much more. Many of these certificates can be applied toward a master’s degree with the completion of a capstone project.
Interested in learning more? Contact an enrollment adviser today at 1-608-800-6762 or learn@uwex.wisconsin.edu.