Studying after baby and working...

Hi all!

I'm about to start studying after Waitangi day, I was going to be studying full time from 7th Feb until 28th Nov but recently found the course I was going to do is offered in 2 12 week block courses by correspondence so am now doing that. It's still full time and each 12 weeks is estimated 10 hours per credit which works out at 410 hours per 12 weeks!

Now that I've switched to correspondence, DP wants me to work, ideally full time but will settle for part time.

I will still be able to look after DD during the day, but just wondering what other people have done?

Have you studied, looked after a baby and worked?
I am worried I'll end up setting myself up to fail or it'll be too much...

I remember when I was studying last year pre baby they only recommended 10 hours working whilst studying full time.

Also the job would only be for the year because I'll be studying either nursing or midwifery next year full time...

Yeah that last paragraph was my exact thinking!

It's 2 12 week courses, no study in between so from memory the dates were 7th feb - 29 april and then the next course picks up on 7th june until 28th Aug.
Each course is 41 credits.

I also have to squeeze in a first aid course somewhere too but I suppose, if I can qualify for a student allowance I'll do that and can always find something in Sept iygwim!

My DP just doesn't seem to understand it though, which I thought he would considering he studied all last year and he didn't have time for a job, once he came home from study he was pretty tired, plus he was gone from about 7-5 or 6 each day!
Don't know why he seems to think it'll be different for me!

Things are pretty tight atm as we lived off savings last year with both of us unemployed.

I was studying part time when my daughter was 2 months old. When she was 7 months old I went back to full time study.

Things were going well, then about a month later I was in the parents room at uni expressing, when a lady yelled at me. Normally I would just yell back at her, but instead i burst into tears and ended up crying all the way home.

I took it as a sign that I couldn't handle everything I was trying to do, realised that I would rather stay at home with DD and the very next day I quit. That was 4 months ago and I've never looked back.

Quitting uni after three years of study was the best thing I have ever done. I have since started TWO home businesses (because one wasn't enough work?), which employ SAHPs nationwide. I am relaxed and happy, and get to spend more time with my daughter (although she now spends two days a week at day care so she can socialize while I work uninterrupted.

Think hard about your workload.
Unless your partner is going to do all the housewifely things (cooking, cleaning, washing, shopping etc), you'll still have to do them on top of work/study. Plus you need to spend good quality time with your daughter.

Sounds like you are going to over work yourself. Having a child and studying are 2 very full on jobs, let alone working at the same time. Take it easy and see if you can get some sort of allowance (like T_rex said)

I found doing part time online courses, last semester, with baby at home (especially as she started crawling near the end) is plenty hard enough.

As others have said, looking after a baby and the house is a fulltime job, then add studying and that is plenty of work.

Tell him to start studying as well as working and look after a baby all day and lets see how YOU do!!!

In general males seem to think if the course is by correspondence and you are therefore home all day, well you aren't doing anything are you?

From Feb until June I worked 40 hours a week, as well as going to 5 classes a week. It killed me. It put untold stress on my relationship and I never got to see my daughter or partner.

From June until November I was doing 1 class a week, and it was SOOOO much easier.

I have just resigned from work as I am starting 1st year Midwifery this month.

I see youve made your decision already but wanted to add that I pretty much agree with what has been said. You will likely burn yourself out working on top of everything else or find that some other part of your life suffers, be that your study results, relationships or otherwise.

I study correspondence, am a SAHM to my 9mo DD, do all the housework and help my DH on the farm when I can. Often its the study that is last on the list behind which sucks as I then have to fit it in or catch up other times, usually the middle of the night when Id much prefer to sleep. Cant imagine what it would be like to add x amount of hours work into the mix too

Good luck

the correspondence thing is the big trap that people fall into. correspondence study is the same as normal study except that you are studying at home instead of at uni. you need to treat it exactly the same as if you were studying at uni, with putting time aside to study etc. what about suggesting to dh that maybe you could do temp work between the block courses when you arent studying.

All the best Lil Nic. I definitely second what everyone has said on here, and think you've made the write decision. Studying and being a full time mum is very hard work and males tend to take it for granted. I've been studying full time for 3 years and it's been hard on our relationship at times. Just remind your man how he felt when studying...tiredness at the end of the day etc, and that you'll have to contend with that as well as being a mum and partner.