Reflecting on your time as a student, how did you navigate the challenges of balancing academic life with your wellbeing? Studying with a young child is not for the fainthearted, and juggling academia and parenting/childcare was incredibly challenging. Three approaches helped me: Asking for help. For example, I mentioned my childcare challenges to one of my lecturers in year 1, and she advised me to speak with Student Services, who helped me apply for a childcare grant. Sacrifices! As much as I would have loved to have the undergraduate experience, my childcare arrangements were inflexible, meaning spontaneity was often impossible. Planning and having a structured approach to my days and weeks was invaluable.
The quote, ' those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind ' was very apt during those three years; the important people didn't mind that I couldn't entertain telephone calls after 8 pm during weekdays, for example, so if the phone rang and I saw their number, I would know it was an emergency! Using the academic calendar as a starting point, I overlaid this with deadline dates for each module, and using my Outlook calendar, I set the first reminder on deadlines for at least a week before the due date. I shared my calendar with my 'village' for childcare to identify when I would require additional support. I had a structured approach to my weekdays, building time with my family and at least an hour each evening for reviewing notes, revising or completing assignments. Putting my son to bed by 7 pm meant I could study for up to three hours and still be in bed for 10 pm.
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