Common Questions I Had Before Going Back To School For Education: What I Actually Learned
I was folding bath towels on the couch last June, the kids were at my in-laws’ cabin for the weekend, and my laptop was propped on an empty Cheerios box, staring at the “submit application” button for the associate’s degree in early childhood education I’d been talking about for three years. Next to the laptop, a spiral notebook had 11 questions scrawled in blue pen, each underlined twice. I’d spent a month jotting them down every time a worry popped into my head while I drove the kids to soccer practice or folded laundry. No one I talked to seemed to be able to answer all of them—friends who’d gone straight to college after high school just said “you’ll be fine,” which didn’t help much.
The first and biggest question was, Can I actually balance being a parent, working 20 hours a week at the local daycare, and going to school? I called my old high school English teacher, who went back to get her master’s when her two kids were middle schoolers, to ask. She didn’t give me a big motivational speech. She said, “You won’t balance it every single day. Some weeks you’ll eat frozen pizza for dinner three nights running. Some tests you’ll study for on your lunch break in your car. The question isn’t if it’s going to be perfect all the time. It’s if you can let the small stuff slide when you need to.” That stuck with me. I’d been so focused on making everything work perfectly that I’d forgotten no one’s life is perfectly balanced, even when you’re not in school.
Next, I was scared I’d be the oldest person in every class, that I’d stick out like a sore thumb and no one would get my situation. I showed up to orientation in a lightweight sweater I’d bought specifically to look “less like a mom” and took a seat in the back. Within five minutes, a woman in her late 30s sat down next to me, pulled a sippy cup out of her tote bag for the toddler she’d brought along (the on-campus daycare was full that day), and asked if I was also there for the education program. Turned out half the people in the orientation were in their 30s and 40s, most were parents, most were working part-time while they went to school. No one cared how old I was. We all swapped babysitter contact info before orientation even started.
One of my biggest, most specific questions was how to study without making my kids feel like I was ignoring them. At first, I tried to study after they went to bed, like all the generic blogs said. But after getting up at 6:30, working a full morning at the daycare, driving them to after-school activities, and making dinner, I was so tired by 8:30 that I’d fall asleep face-down on my textbook within 10 minutes. That wasn’t working. Then I tried something different: I grabbed an old folding card table from my garage, set it up in the corner of the living room, right where we all hang out. I told the kids, “Mom needs 45 minutes of work time right now. You can do your homework, color, or play quietly with Legos next to me. If you have a real emergency, you can ask me, but I can’t play catch or do hair braids right now.” It was rocky at first—my 8-year-old asked for a new snack every five minutes the first three days. But a week in, she started bringing her own coloring book to the extra chair at my table. Now, most nights we sit together, me doing my homework, them doing theirs, and it just feels normal. I don’t have to hide that I’m learning too, and it turns out that’s good for them to see. If you’re a parent going back, don’t lock yourself away in a bedroom. Try the card table trick first. It’s low-effort, and it works way better than studying after bedtime for most of us.
Another question I couldn’t shake was what if I pick the wrong program? I went back and forth between early childhood and elementary education for months, and I almost didn’t apply because I was scared I’d waste thousands of dollars and a whole year on the wrong track. What I learned after I finally emailed the program advisor is that most community college education programs let you take your general education classes first, before you fully commit to a specific track. All the core classes like English and intro to education count for both degrees, so I signed up for two classes my first semester, one of which was an intro to early childhood that required 10 hours of shadowing at a local preschool. After that 10 hours, I knew early childhood was definitely what I wanted. If I’d waited until I was 100% sure, I’d still be sitting on that couch staring at the application. If you’re torn between two tracks, don’t wait. Start with one or two classes that count for either option.
I also had the big money question: Can I actually afford this? I was convinced I’d have to take on thousands in student loans, which I didn’t want to do with two kids to feed. The best thing I did before applying was book a free 30-minute appointment with the college’s financial aid advisor, instead of just guessing based on the sticker price on the website. I didn’t know that my state has a specific grant for adult learners going into education, because of the teacher shortage, that covers 75% of tuition for people who work in childcare already. They also helped me get a work study position in the campus preschool that covers all my book costs every semester. I didn’t have to take out any student loans my first semester, which I never would have known about if I hadn’t asked.
Now, halfway through my second semester, I still have questions. I don’t know how student teaching will work next year, if I’ll be able to juggle the hours with my part-time job. I don’t know for sure if I’ll get a full-time position that fits my kids’ school schedule once I graduate. No one can answer those questions for me yet. But I don’t need all the answers before I start anymore. Last week, my 8-year-old brought a drawing of me at my card table to her show and tell, and told her class that her mom is learning to be a teacher too. That’s enough for right now. Most questions don’t need to be fully answered before you take the first step. You just work them out as you go.
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