For single parent education, there are a variety of paths to go back to school, from the health care industry to earning your master’s degree.
The concept of single parent education is nothing new. Today, many adults with kids are ging back to school to finish a degree or to start a whole new career.
Returning to school (either online or in person) offers benefits such as personal growth, a sense of accomplishment and new skills. Earning a degree is also a way for single parents and other adults to improve the lives of their families.
There's no doubt, though, that single parents experience a unique amount of stress. Finances are the main cause of stress and anxiety for any family, but especially single-parent homes. Going back to school can be expensive. Some things to do:
- Examine your budget.
- Are you eligble for any type of financial aid, student loans or grants?
- What's your expected income once you've earned your new degree?
Is it worth it? Will the degree help your family in the long run? These are hard questions that only you can answer.
Adding daily course work will also increase the amount of stress that a single parent feels. There's never enough time during a day to begin with. How will you fit your studies into your life and your children's life? Having a strict schedule will help ease the stress. For instance, if your child or children have extra curricular activities after school, then it might help to make this a regular study period for you.
Child care is a final stress indicator and issue to solve before enrolling in an educational program. Find an online program or a program that offers a good number of online courses. Doing so increases the flexibility of your schedule so that maybe you don't have to arrange for child care.
Now that you've considered the big picture, let's look closer at degree options for single parents.
Single parent education: Start now!
Health care degree
Many opportunities exist for trained health care professionals. A health care degree takes many forms. You can learn to be a technician or an administrator. Career options include physical therapist, radiology technician, respiratory therapist or dental hygienist.
You can review other health care career paths and occupational outlook by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Read health care articles by Reply! to also further your knowledge of the field.
Nursing degree
As a single parent, you can also pursue a nursing degree. With a degree in nursing, you can work as a nurse in a variety of settings. For example, look over these nursing certification options. You also have the option of getting a management or administration position.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, personal care and home health aides have the fastest and highest projected growth rate between 2010 and 2020. For the same time period, registered nurses are expected to have the highest number of new jobs, with the role growing 26 percent faster than the national average.
Most nursing degree programs require classroom instruction, in some cases, you can take courses online. Overall though, you want a program that includes hands-on and required training hours in, for instance, a hospital setting or similar.
Once you've acquired a nursing degree, your options are limitless. You can pretty much move wherever you want. How far you go in the field is your choice.
Classes begin soon. Find your program and apply today!
IT degree
For single parents who enjoy working with computers, an IT degree is a good choice. One of the advantages of earning a degree in information technology is that you can complete the degree entirely online. Many colleges and universities offer a variety of degree programs to choose from.
You can earn a degree focusing on programming, Web development, software engineering or information security.
In addition, some computer jobs can be done from home. Telecommuting is convenient for single parents with very young children.
Business degree
The business world also offers many job opportunities. Many degrees focus on different aspects of business such as marketing, finance, management or human resources.
Many universities offer online degrees in business, which is convenient for single parents.
With a business degree, you can work for a small or large company. Another option is to become an entrepreneur and start your own business.
Master's degree
Single parents going back to school may decide to continue their education by pursuing a master's degree. A master's degree is essential in some careers, such as one in architecture or an MBA. In other industries, an advanced degree may help you to get promotions or raises at your place of employment.
In a competitive job market, a master's degree might help you land a job. Or it may hurt you as you may appear over qualified. When choosing an advanced degree, ensure that it is in tune with your career and personal goals.
Single parent education is popular these days with many people. These various degree programs are particularly useful for single parents going back to school. For single parents, juggling a job, family life and personal time while returning to school is challenging, yet possible.
If you are interested in more information about college degree programs, visit Reply!
Photo credits: hug by Jonathan_W. Health care by Alex E. Proimos. Nursing by Christiana Care. Keyboard by ahhyeah. Hong Kong International Finance Center by swisscan. All photos via Compfight CC.