The alarm clock is ringing in my ears, so I put the pillow over my head and wish for five more minutes of sleep. I start to doze off despite the buzzing, but then the baby cries. It's time to get out of bed. Even the sun is struggling to get over the horizon as I turn off the alarm, cursing it in my mind. I would give anything to go back to bed. My son needs to go to daycare and I need to go to work. Will I find time to do my studies today? Juggling a family, work, and school is not an easy task, but somehow I get through the day accomplishing my goals-mostly. I am 28 years old, happily married, with a busy family life. I only have one child, our son, but he is 10 months old and still requires a lot of attention. I am a full-time working mom-your typical 8 to 5 job-and between all of this, it's hard to focus on my school work or find the time to study.
I have been going to school online for a couple of years now and last year when I found out I was pregnant, things heated up. I worked hard toward my goals and achieved two career certificates through my online courses. This was a great accomplishment, but I wanted more. After having my son, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to get a degree. When would I have time to study? Would I even go back to work? My future was foggy and I didn't know what the next day would bring. After only nine weeks of maternity leave, I decided I needed to go back to work. We weren't going to be financially comfortable living on just my husband's salary. .
I decided I would begin my Associate Degree, but what would I major in? After some research and discussion with both my dad and my husband, I decided I would study Criminal Justice. I have been in the security field for about five years and this would only improve on my current career path. After discussing my school plans with my supervisors, they gave me permission to work on my studies in my office when I didn't have anything else to do.