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Parenting is a full time job.
Parenting is a full time job.
School is either a part-time or full-time job
School is either a part-time or full-time job
(including times in classes and studying).
(including times in classes and studying).
If you have a job, add that into the time schedule.
If you have a job, add that into the time schedule.
Don't despair, prepare!
Don't despair, prepare!
You have resources.
You have resources.
Know What You Need
Know What You Need
Schools and organizations offer a range of benefits to student-parents. Here's a list of resources available at Pierpont:
Specially tailored, accelerated programs or unique formats for adult learners
Culinary Arts
CyberSecurity
Laboratory Assistant
Medical Billing and Coding
Petroleum Technology
Veterinary Assistant
And more!
Hybrid classes that combine face-to-face study with online study
Flexible options: weekend and evening classes
Online & In-person Tutoring
Support Services (Learning Strategies, Counseling, Disability Services, Pierpont's Parents' Place)
Help with time management, note-taking, organization, study skills, test-taking
Unsure as to what you might need?
Contact Pierpont's Support Services
access@pierpont.edu
304-534-7878
Time Management
Time Management
Connect with a Coach
Connect with a Coach
at Pierpont's Support Services to get help with your time management!
Mindset
Mindset
Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world, others, and yourself.
It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation.
We begin to create our mindsets when we are children.
Two Mindsets are Fixed and Growth, which address our perceptions about abilities.
Two Mindsets are Fixed and Growth, which address our perceptions about abilities.
“In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort.”
Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment,”
Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
Depending upon the topic or context, we might have either a fixed or growth mindset.
Since kids tend to not do what we say but do what we do,
Since kids tend to not do what we say but do what we do,
it is important for us to model a growth mindset in our own lives for them.
it is important for us to model a growth mindset in our own lives for them.
Below are some "thought tips" about having a growth mindset when we are in college.
Below are some "thought tips" about having a growth mindset when we are in college.
Can I Afford This?
Can I Afford This?
Sometimes, the biggest thing holding people back from going to college is the cost.
Listed below are some different forms of financial aid that you may be eligible for. Click the underlined links for more information.
Federal Student Aid: Apply for financial aid through the U.S. Department of Education. You may be eligible for Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, or other grants from Grants.gov.
Custody X Change Giving Fund Single Parent Scholarships: Single parents with primary physical custody of at least one minor child can apply for a $500 or $1,000 scholarship.
Jeannette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund: Women aged 35 years and older in a low-income household may apply for a scholarship (amounts vary).
Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation for Low-Income Women and Children: Mothers with minor children and who live in a low-income household may apply for a $5,000 Education Support Award.
Scholarships for Single Fathers: Single fathers can find many scholarship opportunities in this section of the Scholarships.com site.
Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards: Women can apply for scholarships totaling up to $10,000.
CollegeScholarships.org: Grant resources for single moms going back to school
GetEducated: Scholarship information for single student parents and adult students
The Balance: Grant information for single mothers and fathers going back to school
Sallie Mae Scholarship Search: Scholarship search tool for women and single mothers
If you would like to speak to a financial aid counselor at Pierpont,
call 304-333-3642.
Support System
Support System
Don't try to do college alone. There are many people who are there to help you.
Tell your family about why you are going to school and why how it will be beneficial. Be sure to talk to your significant other or other members of your family about how they can support you during your journey.
Be sure to connect with friends to maintain social connections. They may not be able to fully understand what challenges you are facing, but they can support you when you need it.
The school you go to will have many resources for support. At Pierpont, we have Support Services that can provide counseling, disability services, Learning Strategies, and Parents' Place. If you're struggling in any other areas, we will help get you connected.
Be sure to inform your professors that you are a parent. They will be more likely to understand your situation and may be able to be more flexible with due dates, attendance, etc. If you do need to miss any class time, contact your professor as soon as you can to talk about arrangements to get materials, assignments, homework, etc.
If you are struggling to find support
If you are struggling to find support
or are having a hard time maintaining your work, school, home life,
or are having a hard time maintaining your work, school, home life,
contact Pierpont's Support Services
contact Pierpont's Support Services
access@pierpont.edu
access@pierpont.edu
304-534-7878
304-534-7878
Organize
Organize
Develop Successful Study Habits
Develop Successful Study Habits
Studying can be exhausting, and sometimes a little time away from the books can help restore your energy. Make sure to use that time away to do fun things with your kids, like a quick game of checkers or baking cookies together.
Set up a space in your home as your school space, much as you would set up an office space to work from home. That gives you a place to focus on school so you can work and study in peace. You should also block out time for your school work.
Find time to study with a classmate or friend who is also going back to school. Adapt your studies to your learning style, whether that means taking plenty of notes, making flash cards, or doing whatever works best for you.
What To Do with Your Kids When You are Studying?
What To Do with Your Kids When You are Studying?
As much as you need support from your family, you also need boundaries. Make sure your family understands that you need to stay focused on your studies.
Let your family know how they should respect your education. This may include giving you quiet time in the mornings or setting study hall hours when you can’t be disturbed
If you're children are old enough to do their own school work, do school work at the same time. You can try making studying with your children a game. Quiz each other on what you learned at school. Reward yourselves after completing assignments together.
If your kids are not old enough to do school work or amuse themselves for an extended period of time, check out our Activities for Children page!
Take Time for Self-Care
Take Time for Self-Care
Like they mention when you take an airplane, if there is a problem, put your oxygen mask on BEFORE helping others.
Like they mention when you take an airplane, if there is a problem, put your oxygen mask on BEFORE helping others.
Extra Resources
Extra Resources
Academic Resources
Pierpont provides resources, whether you attend in person or online. Resources include in-person and online tutoring, an online library, and learning strategies.
Use these resources as much as you need to, since they’re there to help you.
Everyday Life Resources
The following sites offer tips and tools on everything from parenting to finding work-life balance to making sound financial decisions:
Mint Life: This site, the blog for the Mint budgeting app, helps people cut their day-to-day costs.
NerdWallet: This blog assists users in making smart money decisions through helpful ideas and tools.
The Balance Careers: This site offers comprehensive career and money tips, including creating a work-school-life balance.
The College Investor: If you’re dealing with existing student loan debt or if you’re considering refinancing your student loans, this site is especially helpful.
Working Mother Magazine: This site is dedicated to helping women find balance between their personal and professional lives.
Childcare Resources
Child Care Aware of America: This organization provides a free hotline for childcare resource help and lists state-by-state resources for families. Families in which at least one parent is in the military may be eligible for childcare fee assistance programs.
Child Care and Development Fund: Part of Benefits.gov, the Child Care and Development Fund offers assistance to low-income families who need childcare due to work and school.
Child care grants: Grants for parents going back to college are available either from the college they're attending or from the state government. Browse programs based on the state you live in at Benefits.gov.
Head Start: Head Start programs are school readiness programs for children (from infancy to age 5) from low-income families.
Office of Child Care: The Office of Child Care is part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Each state has an individual office you can contact.
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