Single Mothers Attending College Essay

Many at times, single-mothers students find college life quite challenging. There are a number of stressors, which bombard the life of single-mothers students each day. These include making priorities, coping with large homework, engaging in co-curricular activities, and containing emotional matters. These present sing-mothers students a time that have to juggle each aspect of their life very carefully in order to survive and achieve their aspirations. However, it is clear that from the general observation that many single-mothers students are defeated to cope with such demanding college life. Thus, they become overwhelmed by stressors and succumb to frustrations and even depressions. Some of the stressors affecting the single-mothers attending college include inadequate finance, time management and unavailability of some amenities such as flexible scheduling options, affordable child care facilities and parent support groups.

Inadequate finance

Many of the single-mother mothers attending college have low incomes. There are always working full-time jobs on top of family and school responsibilities, and frequently require substantial aid to complete their studies. The immediate need to get more funds or money is pressing to the single-mother attending college, and thus they get stressed up and end up dropping out to work at minimum-wage jobs, which cannot fulfil them. According to the article, Tips for going to college as a single parent, single-mother attending college should keen to seek institutions that offer support, advice and mentoring programs that help them so as not to be stressed and eventually dropped out.

Time management

According to Advising the Single-Parent College Student by Indiana University, single-mothers attending college face a huge problem of time management, as they have to strive to balance work, taking care of children and school. All these activities stress the single-mothers students hence derailing their academic progress. This is because it is very difficult for a student mother to devote sufficient time for studies while taking care of the children’s needs. However, single-mothers attending college should ensure they choose to study in the institutions that offer specialized accommodations for single parents so that they can get help.

Unavailability of some amenities

A big problem that single parents often get in many colleges is that certain amenities, which are quite helpful to their state as single-mothers are normally not provided. These amenities include child are service, parental support, flexible scheduling options, etc. these factors are source of stressors, and single-mothers attending college can avoid them by seeking financial counsellors who can help them apply for child care subsidies and financial awards for students with children.

Reference

Advising the Single-Parent College Student. Retrieved from: http://dus.psu.edu/mentor/old/articles/070207lt.htm
http://womenemployed.org/sites/default/files/resources/LowIncomeSingleMothersatCommunityCollege2012.pdf
http://www.cpcc.edu/spark/archives/parents-in-college-must-juggle-responsibilities
http://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/Student-s-Mother-Habits/185699
Single-mothers attending college should always be seeking counselling from knowledgeable advisers. This is because the advisers are inviable resources that can assist the single-mothers because have wide knowledge and profound understanding of the academic needs of the students and the colleges and universities that can provide necessary assistance for the single-mothers students.
When the single-mothers students establish good rapport with the academic advisers, the advisers will be of long-term support to them. Furthermore, the single-mothers students should strive to develop good relationship with their faculties so that they can further their academic success as they will be receiving consistent support from their respective faculties. The advisers also, will enable the single-mothers attending college be aware of the invaluable resources available for them on campus. In addition, the advisors enable the single-mothers students attend learning skills workshops, which will help them.
Typically, single-mothers attending colleges should always seek out institutions that offer parent support groups and mentoring programs. This is because it is the only way to getting colleges and universities that can make them feel connected and a part of the institution.