The Daily Balancing Act of Being a Student and a Parent

By Samantha Sheridan
SC Staff Writer

Let’s be realistic. About 75 percent of the student population here at ESU consists of 20-something year-olds who have very little or no real issues to worry about. And for the record, the reality of the questions “What bar are we hitting tonight?” and “Did you go out last night?” are non-existent.

Some students, such as myself, may have late nights at home dealing with hospital visits, doctors’ appointments, crying, teething, and dirty diapers. Being a mother and being a student is no simple feat.

Although having children young is a somewhat common occurrence in today’s society — as we can see with shows like Teen Mom — I feel as though colleges still haven’t caught on.

I am a full-time student with a full course load.

On top of finishing assignments for six classes, I also have to set up where the baby is going during the time I am in class, as well as keep my house as tidy as possible, pack my son’s bag, worry about money and bills, prepare meals for the day, cook dinner, and deal with my wonderful — yet crazy and frustrating — two-year-old.

Sometimes, my assignments don’t get done. Realistically, I am only one person. I have two hands, two eyes, and one brain. I am not superwoman.

Yet somehow, at the end of the year, I come out on top, making the Dean’s List two semesters in a row. Please, don’t ask me how. I really could not tell you.

Most of the time, I forget meetings, assignments, and readings. The other half of the time, I feel as though I am just keeping my head above the water, and that is an accomplishment.

The majority of my day is determining whether or not I have time to somehow cram a million things into a very short amount of time.

If you are a student who is expecting or considering having a child, hoping that this article may give you some guidance one way or another, I am genuinely sorry. All I can say is invest in a large bottle of wine and hope and pray to whomever it is you pray to that your child has an enormous obsession with television — that is the only way anything is going to get done.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and luckily for me, that light is about 60 or so days away because I graduate in December.

Although juggling school and parenting is a difficult thing to do, I am sure working and parenting is just as hard, so I guess this whole “light at the end of the tunnel” thing is really just a cruel joke.

Email Samantha at:
sks5945@live.esu.edu