Millions of busy parents go to school to earn a degree every year. Some learn on campus, and they squeeze the time in to commute and attend class between children’s school and sports schedules. But the majority choose to learn online when it is convenient, saving drive time, money, and avoiding scheduling conflicts.  

Many parents find it difficult to set aside time for themselves while children are growing up, but they know it is important to increase their education for many reasons, including financial security, personal fulfillment and to be a role model for their children. In fact, psychologists say the best parents are those who etch out a small amount of time during each day to work on their own goals. The most important thing for busy parents who are attending school to remember is that they are not alone. It is estimated that more than 50 percent of adults who attend classes are parents, up from just below 50 percent in 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

One online student, Amy, said that her favorite part about attending class online was that she could do it from the comfort of her own home with her newborn baby girl in her lap. She also said another major benefit were the friendships: “The community feel is there [when] posting on the discussion board.” Many online learners form fast friendships with other students, and the reasons are obvious. They share the same educational interests, and many have similar experiences with attending school while raising families. In fact, many of them swap suggestions about how to juggle school and family. Here are the top 10 suggestions:

1. Use the discussion boards and chat rooms to meet other students during the first week. Sometimes you will even meet people who live in your same city, and you can set up study groups.
2. Download lectures and listen to them while you are at the gym or while shopping for groceries. This way you’re getting two things done at once, and you can always listen again if you missed something.
3. Professors like to see students participating on discussion boards. Instead of feeling like you have to participate for lengthy amounts of time, post short comments throughout the day whenever you think of something that relates to the material. That way you are participating a lot, but only when it’s convenient.
4. Study in the mornings before your children wake up and at night after they go to bed.
5. Children sometimes like to watch video lectures or read material with you; make learning a family activity!
6. If your school offers practice quizzes, let your children take them with you. This way you are preparing for the real test and your children get to help.
7. If you do attend class on campus, ask if your school offers daycare programs on campus, or partner with another student from class to hire a sitter together.
8. Take classes with your spouse. It gives you something fun and rewarding to do together.
9. Make sure to explain to your children why you are taking classes. That way, when you have to study they will understand what you are doing, and then encourage them to read a book or do their homework sitting next to you.
10. Use your support group! Ask other students to join study groups or to quiz each other on assignments. Working together cuts study time in half.