People generally wrap up their compulsory education around the age of eighteen and then are offered two different choices – to continue education and rack up debt or to dive head first into the working world and start earning money immediately.

It’s not all too surprising that many of us opt for the second choice and prefer the idea of gaining the independence that comes hand in hand with earning your own cash. However, it’s important to remember that the decision you make at a young age doesn’t necessarily have to be a permanent one. If you head straight into work and are content with your choice, this is great. But if down the line you start to think you might want to pursue a higher education, it’s extremely important to remember that it’s never too late to head back to school!

Mature students (or any student aged over 21 when they commence their studies) form a major and important part of almost every college’s student body. Pursuing a degree could help you to qualify in a specialist profession that takes your interest and can help to expand your knowledge.

If you have relevant qualifications to gain entry to your course of choice, you’re good to go. If not, there are many routes that you can take to work your way in. One factor that people tend to assume makes higher education impossible is having children. Sure, childcare commitments around education can be hard work. But it is possible. Here are a few things to bear in mind when pursuing higher education as a parent!

Online Courses

Pursuing a course that requires you to be on a college campus at particular times for lectures, seminars, and meetings can prove extremely difficult when you have children. But many institutions now offer online courses in a variety of subjects – from a bachelor’s in film studies to a masters in cybersecurity. This allows you to study from the comfort of your home, as and when you can.

Part-Time Study

If you do want a more face to face experience of education and want to attend seminars and lectures, you might want to consider taking a part-time course. This is almost exactly the same as a standard full-time course, but you just halve your workload.

It will take twice as long to complete the course, but you can meet your professors, attend academic events on campus, and network with other students. Remember that many colleges also have childcare facilities on site, so you could drop your little one off to be cared for when attending classes.

As you can see, it is possible to pursue an education as a parent. You may have more commitments than most of your coursemates, but if you put the hard work and effort in, you really can thrive and succeed!