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Featured Diva: Rose, Associate of Applied Science (AAS) – Accounting

Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique? I am a single mom of two (boy and ...

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Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique?

I am a single mom of two (boy and girl), 32 years old. I have always wanted to obtain my degree in Accounting, but I kept putting it off for no valid reason, other than I hate writing essays. I was working with a telecommunications company when I decided to go back to school. I was not happy in my current position or department. I wanted out but as much as I applied with other companies, I never got a callback. One day I came across an ad for the University in my area, and I thought, “what’s the worst that can happen? Let me apply and see how this goes” …I got accepted, I was excited and nervous because I felt I was too old to start university. I sucked it up and completed my first semester. Shortly after, I was granted a full scholarship and got a job offer at another company within their finance department. I am now in my second year with one semester left to complete my associates then I am on to my bachelor’s degree.

Has your back to school experience been a smooth journey? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?

Thankfully, my experience has been smooth. I have family and friends that encourage me when I feel like throwing in the towel and remind me why I started in the first place.

Tell us about some time management, study, or money-saving tips that helped you make it to where you are in your journey.

Time management was always a problem for me, I am a procrastinator. I had to discipline myself to stay off social media and put my phone down so that I could focus on my assignments or to spend that ‘social media’ time studying. It is still somewhat of a struggle now, but I use apps that help with keeping track of study time (Flora) and Notion as a planner and ‘to-do’ list for assignments. Whenever I can, I try to stay ahead by reading the chapter that will be discussed before class and making some notes; that way, I understand what the lecturer is discussing.

Tell us about your career goals. What do you plan to do with your degree once you finish?

I will be working towards becoming a CPA. Though, I have been thinking of going into law as well. But I will wait to see where life leads me.

If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?

I would not do anything differently; I feel that I am more mature now, and I take my studies more seriously.

The heart of our mission is to encourage other women on their back to school journeys. The goal of Featured Diva is to celebrate women who are making their academic dreams come true in hopes that other women will find encouragement to strive toward their goals.

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Featured Diva: Quenita, AAS Advertising/Graphic Design

Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique?  I graduated high school in 1980, went to an HBCU, NC ...

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Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique? 

I graduated high school in 1980, went to an HBCU, NC A&T State University, in the Fall of 1980. My focus was not on education. I went following my boyfriend. I only attended 1 1/2 years before going back home and working.
Years went by, I continued to work. Became pregnant, married, and from there it was family first and basic living.
I am a very proud mother of amazing educated adult sons, both holding graduate degrees and are entrepreneurs.
I spent my life encouraging, motivating, and inspiring my sons to get their education. To go as far as you can obtaining their education. I did not want them to interrupt their education. I encouraged them to see the world. They already knew what was at home (hometown). They both did just that. And after my youngest son received his graduate degree in Film Production, he decided he wanted to be a Barber, so he moved back home and enrolled in a local Barber program and finished in June 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. He has 6 more months of apprenticeship. Upon receiving his full license, he plans to open his own Barber Shop. He is also a video content creator specializing in promos, wedding music videos, and short films.
I decided to return to my education after becoming an empty nester, having raised my sons, as a single mother when they were ages 5 and 8; and also after being the primary caregiver for my mother who passed away in 2016. I had taken a couple of Photoshop classes several years ago and loved those classes, so I chose the Advertising/Graphic design curriculum. I began in January 2018 and because I work full time am only able to take two classes per semester and summer. It has been what seems like forever, I am excited to say I will graduate in Spring 2022.
My situation may not be unique to many, but it is unique to me. There are many times, at my age of 59, I ask myself why am I doing this? Who cares? why now? Why not just quit? My answer to myself is I quit before. I taught my sons to not quit, to never give up. Give out before giving. I think about that when those negative questions come to my thoughts. Having only a high school diploma, until I follow this venture through satisfactorily completing the course requirements for an AAS Advertising/Graphic Design Degree, I don’t feel I have led my sons by example.
Between my two sons, I’ve been to and cheered them through 7 graduations, from high school through grad school, and Barber school. I have 6 caps/gowns/stoles hanging in my closets. I want the next cap/gown/stole that is worn and comes into my house to be worn by and belong to ME!

Has your back to school experience been a smooth journey? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?

It has certainly been a journey! I cannot complain. I pay for my own classes. I only take two per semester and summer sessions. I limit myself to two classes to not overwhelm myself because I do work full-time and manage a Scheduling Call Center. There are times when the job can require more of me, but I set clear boundaries, as school is super important to me this time around.

Tell us about some time management, study, or money-saving tips that helped you make it to where you are in your journey.

Time management is a struggle. Having not been to school in several decades, I realized that I needed to discipline myself to create study time. My entire program has been online. I had to set a study boundary for myself. Homework is due by midnight one night per week. On the due night, I place my phone on Do Not Disturb till midnight.
This allows me to focus on my classwork to make sure I have everything ready to submit if I’m down to the last night to submit. As soon as I leave work, my phone goes on DND. By doing this I don’t hear calls nor texts coming in. If I did, I would spend the majority of my evening chit chatting and texting. It took family and friends a while to understand and some were offended, but this is about me, not them. My sons knew and understood, but they also know that they are exceptions to my rule and I am available for them anytime, even on homework night.

Tell us about your career goals. What do you plan to do with your degree once you finish?

Both my sons are entrepreneurs in videography/film/advertising/social media. My goal is to help them with their business after I retire from my current job.

If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?

Time management is a struggle. Having not been to school in several decades, I realized that I needed to discipline myself to create study time. My entire program has been online. I had to set a study boundary for myself. Homework is due by midnight one night per week. On the due night, I place my phone on Do Not Disturb till midnight. This allows me to focus on my classwork to make sure I have everything ready to submit if I’m down to the last night to submit. As soon as I leave work, my phone goes on DND.

 

The heart of our mission is to encourage other women on their back to school journeys. The goal of Featured Diva is to celebrate women who are making their academic dreams come true in hopes that other women will find encouragement to strive toward their goals.

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Featured Diva: Hytha, IT

  Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique?  I have enrolled in two separate classes one...

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Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique? 

I have enrolled in two separate classes one at Yale through Coursera and the other one is the Goggle IT class. I was given a grant for this one also through Coursera. I have been in the pharmacy for 25 plus years. Looking to go in a different direction appreciating the downtime.

Tell us about some time management, study, or money-saving tips that helped you make it to where you are in your journey.

Currently, self-discipline is the key. I work from home in my office for 8 hours so now I do it for myself.

If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?

Never lose your vision or was given to you for a purpose if not today or tomorrow just stay the course.

 

The heart of our mission is to encourage other women on their back to school journeys. The goal of Featured Diva is to celebrate women who are making their academic dreams come true in hopes that other women will find encouragement to strive toward their goals.

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Featured Diva: Kimberly, GED

  Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique?  I'm a 39-year-old single mom of one. I'm in...

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Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique? 

I’m a 39-year-old single mom of one. I’m in GED school now but I want to get my GED and take up phycology I want to do this for myself and my son.

Tell us about some time management, study, or money-saving tips that helped you make it to where you are in your journey.

Well, I’m in GED school but my time is in the morning because my son is in school till the afternoon.

If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?

I will not quit till I get my diploma.

 

The heart of our mission is to encourage other women on their back to school journeys. The goal of Featured Diva is to celebrate women who are making their academic dreams come true in hopes that other women will find encouragement to strive toward their goals. 

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How to Apply for Internships in Grad School

group of young people around a laptop smiling and talking about work

Grad school internships should never be an afterthought. This is how you’ll often get your “foot in the door”, after all. Knowing how to go about applying for your ideal internships will help to ensure that you l...

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Grad school internships should never be an afterthought. This is how you’ll often get your “foot in the door”, after all. Knowing how to go about applying for your ideal internships will help to ensure that you land a quality internship that will help you to land your dream job.

Finding the Right Internship Opportunities

Before applying for an internship, you first need to learn how to find good internship opportunities. There are many streams that can help you achieve this.

 

Ask Your Teacher or Professor

Your teacher or professor will know about the available opportunities in your field because many times, companies will directly contact colleges about available internship opportunities.

 

Google Search on Intern-Specific Sites

There are plenty of sites online that are specifically dedicated to announcing internship opportunities in different fields. Sites such as LinkedIn, Wayup and YouTern can help you get started in finding the right type of internship for you.

 

General Google Search

A general Google search for internships in your field will help you identify what the opportunities are and where they are. Putting in your nearest town or city is also ideal when doing this.

Now that you’re clear on how to find an internship, let’s have a look at the steps it will take to apply for one.

 

Steps to Apply for an Internship

Identify the Internship

This first point has to do with your specific field. I’d also encourage you to be open-minded here. For instance, if you studied journalism and would like to be a magazine editor one day, if there’s an internship available for the Beauty Section of Elle magazine, there is certainly no problem in applying for one.

Although the “Beauty” section may not be something you’d ideally want to do, it is still helping you to get your “foot in the door”. Applying for this internship will also help you to broaden your mind as to what the other opportunities may be in your field that you may not have considered before.

 

Prepare Your Resume

If you’ve been in school your whole life or haven’t really had the opportunity to work in your field of study, don’t stress. This is an internship, after all.

 

All your prospective boss wants to know is what your background and interests are. To make sure that your resume is as professional as it can be, make sure that you do the following:

  • Include your school courses and extracurricular activities
  • Mention any volunteer work you’ve done in your past
  • Of course, if you have prior work experience, include that too
  • Try to be as concise and as internship-related as possible
  • Don’t forget to include contactable references

 

(Want a professional resume review by Lorraine, Founder of BacktoSchoolDivas.com? Book her now! You’ll receive a one-on-one call with Lorraine to review your goals and your experience. Your $25 review fee will be put toward any revisions you order.)

 

Write your Cover Letter

A resume is concise and briefly points out all the school and work experience you have had. A cover letter, on the other hand, is more personal. It highlights why you are the ideal candidate for this internship.

Try not to replicate the information from your resume here. Instead, highlight what drew you to that specific internship, what skills you have, and how that has prepared you for the internship.

 

Prepare for the Interview

Once you’ve applied for the internship/s (make sure that you apply to many. You want to cast the net as wide as possible) and get a call for an interview, you’ll need to prepare yourself for that big day.

Prep yourself by getting a professional outfit, practicing generic questions (such as: Tell us about yourself. Why should we choose you? What are your strengths and weaknesses?) and also make sure that you arrive early for the interview to avoid any chances of bad traffic getting in your way.

 

An internship will help you to take a step in the right direction of your career aspirations. Following these tips will help to ensure that you identify the right internship for you, and you know exactly how the process will unfold.

 

Keep track of your graduate school internship process and so much more with the official Back to School Divas planner download! You’ll get free templates for weekly planning, goal setting, meal planning, grocery lists, and so much more.

 

confident woman at an interview in a modern office
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Top Resume Tips From a Professional Resume Writer

confident woman at an interview in a modern office

Looking for a new job? You already know the importance of a strong resume. But what makes a resume “strong” in the first place?   Today’s job hunters face new cha...

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Looking for a new job? You already know the importance of a strong resume. But what makes a resume “strong” in the first place?

 

Today’s job hunters face new challenges. Online job boards and digital recruitment services make it easy to apply to several jobs at once. Just attach your resume and you’re done! Right?

 

Have your resume reviewed by Back to School Divas Founder Lorraine! Book a one-on-one review for $25 and she’ll put that money toward the cost of any revisions you purchase.

Resume Tips for College Students

 

Once you hit “Send”, your application goes out into the world wide web darkness. Your main source of light is your resume. But it’s not a simple as having the right experience reflected. You have to consider:

 

  • SEO keyword matches
  • Easy-to-download file formats
  • Headers, headlines and file names

 

These digital components can make or break your visibility in a candidate pool online.

 

So, how can you improve your resume and give yourself a better opportunity to land an interview?

 

We asked a professional Resume Writer for advice.

 

Briana is a Resume Writer with 3 years experience crafting resumes for the web. “In the last six months,” she says, “I have worked on six resumes, and four out of six have gotten the job.”

 

What did she have to say about crafting standout resumes? Read on to find out.

 

What makes a good resume?

 

“Be precise, and as informative in “short, sweet and to the point” form as you can. Applying words directly related to the job posting you are applying for, and include competencies that show you understand your work and are eager to learn more.”

What’s the best formatting or outline for a good resume?

 

“Bullet points. Much easier to read and understand the full story behind your experience and skill level.”

What are the most important things to include for each job you’ve been at?

 

“Recognition for doing your job efficiently, keywords from that job that match the one you’re now applying for and length of time spent at each job/where you worked.”

Describe your process for turning an “ok” resume into a “great” one, in as much detail as you can.

 

The first step to making an “ok” resume into a “BOMB” resume is vocabulary. For example, if someone says “3 years in retail” on their resume the simple fix for this to make it sound better (and have it relate to almost any job you apply for) is “3 years of experience in customer satisfaction in a retail environment utilizing first in-first out order”.

This tells the recruiter that you not only have 3 years of experience, BUT you approached each customer as if they were the only item on your agenda for that day (first in-first out order). Tweaking your wording and using the bullet point method will help the interviewer understand that you have experience, great communication skills and are well-articulated.

 

Keep this advice in mind as you update your resume and give yourself a head start on the online job hunt!

 

Want to really step up your resume game?

 

Have your resume reviewed by Back to School Divas Founder Lorraine!

 

For $25 you can have your resume reviewed in an open, one-on-one meeting with Lorraine. She’ll even put that money toward any revisions you purchase!

Ready to get started? Book a one-on-one now!

African American nurse smiling at elderly patient in hospital bed
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How Registered Nurses Can Balance Work and School Like Superheroes

African American nurse smiling at elderly patient in hospital bed

A registered nurse’s daily schedule is not easy, and now you want to head back to school? How on earth are you going to manage?   Balancing nursing school with work and family is a big commitment. You’ll have to find the time to attend...

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A registered nurse’s daily schedule is not easy, and now you want to head back to school? How on earth are you going to manage?

 

Balancing nursing school with work and family is a big commitment. You’ll have to find the time to attend classes, do your research, submit assignments, and stay focused on your work. Before you think this is a task that only a select few superheroes can achieve, know that many women before you have come out on the other side. You just need the right tools in hand.

 

Let’s have a look at how you can better manage your work, school, and home lives as a working nurse.

 

1. Communicate With Your Family and Work

Communicating with your family about your desire to go back to school is very important, especially in the early stages. You’ll need to make it clear to your partner what going back to school will mean to you so that you two can figure out a way to re-evaluate your responsibilities, and you’ll have time to concentrate on your studies.

Let the kids know to expect some changes in the house as well. If they are older, they can take on more responsibilities to help lessen the load. Consider assigning daily chores and tasks and keeping them all in a central place. This is a great time to structure personal responsibility, and help outsource to-do’s around the house while you adjust to your new schedule.

Finally, it could be beneficial to let your workplace know about your schedule changes and updates. Your job may be able to assist you financially with your return to school.

 

2. Understand Your Peak Study Periods

There are certain times of the day where you’re simply more productive. It may be in the early hours of the morning before the kids wake up, or late at night while everyone’s asleep and it’s super quiet.

Once you understand your circadian rhythm, you’ll be able to use it to your advantage. Schedule your studying times around this time so that you get the most out of your sessions.

 

3. Consider a Support System

Of course, you can always turn to close family and friends to give you that motivational speech you may need when you feel like giving up, but consider a support system from people who know exactly what you’re going through – your classmates.

You may be surprised to find out that there are plenty of other mothers in your class. Make friends. Share tips and even share babysitting recommendations.

Knowing that you’re not alone and there are plenty of other mothers out there in similar shoes who can help to give you that boost you need from time to time.

 

4. Look into Part-time Programs

If you’re a registered nurse and have a family, you are more than likely already spread thin. Adding school work to this equation is, without a doubt, not going to be easy.

One option you should definitely consider is part-time programs. Although they may take a little longer to complete, it might be what you need to keep sane as less of your time will be required each week. This is the principle of many online schools today—including one of the most popular, University of Phoenix. 

 

In the Back to School Divas Facebook group, we’ve got members from around the country who are working mothers going back to school. We asked for their tips to help you power through:

LaTonya Grant said, “I work at the states mental health inpatient hospital…Stress is an understatement…I work two 16 hour shifts and one 8 hour each week…Plus school…Praying…Relaxing…And exercising helps me with my stress.”

Chanda Delia Wilson added “I worked as a contract nurse through the state and federal. I did this so I can make my own schedule.”

Bottom line: you’re not alone.

 

To get even further, and stay organized in the process, be sure to download the free Back to School Divas planner. This free resource includes templates for goal setting schedules, meal planning, grocery lists, and more.

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Will Your Full-Time Job Pay For You To Go Back To School?

group of working women looking at computer screen and smiling during a meeting

Will Your Full-Time Job Pay For You To Go Back To School?

You have big dreams for your career. You want the corner office, the flexible hours, and definitely the pay increase. You’ve been working hard but y...

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Will Your Full-Time Job Pay For You To Go Back To School?

You have big dreams for your career. You want the corner office, the flexible hours, and definitely the pay increase. You’ve been working hard but you know there’s one way to really give your career the boost it needs – going back to school.

Going back to school for working moms is possible. Sure, you’ll have to juggle work, school, taking care of the family, and that foreign concept called “having a social life”, but you don’t mind because you know it’ll all be worth it. And the best part? You may not even need to pay a cent.

There are many institutions in place that are dedicated to helping women and mothers further their studies. Some of them are grants and scholarships for moms. Some of them may even be right under your nose.

Your Job May Pay for Your College Degree

This one totally makes sense because educated and skilled employees are very valuable to a company. So how do you go about getting your tuition and other fees paid for? Well, you have to have a plan in place,of course.

When to Ask

Timing is everything. It wouldn’t make sense to ask the company to fund your schooling if you’re experiencing a bit of a slow financial period. It would also not make further sense if you are busy drowning in paperwork and have missed a few deadlines recently. Basically, you want to ask when you and your boss are both in a good space. Patience is a bit difficult sometimes but trust us on this one.

How to Ask

Speaking to HR about the company’s policy on training or education is the perfect place to start as you have to know what’s possible. Many businesses are willing to fund short courses, training or sometimes even full on degrees, as this means that their employee will come back to apply these newfound expertise into the company.

After HR has told you that it’s possible to go back to school, it is now time to convince management to pay up.

The best approach here is to highlight the benefits to the company of you going back to school. Mention the skills you’ll develop and the knowledge you will bring back to your work, after taking the particular course that you’re aiming for.

What to Expect

You may get a “yes”, “no” or “maybe”. You may even get back a “we’ll think about it”. As frustrating as it may be, you have to remember that they are not obliged to take you to school. If you get a positive response – Great! All the bBest! We’re rooting for you!

If not, don’t despair as there are alternative ways to make sure that you get the education you want.

Grants and Scholarships for Moms

There are plenty of grants and scholarships that can help you go back to school. Some are designed for womenand others for mothers, specifically. Opting for this route makes financial sense as you are not required to pay them back. It is worth mentioning though that you’re unlikely to get full funding through one grant or scholarship so applying to as many as possible should be the way to go about it!.

Can you think of other ways that working moms can get funding to go back to school? Share your thoughts in the comments section as we’d love to hear some of your ideas.And for even more money-saving tips, sign up for our newsletter!