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Stop Being Hard On Yourself

Stop being so hard on yourself, Divas‼️  Don't get down, don't stress yourself out, stop beating yourself. Be happy with your accomplishments and have the courage to take a leap of faith. Lift and hold yourself up! Celebrate the journey at...

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Stop being so hard on yourself, Divas‼️  Don’t get down, don’t stress yourself out, stop beating yourself.

Be happy with your accomplishments and have the courage to take a leap of faith. Lift and hold yourself up!

Celebrate the journey at EVERY step no matter the outcome! If you want

Going back to school and need support?

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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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Is the University of Phoenix Right for You: Pros & Cons

young woman completing application to online college

Earning your degree as a working mom or wife has never been easier. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still going to need to put in a whole lot of time and energy into earning that degree, but a little thing called “technology” has made the process ...

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Earning your degree as a working mom or wife has never been easier. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still going to need to put in a whole lot of time and energy into earning that degree, but a little thing called “technology” has made the process so much more achievable.

 

Online classes have been a great savior for many working moms and one of the best institutions to offer a variety of online programs is the University of Phoenix.

 

University of Phoenix is the largest private University in the United States. Students can apply for any of its many online programs or simply do things the old-fashioned way by attending classes at select campus locations. Since you’re a working mom with tons on your to-do list, you’re probably leaning more towards the earlier option.

 

What Programs are Available?

The University of Phoenix offers students a variety of courses at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree level. Check out their degree programs if your career aspirations are in any of the following fields.

 

  • Business & Management
  • Teacher Education
  • Social Science
  • Information Technology
  • Accounting & Finance

 

Before settling on the institution, you want to weigh up your pros and cons.

 

 

Pros of Attending The University of Phoenix

 

The Convenience Factor

Online programs make it possible to keep up with all your personal commitments. If you have PTA meetings on Fridays, work presentations on Wednesdays, and your kid’s soccer matches on Thursdays, you can still attend all of these events while also furthering your studies.

You can plan ahead of time as you’ll receive all your course material, assignments, and due dates at the beginning of the course. This convenience will allow you to know when to dedicate time to studying and when you can focus on the other tasks on your long to-do list.

 

It Doesn’t Matter When You Log On

You can access your online study material at your own convenience and then, when it suits you, join the student discussion forums that will be available for your class. When you join these forums, you can leave a comment that can be read by other students or read through any of the previous discussions. All this is, of course, possible without everyone being online at the same time.

You are also able to set up appointments or phone calls with relevant faculty members as needed.

 

Tuition Guarantee

It is common knowledge that furthering your studies can be quite costly. The worst part is that tuition goes up every year … except at the University of Phoenix. They have a “tuition guarantee” that will lock your tuition from your program’s start to finish.

This means that if you take a little longer to complete your program, you won’t be affected by increasing tuition. Your tuition will be locked in the moment you register to the University.

This is a great argument to pitch your boss if you’re interested in tuition reimbursement from your employer.

 

Easily Transfer or Earn Credits

If you’re a transfer from another regionally accredited community college, you can easily transfer those credits to your degree program at the University.

If you don’t have credit, don’t worry about it. There are several avenues that you can use to earn credits.

 

Cons of Attending The University of Phoenix

 

Some Degrees Require Hands-on Programs

Not all online programs are made for every career path. For instance, if you would like to be a nurse, then you need clinical experience before you can qualify to work with patients. Because of this, The University of Phoenix gears their nursing program towards registered nurses who are interesting in furthering their studies.

 

“Team Learning” Component for Each Class

This can be both a pro and a con. learning to collaborate and work in a team will provide you with the necessary skills required to help you work better with your colleagues. But, if any of your team members are slacking, this will affect your grade.

 

Choosing to go back to school is a great step in helping you achieving your career aspirations. The University of Phoenix might just be the perfect place to get that ball rolling.

 

If you would like more information, join the Back to School Divas Facebook group! Meet real women who have attended the University and other online colleges you may be interested in.

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Must-Follow Life Do’s & Don’ts For Women Going Back to School

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Must-Follow Life Do’s & Don’ts For Women Going Back to School

The Internet is full of “life hacks” for juggling it all, Diva. Maybe you’ve heard of some th...

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Must-Follow Life Do’s & Don’ts For Women Going Back to School

The Internet is full of “life hacks” for juggling it all, Diva. Maybe you’ve heard of some them:

  •     Wake up at 5 AM every day (and never hit snooze!)
  •     Study while you workout so you can knock out two things at once
  •     Forget about music and listen to motivational speeches on your commute

But is all that waking up early and multitasking every aspect of your life really going to help you juggle it all?

As women who have been where you are, we put together a list of real-life do’s and don’ts for going back to school as a woman with enough already on her plate.

DO Wake Up Earlier

Sorry about this one, Divas. It is true: waking up earlier can help you be a better boss at life! In fact, according to Forbes, a 2008 Texas University study showed that “college students who identified themselves as ‘morning people’ earned a full point higher on their GPAs than those who were ‘night owls’ (3.5 vs. 2.5).” The data is in, and it pays to wake up even an hour earlier each day.

DON’T Drink Caffeine All Day

It doesn’t matter if it’s coffee, Red Bull, or pre-workout: having caffeine after about noon is just a no-go.

Researchers from the Sleep Disorders & Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital and Wayne State College of Medicine found that having caffeine even 6 hours before bedtime affected sleep amounts by over an hour. Skip the caffeine and try an energizing 7-minute workout to give yourself a mid-afternoon power boost.

DO Try A Block Schedule

Ever felt like you’re checking email, texting friends, reviewing social media notifications, listening to a lecture and completing an essay all at the same time? You may feel like you’re doing it all, Diva, but multitasking can lead to feelings of overwhelm.

Instead, try a block schedule! With this simple method, you set up blocks of time (in your actual calendar or phone) for certain activities. Here’s an example:

  •     3-3:30 check email
  •     3:30-4:00 draft essay
  •     4:00-4:30 listen to a lecture
  •     4:30-5:00 text, call, and check social media

Everything has a chance to be done at its own time and place! You can relax knowing you’ll get to everything you need to do so that you can focus on one thing at a time.

DON’T Procrastinate

This one’s easier said than done, but there is hope! Waiting until the last minute begs for trouble, stress, and less-than-your-best performance. Set aside even 15 minutes each day before a big deadline to complete one task on a project. Pretty soon you’ll be done!

Let’s say you have a paper due in a week. On Monday, you can find 3 sources. On Tuesday, you can take notes on key points you can use in the paper. Then, on Wednesday, write the thesis and build an outline. On Thursday, write a draft. By Friday, you’ll be breezing through the editing process and hitting “Submit.”

DO Give Yourself A Break

Literally and figuratively speaking, remember to cut yourself some slack! If you know you’re doing your best, try not to feel negative about your productivity. You are worth more than just how much stuff you get done!

Take a break from time to time to watch Netflix, get some sun, or just take a nap. You’re doing great, Diva.