Being a college student, a parent, and holding a job all at once is a challenging act to balance. It requires exceptional time management, resilience and a strong support system to handle the demands of academics, parenting and professional responsibilities.
For Cynsere Boyd, a junior public health major corrections minor, her number one priority is her one-year-old daughter, Miracle. Boyd manages her time by going to classes early during the day. The biggest decision for her to make was whether or not she was prepared to be a mother living on campus.
“I am not partying anymore at all because I would rather sit here and raise my kid,” Boyd said. “You want your child in a safe space, you don’t want nothing to happen to your child while you’re out partying.”
Having a child in college can be extremely difficult. It can affect school performance. In college, many parents change their college schedule if they can; they typically go for early classes in the morning to have more time to cater to their babies, while still finding time for mental health and homework during the rest of the day until it’s time for work. Mental health can get the best of many college students during these times.
Maria Brown is a senior biology major who works on campus as an overnight assistant in Young Hall, while also being enrolled in college. For Brown, a schedule is crucial. She is currently part of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Inc., Women of Purpose, LU Ambassadors and (NSLS)- National Society of Leadership and Success.
“I normally try to keep an organized system where I know what my work schedule is like, know my assignments and homework that’s due for the day, so I can keep it from intertwining between each other,” Brown said. When she’s not putting work into these things, she likes to hang out with her sorority sisters.
Becoming young adults who are starting to pay bills and get the gist of life can stress students like Brown and Boyd, causing them not to pay attention to mental health as much as they need to. Boyd said, “Mentally I wasn’t there all the way, but I ended up going to therapy and expressing myself and how I feel because when you hold stuff in it’s hard for you to let it go.” Boyd also emphasized the importance of being financially stable for those who are pregnant in college.
Working can be a challenge while in college as students already have many responsibilities to handle, like being on time to class, keeping up with homework, and doing work for other organizations. These things can be difficult to balance all at once on top of having a job and a baby.
Kylah Goff
Kylah Goff is a junior broadcast journalism major
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