W
alking quietly into my
first class in more than
a decade, I was giddy
with excitement, until
I sunk in my seat – a difficult move
with my eight-month pregnant belly
in the way. I might have been quiet,
but I was anything but inconspicuous.
Seven months earlier, I boarded an
emotional rollercoaster when news of
my pregnancy arrived just days after
enrolling in a full-time master’s course
at the University of Hong Kong. Torn
between the joy of another child and
the thought of postponing my studies,
yet again, I doubted there would ever
be a right time to go back to school.
As weeks went by and the initial
shock subsided, I began to question
why one event had to preclude the
other. Just as there is no right time to
be a parent, there is hardly ever a right
time to be a student when you have
children. Oprah Winfrey’s words,
“You can have it all. Just not all at
once,” rang in my head, but surely the
woman could sometimes be wrong?
I finally decided to do both,
and the more people told me I was
crazy, the more I knew I was doing
the right thing. My husband was on
board, and I discussed the situation
with the programme’s director. Both
said it would be challenging, but were
supportive. That’s all I needed to hear.
If you thought helping your kids with
their homework was tough, imagine
trying to do that while also tackling
your own, writes
Angelina Draper
.
Student
parents
50
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