this data. But according to the US
Department of Education, about one
quarter of all undergraduate students
in the US have a child, and research
in the UK indicates over a third of
all part-time students in England are
parents.
Finding the right fit
For anyone thinking about continuing
their education, Hong Kong, with its
affordable childcare, variety of English
language degrees and easy commutes,
is a great city for this. I sat down with
a group of Hong Kong mothers to
share our stories and thoughts about
becoming student parents. Over
laughs and cupcakes, we discovered
that irrespective of the degree,
institution or programme style, the
challenges we faced were similar.
Student parents now have
a variety of enrolment options
available when pursuing a degree.
Most institutions offer full-time,
part-time and online programmes,
with the option to switch as family
needs evolve. When choosing the
programme that suits you best,
you’ll need to consider which option
best satisfies your family needs and
time constraints, along with any
other personal requirements and
preferences.
“I really like the interaction with
other people. I love the social aspect
of my classes,” says part-time master’s
degree student at the University
of Hong Kong and mother of one,
Chantal Hebert. “My class is very
social; we organise dinners and all
kinds of fun things. I think I hadn’t
been out of the house for two years
[before enrolling].”
Self-study, where a student
interacts only with an institution to
complete exams, is another option
available for some degrees. Li Lian
Toh, who recently completed the
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
programme as a self-study student,
liked the flexibility of this format.
“The schedule is really unpredictable
with kids. One day they can be angels
and the next they can be total rascals,”
she says. “You have a plan, but you
cannot [always] follow it, so some days
you have to make up for others.” Self-
motivation was challenging at times,
she adds, but she knew this was the
best format for her and her family.
When trying to juggle course
assignments, children and sometimes
even a job, planning ahead and
delegation are two coping mechanisms
these mothers consider vital.
Sometimes however, this is easier said
than done. Ramapriya Rajagopalan,
a mother of two and online
postgraduate student at Swinburne
University, recalls the difficulty of
delegating certain tasks so she could
have more study time. “I’m OK to
give all the cleaning jobs to my helper,
but I feel cooking is my area. I want to
do it with my hands for my children.
That is one of my guilt trips I have to
get through.”
Mothers are famous for self-
imposing one form of guilt or another,
but it can hit particularly hard when
a project deadline or important exam
is looming and your toddler wants
Mummy – and no one else will do. For
some student parents, the age of their
children plays an important part in
February 2014
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