Amy Mear is studying the Legal Practice Course (LPC) with MSc in Law, Business and Management and plans to pursue a career in law after qualifying. As a parent and full-time worker, she chooses to study part-time online for a more flexible learning style. We spoke to Amy to find out about her learning experience with us and to get useful advice for those needing to balance their studies with other responsibilities.
By April Baniqued. Published 01 November 2024.
An average day consists of studying, working and being a mum to three children. My day begins with getting the children ready for school and nursery. After I drop them off, I head off to work. Once school and work are over, we have activities outside of school. Then, we come home, complete any homework or reading sessions, have dinner and showers. Finally, I get the children to bed and spend most of the evenings studying.
Flexibility is crucial when it comes to education because it’s important for you to have a life and to enjoy it, without constantly thinking about studying. Flexible study allows you to set your own goals, to work properly at your own pace and to have a much more balanced approach to your family.
You still need to work towards a deadline, especially when you know your exams are coming but you’re not sitting in a classroom for hours every day.
I chose to study at The University of Law because I’d heard good things about it. The main thing that appealed to me was the opportunity to study part-time. I don’t think I would be able to balance my other priorities if I studied full-time. Unlike my law degree, the Master’s and LPC are much more intense. Studying part-time has helped me balance being a mum and working; I am still able to work and provide for my children and spend quality time with them.”
There are many challenges when balancing multiple responsibilities. For example, I try to stick to a schedule but that doesn’t always go to plan. You could try and stick to the schedule, but when your children are poorly, you can’t.
Also, sometimes you can feel burnt out. I would suggest when that happens, don’t study for that night, even if your schedule tells you to. It’s better to put the book down, take some time for yourself and get back to it when your head is clear.
If you’re a parent or a worker debating whether to study, my advice would be to try to discipline yourself and remember you’re doing this for you. It can be a struggle at first, but once you’ve got yourself into a routine, it becomes much easier. Remember, I am a single parent of three young children with a job - if I can do it, you most certainly can.
I want to demonstrate to my children that once you put your mind to something, you can most definitely achieve it.
Looking for your own weekly calendar? Download our free printable version here. You can also explore our flexible online part-time courses here.
