School and childcare

[uk_wildcat]

I am a SAHM and have been for about 5 years now. I have a BS in Biology, but have never really used my degree in a job. I am looking to possibly go back to work or even school full time.
Has anyone here gone back to school full time and been able to pay for childcare? My oldest is in school all day, but my youngest is only in preschool 2.5 hours a day for 4 days per week.
I have looked into online classes, but none of them really fit what I am looking to do. I would like to get some laboratory training or medical training.
Would I get enough in student loans to cover school and childcare possibly? I do not qualify for grants or anything because of my husband's income, but we still cannot afford childcare unless I was working full time.
My husband has a job that requires him to travel a lot and we have no family or anyone in the area that could watch the kids for free.
I am just at a crossroads because I really want to get some training and get a full time job, but don't know how to go about doing it.

 

[Piecey]

Check and see if the school has a daycare..

The college I go to does (unfortunately they do not have nursery care!) and it's $1.50/hour.

HTH.

 

[itutorfortravel]

oops, sorry, i re-read the post and had replied based on what i thought i read...too early in the morning!!! LOL!

 

[Kidnurse]

When I returned to grad school after having my son, the student loans MORE THAN paid for his daycare. Also, as a PP said, your school may have a cheaper, closer daycare program that might be better than a regular daycare. Good luck!

 

[semo233]

I waited until my DD was in 1st grade before going to grad school, and then found out that all the classes were at NIGHT!!! Check the school you are considering and the program. Also, now that I have my graduate degree, I cannot find a job that suits my needs as far as distance and hours.

Do some research first is all I am saying. I thought I did and found that I should have spent more time and talked to more people in the field. I'm sure I'll find something eventually. Right now, I am making less than 1/2 what I should in a somewhat related field and am thankful to have a job at all!

 

[uk_wildcat]

Also, now that I have my graduate degree, I cannot find a job that suits my needs as far as distance and hours.

This is what I am afraid of also. Having a BS in Biology has been kind of like that. There aren't many jobs for Biology degrees unless you have a Masters or PhD. I originally got it thinking I would go to Dental school and then I got married and moved around with my military husband!
I didn't realize that some schools may have a daycare program, I will have to check into that.
Thanks for the replies and I look forward to more~!

 

[Leajess99]

This is what I am afraid of also. Having a BS in Biology has been kind of like that. There aren't many jobs for Biology degrees unless you have a Masters or PhD. I originally got it thinking I would go to Dental school and then I got married and moved around with my military husband!
I didn't realize that some schools may have a daycare program, I will have to check into that.
Thanks for the replies and I look forward to more~!

Does your husband have the GI Bill still?? It is transferable to spouse and children. Another thing is that you possibly could get a job as a teacher with the Biology degree if that is something you are interested in.
Depending on the school you want to attend they may have a daycare/preschool program there as part of an Early Childhood Ed program (K-State had one when I was there but not sure if U of L has one or not) so those student cans have training while working in the field. Not sure how you would do on student loans if you don't qualify for grants though. They may be enough and the only thing you really could do is file your FAFSA application and go from there. They have changed the finiancial levels for receiving grants so it would be worth it to try. I went back a couple of years ago when my youngest DD was in preschool and tried to take most of my classes while she and the older kids were in school. I did have to have my mom get them a couple of days but otherwise it worked great.

 

[Piecey]

I believe the GI Bill is only transferable if it hasn't been used by the Veteran.

I could be wrong, though. Definitely double check.

 

[PinkRhombus]

I used to work with a person who majored in Biology. And it was at an insurance company. She helped write contracts. Nothing at all to do with Biology.

 

[torinsmom]

I would second looking into teaching if that is something that might interest you. Many states have programs where you can earn your degree WHILE YOU TEACH. You could go back to school to teach biology or other sciences or just be general ed teacher. Being a teacher is great for a mom, as you have the same schedule as your kids once they are in school.

Marsha

 

[uk_wildcat]

Well, I actually did teach for one year when we lived in South Carolina. They had a program for people with degrees in high need areas to get certified in a special program and teach while they did it. I taught 8th grade science and decided that I would never do that again! I enjoyed the actual teaching, but not the out of control kids and parents who did not care about their kids at all. I only did the one year and didn't finish out the certification portion. We then moved to Germany and I worked in a financial planning office.
We thought I would qualify for my husband's GI Bill because they said it would be transferable, but only if he had stayed in until this August and stayed active while I went to school. He got out of the Air Force 2 years ago, so he is the only one who can use it and he already has a Master's Degree.
I already filled out my FAFSA and it said that I do not qualify for any grants. I am waiting on the college I sent it to to get back to me about what I can get.

 

[JACKie SPARROW]

I would recommend you check out different colleges and see what they have to offer. My college offers both undergrad and grad programs tailored to the working individual with classes that are held every other weekend. This is a really nice option if it is available.

I will agree with a previous poster and look into teaching if you think this could be of interest. Some schools offer a MA in Education for individuals who have a BA/BS in some type of field other that education. You would work on getting licensed and your MA at the same time.

I am thinking about this option because I am currently a SAHM with a degree that really hasn't gotten be anywhere, largely due to the economy. Afterall, I am competing with people with 10-20 years of experience who want the same job as I do. Time for a change

Good luck

 

[torinsmom]

Wow! 8th grade would be my nightmare! I teach PreK/K and love it! You might try a different age group and see how you feel about it. Maybe you could volunteer in your older child's class to see how that age is.

If you would be interested in teaching in private schools, you could do Montessori training. It only takes a year to get certified. I worked as an intern while I got my certification and my son got free tuition at the school. I am certified for ages 3-6 in Montessori as well as Birth-5th grade for public school. You get a different involvement level in many private schools and don't have as many behavior problems either, or so I have been told. I actually teach at a public Montessori.

Marsha

 

[njcarita]

actually I have a B.S degree in Biology and worked for over 10 years in science before becoming a stay at home mom---
I worked as a lab tech mapping chromosomes at Columbia University in NYC, I synthesised polymers for a major chemical company--- and did drug discovery for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies as a Research Associate--
so don't automatically think that you need an advanced degree to work in Science

I am also thinking of returning to work also after being home for over 10 years-- and have just started looking---
I am also toying with the idea of going to grad school-- because I always wanted to go back and get an advanced degree in biochemistry--- hopefully I'll find a job who will pay for it---
and all the classes I have looked into have been at night-- they don't offer to many graduate level science classes during the day---

good luck with your job search

 

[uk_wildcat]

actually I have a B.S degree in Biology and worked for over 10 years in science before becoming a stay at home mom---
I worked as a lab tech mapping chromosomes at Columbia University in NYC, I synthesised polymers for a major chemical company--- and did drug discovery for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies as a Research Associate--
so don't automatically think that you need an advanced degree to work in Science

I am also thinking of returning to work also after being home for over 10 years-- and have just started looking---
I am also toying with the idea of going to grad school-- because I always wanted to go back and get an advanced degree in biochemistry--- hopefully I'll find a job who will pay for it---
and all the classes I have looked into have been at night-- they don't offer to many graduate level science classes during the day---

good luck with your job search

I only wish I had some experience in a laboratory setting so that I could go into a research or lab job. I never did any research projects with professors as an undergraduate or really got any lab experience other than my classes. University of Cincinnati offers a program I am interested in, but I am checking into when the classes are offered. It is a biotechnology certificate program for people with a BS in sciences.