by Exaucee Badose & Connor Hall

Balancing school-work and parental responsibilities is a challenge for an overlooked population of students. While there are no official statistics to represent the student-parent population, we know that there is a significant number of mothers here at SMCC. Raising children is a full-time job, and with the additional responsibilities of college, student-mothers demonstrate a great deal of determination.

Their resilience has inspired The Beacon to learn more about what this demographic handles on a daily basis, and how they are still able to succeed as both students and parents. The Beacon conducted an interview with two student-mothers who were willing to answer a few questions on the subject: Mary, a pre-nursing student with two kids, and another student-mother who preferred to remain anonymous, with her own two kids.

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The Beacon: Are you currently a student at SMCC? What’s your major?

Mary: I am currently a student at SMCC; pre-nursing.

Anonymous: Last semester was my last; my major was Information Technology.

The Beacon: How many children do you have? How old are they?

Mary: I have a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old. 

Anonymous: I currently have 2 children. As a student, I had a 1-year-old and was pregnant with my second.

The Beacon: In a few words, can you describe your experience as a student raising two children?

Mary: I can say that it is sometimes challenging because I have to adjust my school and work schedules.

Anonymous: It was very difficult. My son was under 2-years-old, which meant that he wanted my attention constantly, especially when I was in Zoom classes.

The Beacon: Are there any services provided by the school to student-parents?

Mary: Yes, I think there is on-campus childcare for student parents. 

SMCC offers the Spring Point Children’s Center, a childcare program located on the South Portland campus. Spring Point will look after the children (ages 3 to 5) of SMCC students, faculty, and staff.

The Beacon: What does a typical day look like as a student-mother?

Mary: A typical day starts with getting myself and my kids ready for school. After dropping them off, that’s when I go to my school. When I come home, I usually have 2-hours of free time to get some homework done, make food for dinner, and pack my kid’s lunch for the next day.

Anonymous: MY classes usually started at 9 [A.M.]. I would wake up my son up at 7 [A.M.], and his dad would be watching him for an hour while I would make breakfast. He [my son] would be playing and I would watch him while I went to Zoom classes until noon. Then I would make lunch and go back to class online. Sometimes I would play with him while on Zoom for a little bit. At 4 [P.M.], I would have more time to play with him and cook until his dad would come back.

The Beacon: What advice would you give to fellow student-parents who are having a difficult time balancing school and parenting?

Mary: We all have different situations; my routine is something that works for me but may not work for others. I can say time management works for me, and I don’t overload myself with classes. I always set aside extra time in case of an emergency, that way I can still make room for any last-minute changes. 

Anonymous: My biggest advice is to take advantage of the support from friends and family, unless you want to spend money on childcare. When my son needed my attention, I wasn’t able to fully give it to him. So, if you have people who can come around and hangout with him, take advantage of that.

The Beacon: Is there anything that SMCC could offer student-parents that would make a difference?

Mary: I can’t think of anything that the school could offer, other than professors being open and considerate about the situations of being a student-parent, like extending a due-date since not all student parents have flexible time. Not all professors are understanding of student-parents who can’t afford to get all the books needed for class, which is why some student-parents are either late to submit assignments or receive low grades. Parents also have jobs while going to college to get a better career, and it won’t be possible if there’s a factor that holds them back.

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For more information about childcare services at SMCC, visit https://www.smccme.edu/business-community/spring-point-childrens-center/.