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Claudia Hernandez

Professor Holly Batty

English 101

26 March 2019

College and A Baby

College is very challenging but with a child it can be more challenging and stressful to

succeed academically. Having to provide for more than yourself and deal with college expenses

can be a real challenge can cause a lot of stress. Parenting is a full-time job and being in college

requires a lot of time it can cause the student distress having to juggle both at the same time.

College Parent students are one group of scholars that require further help and support to succeed

in college but with expanding the childcare building, taking advantage of the funding program

for student parents, and more job opportunities on campus will benefit them in numerous ways

but most importantly to get their college degree.

Being a college student parent and making financial ends meet can be challenging but with

a strong support system it can help these students manage their education a lot easier. Accepting

help from those around can really benefit the parent and their child. Maybe they’re not the perfect

nanny but having assistance from those close to you can really help with managing school and

being a parent. A strong support system can help the college parent students have more time to

focus and finish college while also being a parent. By finishing college both the student and child

would benefit from this as the parent would be prepared intellectually and socially for a higher

paying job after college. There are studies that show finishing higher education leads to numerous

job opportunities. “A study conducted by US Bureau found that earnings increased with increased

levels of education, too, with respect to every successive degree — with the exception of doctorate
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degrees”,(Vista College Blog). I found this to be very relevant because it shows the importance of

earning the degree. Student parents will be able to have a higher paying job after finish college

and provide for their families with less financial problems. It may take a lot of mental focus and

with a child it can seem impossible, but it is not with the help of those around you sources available

it can get accomplished.

Even though it is a fact student parents face many challenging obstacles, one might object

that it was the student’s decision to not be safe male or female it was their choice. With so many

birth control options there is no reason to not be careful and prevent pregnancies. Preventing

pregnancy will help students not have to worry about taking care of another human being making

it less stressful for them to achieve their academic goals in college. Being in college requires a

lot of studying time and time on campus which can be very difficult raising a child at the same

time. That is why being safe and looking into options that prevent pregnancy is important to

make being in college easier while you just have yourself to worry about. As a parent you must

make your child the main priority providing financial income to be able to care for your child.

The expensive that comes with being a parent can be very stressful especially if the job is low

pay that may cause parent students to get another job taking time away from college making it

harder to succeed academically. Even though children are a blessing knowing when to start that

chapter in life is significant for college students to help them do well academically with less

distractions and stress that comes with being a parent.

It is true that it is the student’s choice with not being safe and deciding to not to be protective,

but things don’t always go as planned. But here at Los Angeles Valley College we see a lot of

students raising kids struggling with classes and working and having to raise a child that need

extra aid. It is draining on the student but with the right help on campus it can be less difficult for
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them to manage everything in a timely manner keeping up with classes. Extending the child care

center by adding more available rooms through the child care center hiring more faculty to help

more student parents get a spot as the wait list is long and it takes long time to get in. With a

bigger child care center at least with three more classes for children that could give more parents

to get their child enrolled and be on the same campus making it a calmer for the parent students

to succeed academically and get their degree. Taking advantage of the funding programs here at

Valley college like Cal Grant which aids students with their college expense, books and pays

your classes taking a burden off them. Student parents should be enrolled in these types of

programs before the deadline each semester to help them with money giving them a chance to go

to college pretty much for free and extra money on the side for their own expense. Also by

giving more job opportunities for students with children specifically and offer flexible hours this

would help students financially but also academically with the chance to work on campus and

attend classes before or after work and if they child is at the child care center its easier for them

to focus on school and if they need to go check on their child it would all be on the same campus.

These are three things I believe will help student parents be success in college, help them

financially, and make it less stressful to be a parent and a student at the same time with all the

help on campus and from family and friends. Even if it was there choice to not be safe this would

help all student parents today or in the future here at Valley College succeed and get their degree

needed because it is in a fact a growing problem. Students will benefit long term in their life

giving them a chance to get a job in a career that they worked for no matter the obstacles in their

life they can do it with the right resources and help from people around them.

Student parents are just one group of students within Valley college that struggle

significantly with having to juggle school, work and being a parent all in one. Even with the help
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of people around them they can still have a hard time passing their classes and balancing life.

Raising a child today is expensive and going to college is also expensive, today there is an

abundant number of parent students on campus here at Valley college that need that extra

support. Expanding the childcare center with more available classes and more faculty will give

more students a chance to get in and off the waiting list, joining funding programs available to

students Cal Grant gives help paying for classes and books a relief for students, and more job

opportunities for student parents would help students be more focused and involved in school at

the same while being a parent. All college students face challenges but students raising a child

have another set of challenges succeeding in school and financially supporting another human

being, with the aid from a strong support system and college support it can help the student get

their degree while also being a parent.

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Work Cited

Beyer, Monica. “Managing College and Kids.” SheKnows, 10 July 2018,

www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/982315/challenges-of-raising-kids-while-going-to-
college/.

“The Mind and Mental Health: How Stress Affects the Brain.” Touro University WorldWide,
Rebecca Bernstein, 4 Jan. 2019, www.tuw.edu/health/how-stress-affects-the-brain/.

“The Importance of Higher Education in the 21st Century.” Edited by Vista College, Vista
College, 4 Dec. 2018, www.vistacollege.edu/blog/resources/higher-education-in-the-21st-
century/..

Hussung, Tricia. “The Benefits Of Having A College Degree.” TeachThought, 5 Oct. 2018,
www.teachthought.com/education/the-benefits-of-having-a-college-degree/.