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What About My Education?

Several Means of Completing Your Education

“What should I do about school?” This is a critical question affecting both you and your baby. Completing your education is always a good decision because it will help you get and hold a steady job. It is also the first step in continuing advanced training or college, if you should choose to do so. How you go about completing your education depends upon your circumstances. Here are some guidelines to help you decide what to do about school.

SCHOOL DURING PREGNANCY?
Studying and getting good grades is never easy. At times during your pregnancy, it will take more effort to do well in school than it might have taken otherwise. And there will be times when you feel too tired to study and complete assignments. But you can do it if you remember that continuing your education during your pregnancy also gives you something to work on, to think about, to put energy into, and to accomplish during the months of waiting for the birth of your baby. You will feel better about yourself, knowing that you have created a new life while furthering your own goals for the future. Education is definitely your best insurance against financial problems in the future.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
If you have not finished high school, you will want to make serious plans to complete high school as soon as possible. There are several options available to young mothers. Some are even faster and more convenient than the traditional daytime classes with which you are familiar, so don’t wait.
1. Continue at your own high school. Some young women want to continue at their own high school, and while this may be challenging for some, it can often be done with fewer complications than other options. See the school counselor for more information on your school’s policy.
2. Pursue Independent Study. While this may sound good, it will require you to exercise self discipline and know how to set and keep deadlines in order to finish your coursework. However, some young women find independent study courses too difficult because they require more written homework than traditional classes. An advantage to independent study courses is that they overlap with junior colleges or trade schools, so you can receive both high school and college credit for the same course. This is usually referred to as “concurrent enrollment.” Look into this option by calling the high school career center or the college continuing education department.
3. Attend a special school. Most communities have special high schools or programs that offer daytime and/or evening classes for people who have special needs. These schools usually offer flexible schedules and arrangements for your particular situation. Mothers’ High programs are popular among unmarried or newly married young mothers. These programs allow an expectant mother to attend school throughout her pregnancy as well as provide on-site daycare facilities, allowing new mothers to bring their infants with them to school.
4. Tutoring. In some cases, tutors can be hired, often with funding available through government programs. Tutoring may be the only option that will work for you if you are experiencing a problem pregnancy requiring complete bed rest.
5. G.E.D.- The G.E.D. is a test that measures your general educational accomplishments. Once you have passed the exam, you will have earned the equivalent to your high school diploma, enabling you to go on to a technical training institute, college, or the job force having “graduated” from high school.
You need to explore all the avenues in obtaining your high school diploma, and then pursue one to completion. No matter how you get your education, you can enjoy greater job opportunities and feel proud of your accomplishments.

ADVANCED EDUCATION
You will benefit most if you do not stop at a high school diploma. If you are uninterested or do not feel you have the time to go on to college, you may want to get some additional short-term training that will qualify you for a job that requires a technical skill or specialized training. Here are a few suggestions for those jobs that require less time than college but reward you with an immediate career opportunity:

Medical Assistant

Dental Assistant

Medical/Dental Secretary

Optometric Assistant

Dental Lab Technician

Certified Nurse Aide

Home Health Aide

Road Flagger

Travel Agent

Truck Driver

Airline Reservationist

Hotel Concierge

Legal Secretary

Accounting Clerk

Finance Clerk

Office Management

Police or Fire Dispatcher

Medical Transcriptionist

Licensed Massage Therapist

Earning post-high school credits and degrees greatly improves your chances for getting a good-paying job. In fact, if you have at least a two-year degree, many more employment options open up to you. Training for the jobs listed above, as well as for two-year degrees, can be earned from technical schools, junior colleges and universities, and even through home study courses. Some of these jobs require only between five and 43 weeks of training. Work-study programs, concurrent enrollment courses, evening school, week-end programs, televised courses, and the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) are all good avenues to advancing your education and job skills. Some young people take advantage of the educational opportunities provided by the armed services, such as R.O.T.C., because they receive education and a guaranteed job from the same program. Once employed, you will find that you have more options for advanced training, better hours, better benefits, and higher pay because you earned your diploma and an advanced degree. While a two-year degree can help you in your search for a good-paying job, it can also open the door to a four-year degree in only two years.

FINANCIAL AID FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION
Most technical schools and colleges offer financial aid. Grants do not require repayment, while loans require repayment after graduation. Both grants and loans are based upon income, merit, or need. Check with your high school counselor or college financial aid office for specific information on funding.
You can explore these financial aid programs:
Pell grants, Stafford loans, state educational opportunity grants, college work-study programs, tuition waivers, and scholarships.
Once you start your advanced education, you will discover that you have many interests and will probably find at least one area of special interest, which you will want to pursue. Perhaps the best reason for pursuing an education is that you will create more opportunities for yourself, while finding out about yourself and your real abilities. More than anything else, you will gain increased confidence and realize that there are many things you can do to build a good life filled with love, meaning, and value. Whatever you decide, don’t allow yourself to slack off during your pregnancy. Use that valuable time to progress toward graduation and advanced education. You will never regret having done so.