My Top Tips For Studying (And Staying Sane) As a New Mum | by Reshma Gayadeen
“The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the centre of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children.” – Jessica Lange
Personally, as both a mature student and a new mum, I found it hard to stay in a study frame of mind and to navigate a fixed study schedule. In this article I will share a few tips that may help you in your apprenticeship.
Finding dedicated time to study
With an inquisitive toddler and a lack of sleep this was one of the main challenges that I faced. My little one was fascinated by the textbook, notebooks and pencils! I had to hide myself at home to be able to get any studying done and when I did it was for short periods of time. To carve that study time into my day, I had to communicate my needs clearly to my coach, manager and my husband. This allowed me to have dedicated study time during my work day and in the evenings.
Sticking to a study schedule
It was hard to stick to my study schedule. As most parents know, a toddler does not stick to a set routine and then there are the added challenges of teething and colds and accidents. I used my diary to track my study patterns and used flashcards and notes to study when I needed to fit my studying around my toddler. I took time to take naps when needed as studying when exhausted did not benefit me as I did not retain any information. And I tried to stick to drinking lots of water and keeping hydrated. I also did short exercise routines of 10-20 minutes to give me an energy boost between work and studying.
Finding my study style
Being a mature student, it was hard to get myself back into a study mindframe. Also I found ‘mum brain’ to be a real thing. There were days where my mind would just go blank and my memory recall was rubbish. Added to that was the fact that I did not have a fixed sleep pattern with my toddler being a terrible none sleeper at nights! To keep me on track I used a variety of study styles, including doing short quizzes and doing timed practice questions. I also wrote down key points to remember for each topic area and used this as revision material and flash cards.
What I learned from this experience
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”- Pele
I would like to leave you with some helpful tips which you can share with anyone who may find this helpful.
- Start studying at the start of your apprenticeship not one month before your exams
- Communicate your needs with your coach, your employer and your family
- Use whatever technique works best for you
- Find a study buddy (this keeps you motivated and helps to have another person to hold you accountable)
Reshma Gayadeen is a Project Management apprentice at Multiverse based in London, UK and is writing for the Apprentice Lens as part of the Blogging Team. Here’s more about her:
‘I have always been passionate about creative writing and journaling. I am inspired by personal life stories, music and nature. I am a new mum to a 20-month old toddler, and I decided to join the blogging team so that I can justify finding time in my day to dedicate to writing.’