Being a student parent has its difficult moments. It is always a challenge to balance both.

I went to school when my son was 6 months old. I didn’t want to give up school, although I stressed a lot trying to be a dedicated mom while studying for my courses.

My first semester as a student parent was the worst semester for me. I failed half of my courses because I had no time to study for exams.

As a student, you are required to do homework, study for tests, attend class, and sometimes do work outside of class hours to get a passing grade. Those that are student parents have double the work to become successful.

Being a parent requires more than being a student. As a student, you make it through finals and then get a break from school before the next semester kicks in.  However, parenting is a 24/7 job.

Here are three tips that can help you be successful.

Tip one: Make sure you have a childcare provider you can really count on to avoid stress.

Childcare is one of the reasons students miss class a lot. Paying a child center is extremely costly and something students cannot afford.

In-home day cares are less expensive than well known corporations like Kindercare. The rate for a newborn full-time five times per week is anywhere between $200-250 a week at Kindercare.

As children get older, the prices lower. On average you would spend $500-600 a month for preschoolers. You can always seek day care assistance. Fresno Unified has a child development program.

Children must be at least 2 years old and potty-trained. Depending on your income, you can either have no fees or $100-120 fees per month. You can also call Supportive Services agency  for day care assistance.

Once you have a day care provider, don’t just plan childcare for the hours you are at school. Add an hour or two per day to do some studying at school. Remember that to be successful you must study two hours per day for each class.

Tip two: Studying at school works better than at home. You can easily get distracted at home and end up cramming, or just not studying at all.

If you do choose to study at home, make a plan. Lock yourself in a room or go outside as the other parent, or someone can help you care for your child.

I had the privilege to count on my mom to care for my son Jared. He was in excellent hands, but I would rush home as soon as my classes were over. I planned on doing my studying once he was in bed.

I never studied, though, because I was ready to go to bed too. I didn’t succeed that semester. I was taking 12 units, worked 19 hours, and had a 6-month-old baby at home. Now that Jared is kindergarten I use that time to go to school and study.

Tip three: It’s important to know how much you can handle.

Yes, counselors do advise taking 12 units if you work less than 20 hours per week. But that may not work for many.

If you do plan on taking 12 units, plus work full-time, or part-time, I would advise to take two easy classes with two challenging ones.

Many students make the mistake of trying to finish school fast and take courses that require lots of studying.

If they fail, sometimes they give up and stop attending college, or they live a stressful, miserable life to stick with school.

It’s extremely important not to stress as a student. The last thing you want is to neglect your child because you are too busy with school. Using these three tips can help you be successful in both areas.