Top 3 Concerns for Moms Going Back to College

In current times, college is not only for teenagers, but for motivated adults as well.  Students aged 25 and older are expected to increase in enrollment percentage by 14% according to statistics from the National Center for Education.  Mothers going back to school to gain or finish their college degrees are among this population. Here are three top considerations for moms going back to school to keep in mind while managing their busy lives.

Keeping a Flexible Schedule and Availability

It is good to evaluate how much your coursework can fit into the available time you have between work and other scheduling necessities.  It is considered normal for each credit hour to entail three hours of course study outside of classes.  This number can change depending on whether you enroll in standard 3-credit classes or harder ones of 5 credits.  With this in mind, make sure you do not take more classes than you can possibly maintain with your living needs.  Start with one course, perhaps, and then add on from there if you are lacking confidence in juggling these aspects.

Look Around You for a Helping Hand

Moms are very busy people before adding on the extra time and effort of getting an education!  Thus, it is important to look around for some help in trying to balance one’s responsibilities.  There are many options available for women wanting to go back to school and get a degree.  From finding help with reliable child care from a partner, group or someone else, or getting help with domestic duties such as cleaning up at home, laundry, and running errands, there are plenty of resources in your life as well as online to help.

One place that is convenient for finding an individual that suits your needs and budget is Care.com.  For help with watching kids to cleaning up around the home, there are plenty of people across many regions who are capable of assisting so that you can devote time toward your learning goals.

Be Wary of Financial Aid and Student Loan Scams

Today, there are many scholarships, grants, and financial aid options available for women, especially mothers, who are looking to complete their education.  The former two options are money that you would not have to pay back, which is even better!  However, it is important to find reputable sources for this information and for the scholarships themselves.  Some financial aid advisors and services can cost thousands of dollars and leave you owing more than the amount you received in scholarship “help”.  Do not find yourself paying for a service you could easily have done on your own or with the help of a campus advisor for free.

There are, unfortunately, unethical businesses as well out there that will attempt to steal your identity in the scheme of trying to help you find financial aid.  The majority of professional organizations will not ask for your personal financial information, such as a credit card or bank account number, and thus any institution asking for you to give this out should be a warning sign.  Some may, but these would be very clearly indicated as legitimate organizations that can be cross-checked before you provide that information.  For help in spotting potentially fraudulent organizations, check out our government’s Federal Student Aid site for more information.

If it has been a thought on your mind about going back to school and gaining an education to better your life and that of your family, visit Ohio University and check out Ohio University Online’s opportunities for women.  They have great resources for women of all backgrounds. 

How to Deal with Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy

Back pain is one of the many issues affecting women during pregnancy. While these episodes of back pain can be caused by biological issues and hormonal changes, it can also be caused by bad habits that can contribute to poor back health. In this article, we’re going to give you a few tips on how to deal with back pain during pregnancy.

Work on Your Posture

You’d be surprised how many back pain issues could be prevented simply by having a better posture. And there is no time when this is more important than when you’re pregnant. Not only will a good posture help relieve back pain, it is also essential to ensure the wellbeing of your child as well.

Make sure that you always sit up straight and tall, and have the same upright posture when standing up as well. Make sure that you invest in a good supporting chair and put a small pillow behind your lower back for added comfort. Walk with your shoulders back and chest high, but make sure you aren’t too rigid and that you keep your shoulders relaxed as well. Also, be careful to not lock your knees.

If you’re standing, try to keep your posture comfortably wide, and if you have to stand in place for a long period of time, consider putting your foot on a small step stool and alternating from time to time. Using a stool has been shown as one of the best ways to reduce fatigue and relaxing back muscles. You can find more tips on how to prevent backache on a site like echiropractor.org.

Invest in the Right Gear

Choosing the right shoes can make a huge impact on back health, especially if you’re pregnant. Make sure that you invest in a good pair of low heeled shoes with great arch support. And make sure that you stay away from flat shoes at all costs, they will only make matters worse. You should also stay away from heels as well since they might affect your posture and increase the risk for falls.

If you feel you need some extra support, you could also invest in a maternity belt as well. While there hasn’t been a lot of research in this area, many women swear by them and have reported great results.

Change Your Lifting and Sleeping Habits

Improperly lifting and sleeping can have a huge impact on the amount of pain you experience. In any case, you should never use your back for lifting, but use your legs instead. Squat while keeping your back in a straight position and lift up using your legs, this alone will allow you to avoid back sprains caused by lifting.

And when sleeping, be careful to never sleep on your back, but on your side instead, and buy the best body pillow for pregnancy. Keep your knees slightly bent and place a pillow between them to promote proper spine alignment. 

While back ache is never easy, these few tips should help you alleviate some of the pain. If it becomes too much to bear, then it might be a sign you should consult a chiropractor. But if the pain subsides, make sure that you maintain good habits and keep them after your pregnancy as well.

Simple Ways To Achieve Better Health

Good health is something that should never be taken for granted, but maintaining it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might think. With a bit of planning and making sensible decisions, you can stay fit, strong and healthy without spending all day every day obsessing over it. Here are just a few of the ways you can achieve better health.

Write Down Your Goals

Writing down your goals is extremely helpful. Rather than just dieting or working out indefinitely, when you have a goal it gives you something to work towards. Reaching each goal is also highly motivating, and can help to keep you on track. Break down large goals into smaller steps, so you know what you need to do to get there. For example, if you’re aiming to lose two stone in 2017 you could break this down to ‘lose 2lb a week’ (this is a healthy weight loss amount). This means that give or take, you could reach your target by around April. From there, you can set further goals such as ‘maintain for six months.' No matter what it is, setting a goal and then breaking it down into manageable chunks is the best way to go about it. Keep your goals health orientated, so no crash diets or quick fixes. If they involve weight loss, work out your recommended weight and aim to stay within this.

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Take a Daily Supplement

A daily supplement is an easy thing you can do for your health. It takes a matter of seconds and could provide your body with any vitamins it might be missing. Supplements shouldn’t be a substitute for a healthy diet, but they can run alongside it. Get in the habit of taking one each day with a big glass of water and soon it will be so much a part of your routine you will do it without thinking about it. Even when you eat a healthy diet, there could be things your body is missing, so this gives you a fallback option. When your body is well nourished and has everything it needs, it performs at optimal levels. Check out this fabulous graphic on A Healthy Look Into the World of Vitamins!

Find an Exercise You Enjoy

Some people genuinely enjoy working out and going for the burn. For others, it’s much more of a struggle. If you fall into the second camp, to be able to keep up an exercise routine it has to be something you enjoy. Take a look at your local leisure center and see if there are any groups or exercise classes that appeal to you. Maybe you could take up a sport, and rope in a few friends to play it with you. If you know you’re one for falling off the wagon when it comes to exercise; you could look for fully certified personal trainers in your area. They will keep you motivated and make sure you’re doing everything you need to do.

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Drink Green Tea

Most of us enjoy a comforting hot beverage, but if your drink of choice is coffee or regular tea why not make the switch? Coffee especially is high in caffeine, and if you’re drinking your hot drinks with milk and sugar, then you’re adding unnecessary calories and fat to your diet. Green tea is soothing, free of calories and packed with antioxidants. These help to protect against dangerous free radicals which can cause all kind of damage to your body including things like cancers in some cases. You can buy a variety of flavored green teas, they add to your water intake for the day and are extremely good for you.

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Pros and Cons of Student Loan Consolidation

Consolidating the loan means refinancing it. As a student, you should be aware of your priorities and affordability. Loan consolidation may be very beneficial for some students, but at the same time, it may not be a good idea for many. Here are some pros and cons of consolidating student loans.

Pros:

Consolidation is useful because it allows the student to put all the payments in one single payment. The consolidation loan is used to pay off the other debts and then you have to pay only one lender. This simplifies the process of paying off the debt. The purpose of introducing the student loan consolidation system is to make the borrower take multiple loans from one servicer.

The loan consolidation also enables the person to extend the repayment period if he is not able to afford high monthly payments. This flexibility of the loan makes it extremely useful.

The loan consolidation that comes with variable interest rate also gives you interest breaks in specified periods. The variable interest rate starts with a very low-interest-rate due to which, the borrower can save a lot. The loan consolidation allows you to keep your credit score good. When you can pay on time and lower your credit card balances, you automatically get a good credit score. Having a good credit score enables you to avail low-interest rate features at your next loan consolidation.

Simple Ways to Save Money on Baby Gear

Having a baby doesn’t have to cost the earth.  Granted, there are some things you will need to buy before your little one is born, but you don’t need to buy every gadget out there, and you don’t need to buy everything in one go.  If you stick to the essentials and only buy what you need, you should be able to save money.  For more tips, keep reading.

Start Planning When You’re Three Months Pregnant

Once you have reached the three-month mark, you’re usually fine to start planning the items that you will need.  Essentials are newborn-sized clothes, wipes, and diapers, bottles and formula.  You will also need something for your baby to sleep in, and a car seat if you drive.  Before you head out to the closest baby superstore, do some research.  You won’t need to buy every gadget the shop sells, so think about the things that are going to be most important and start with them.  You can always buy the non-essentials once your baby is born.

Buy Used

Babies grow quickly, as I’m sure you know, and this means there is a huge second-hand market for baby items.  Everything from clothes and toys to cots and strollers can be found for as much as 50% less when you buy used.  Often, these items have a lot of wear still left in them too.  The only items we do recommend that you buy new are a cot mattress and a car seat – this is for safety reasons.

Hit the Sales

Parents who shop during the sales and who use coupons can save as much as 30% on the cost of new items, so it’s well worth doing your research into when these happen.  Sites like myfreedeals.com list a lot of freebies and coupons that can help you save money as well.  That said, it is still important to know when to splurge.  There are some baby items that are worth spending a little more money on, such as a breast pump and organic bedding.  Those who plan on walking a lot with their baby will also want to invest in a high-quality stroller.

Ditch the Name Brands

Babies don’t know the difference between Target and the designer brands, so don’t waste money on designer clothing that your baby will outgrow within three months.  In most cases, it’s not worth spending the extra to buy a name brand, when a department store brand is just as good.

Set Up a Baby Registry

Finally, why not set up a baby registry?  A lot of people may want to buy a gift for your little one but will be unsure of what to buy.  A baby registry enables you to create a list of the items that you need and ask people to buy them for you.  Amazon, Target, and Babies R Us all offer this feature on their websites, and all have a comprehensive selection.

Keep the above tips in mind and having a baby won’t be as expensive as you thought!