I’ve been told that my inability to attend a lecture because of my childcare arrangements is equivalent to not attending because I’m lazy or hungover
As a studying mother of three children, aged eight, six, and three, when I’m enrolling in classes at university I always hope I don’t get male lecturers. Not because I’m sexist, but because in my experience, they are.
I try not to let it influence which classes I enrol in, but I know when I see that the course lecturer is a Michael, David, or John that they will make my student-mother life more difficult than their female counterparts would.
I’ve chopped and changed courses and even universities a fair bit since I started trying to study as a mum, and this experience has rang true in each different course and each different university.
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When I started my Bachelor of Arts at a university in Melbourne, my very first impression of this institution was the politics lecturer who outright refused to be flexible enough to offer one of the three weekly lectures for his course online because it was impossible for me to attend the two-hour, 4pm lecture and commute 1.5 hours back to collect my children from childcare by 6pm.
I mean I’m smart, but I haven’t quite figured out how to fit four hours into two yet. Sorry. Embarrassingly, I cried when he refused this concession. His reason for his refusal was because if he starts putting lectures online, every other lazy and hungover student will stop showing up.
After being told that my inability to attend a lecture because of my childcare arrangements is equivalent to not attending because I’m lazy or hungover, I quickly fell behind despite my best efforts to attend every other lecture and tutorial and eventually dropped out of my course. After moving interstate a little over a year ago, I decided to take up my studies again; this time online, so childcare would be less of an issue.
Top Comments
Open university or check the lecture availability before enrolling in a subject. All us part time working or otherwise committed students do the same thing. Sometimes we miss a lecture and pay the price BUT if you plan ahead you select your subjects to suit your requirements.
I agree with basically all the others. To be honest I feel you sound immature and irresponsible. pre-emptively asked for an extension on ALL your assignments. It doesn't sound like it is rare to me, it sounds like you are extremely used to asking for favours, exemptions and extensions, hence your shock at being knocked back. Most universities say that barring illness, family situations/children are not a justifiable reason. So by rights, your 2 lecturers should not have granted you it, anyway. I assume your children sleep, if so, night time is a time for you to study. Time management skills - as in working life, are essential as is personal responsibility.