With the hope of a brand new year staring us square in the face, many moms are putting a lot of focus on their life goals. Consider your own goals. Would you like to find a new job? Finally get that degree you’ve always dreamed of? Maybe you’re just interested in finding a new hobby. There’s nothing wrong with that. Something led you to read this article and that something is likely not just curiosity, but the drive to succeed.

You’re Never too Old to Further Your Education

College life today is not quite the same as it was 10 years ago. Colleges are growing by leaps and bounds, many branching out into the online education sector. Because of these recent shifts in the education sector, many parents are now feeling more confident about returning to college after a long hiatus. Being able to attend classes in the comfort of one’s home far outweighs the idea of sitting in a classroom filled with 19 or 20-something students when you’re 30 or 40-something. There’s also the family factor. When you’re a parent, it’s not easy to drop everything and go back to school. Kids get sick. Partners get called into work. Holidays, parent-teacher conferences and other activities interfere with the traditional college schedule.

Ivy Bridge College is one option that many moms are turning to today. An accredited college with a strong focus on helping moms succeed, IBC offers amazing support services, flexible scheduling, the ability to earn an associate’s degree in as little as 17 months, and the ability to seamlessly transfer to “name brand” 4-year schools to earn a bachelor’s degree. In fact, you can check out the entire list of IBC’s partner colleges here.

I’m Going Back – Won’t You Join Me?

Before I found out I was pregnant with my son, I had one goal in mind – getting through college and getting my degree. I switched things up here and there, as many do when trying to decide what career path they want to take. I went from taking a few classes to going to school full time and switched my focus each time. I started off as a major in English. I quickly switched to an Associate degree nursing program, then switched to Communications and back to English.

The truth is that I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life. I had waited five years to go college and all I knew was that I wanted a degree. I hadn’t really focused on what I wanted the degree in and the counselor at my local community college wasn’t a whole lot of help. I explored my options and tried to manipulate myself into believing that I could be happy with a high paying job that I would never really enjoy. No matter what I did, I kept coming right back to English with a focus on creative writing. Before my son, writing was my one true love. Although my priorities have since shifted, my love for the written word never diminished.

Today, I have 96 credit hours and no degree. I am capable of graduating with my choice of an Associates in Applied Science, an Associate of Arts or an Associates in English if I take just one class. Yes, there’s just ONE single class that I have to take to bring it all to fruition, receive my Associates degree and move on to my Bachelors. So why am I holding out? I hate Algebra. Not a very good excuse, huh? Well, it seemed like a good one when I was pregnant and struggling to make it to classes in between my full and part-time jobs. I had no time to study and I knew my GPA was going to suffer a heavy blow, so I withdrew.

I had planned to wait until my son started kindergarten to re-enroll, but with so many options available online, it seems silly to hold out any longer. So I’m finally taking the plunge. I’m going back to college and I’m finally going to get that degree that I spent so much time and money on. Why let it all go to waste?

Think You’re Ready to Go Back to School?

For those of you interested in going back to college, I have a little secret. Ivy Bridge has generously agreed to provide me and one of my readers with a $1,000 tuition discount. Isn’t that fabulous? But before I jump the gun, let me go over the details of this offer:

“To be eligible for the $1,000 discount off tuition at Ivy Bridge College (IBC), the qualifying individuals will need to be degree seeking, enrolled in IBC a minimum of part-time, and new to IBC (specifically, not someone who has already applied to, enrolled in, or requested information from IBC). Classes at Ivy Bridge College Extension are not eligible for the discount. Limit one per person.”

Are you ready to finally take the steps necessary to further your education? If so, please leave a comment on this post answering the following question:

Why do you want to return to college?

I will randomly select one reader’s comment via Random.org on 1/24 to be awarded the $1,000 discount at Ivy Bridge College. The individual selected will be notified by email, so make sure you provide a valid, frequently checked email address when you comment. The chosen commenter will have 24 hours to respond after the notification email has been sent.

It’s a brand new year. Let’s make it an amazing one!

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Ivy Bridge College. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating and a discount on classes at Ivy Bridge College.”