With technology continuously upgrading to better reach individuals, Swinburne Online, which is one of Australia’s leading online universities, noticed an increasing number of women—mothers particularly—are signing up to study degrees online over the last five years. They called these the “eMummies.”
Their reasons are either to re-train before returning to work after being the primary carer of their children, to upskill while on maternity leave, or to simply achieve the academic dreams they had in their 20s a decade later.
According to Swinburne Online, over 70% of all students enrolled with them are women, most of whom are studying Education, Criminology, Public Relations and Psychology. 97% of those women who are studying for a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) reported that parenthood gave them real life “learning credits” before even enrolling. Most of the university’s female students are juggling careers and study, kids and study, or all three.
Juggling many hats is not a problem to the eMummy group all thanks to study groups as well as active support for each other through social media where they share their concerns and celebrate their successes.
Karen Heenan, a mum of five from Alice Springs in the NT, completed her Criminology degree in 2015. “I wanted something for myself,” Karen said when asked why she decided to enrol in an online course. “It’s easy to get caught up in the hectic family life and forget about taking time out for yourself. Studying online was my time; something I was passionate about, committed to, and eager to succeed in,” she added.
Of course, juggling many hats isn’t easy. Karen has a busy household with five children, so she had to make sacrifices to make things work. “I had to stay up later to finish my assessments. During days that are just too busy with our young children and my husband is at work, I had to be my own self-motivator,” Karen shared. “However, the collaborative nature of the coursework ensures you do not feel isolated in your studies, and this is a vital component when you are studying fully online,” she added. It also helped that Karen has a supportive husband, who would often watch the kids for her so she can study or go to bed and sleep.
We asked Karen what her advice is for other mums who are thinking of enrolling in an online course. “Embrace the challenge, do something for yourself. It is such a great feeling when you put your mind to such a huge task, strive towards achieving it and when you do, wow the feeling is amazing!” she said. “I take absolute pride in the fact that I have achieved such success through sheer hard work and relentless determination,” she continued.
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