She wakes up around 6 a.m. to get her five kids ready for the day, drop them off at school, and hurries to get to her classes on time. Her kids are done with school at 2:45 p.m., and she hurries to pick them up because her last class ends at 3 p.m.

They spend a few hours at home for snacks then head for the college library so that her kids are able to do their homework, as well as hers. She goes home around 7 p.m., prepares dinner, allows her kids one hour of TV time and sends them off to bed around 9 p.m. When she wakes up after a few hours of sleep, her day starts all over again.

This is the typical day for Elizabeth Ark-Majiyagbei, a 35-year-old mother who is a full-time student at Skyline College.

Student parents experience a set-up similar to hers everyday. Juggling school and parenthood is challenging because these students have somebody else to care for other than themselves.

“The needs of a child are often more urgent than what is in front of you being a student,” Early Childhood Development professor Kate Browne says. “It puts the parents in a conflicting situation where they have to make choices and decisions in competing demands.”

A student parent has difficulties because of the balancing act that she or he has to do between classes, homework, taking care of the child, and probably even work. Student parents become problematic when instances arise that are beyond their control or when distractions occur.

“There were numerous times that I had to ask for a personal day-off from work and be absent from school every time my daughter does not feel well and all she wants to do is sleep beside me,” student mom Rachel Tancioco says.

Tancioco, 25, has a 15-month-old baby girl who she leaves at home with her husband or a relative when she has to go to school. She is currently taking four units at Skyline College, because this is only what her schedule can allow.

Ark-Majiyagbei does her schoolwork at the library to avoid her interruptions at home, where “there is laundry to be done and rooms to clean.”

Sometimes, the parent cannot choose one priority over another and ends up still trying to accomplish both.

Imelda Hermosillo, an EOPS (Extended Opportunities Programs and Services) counselor, was attending University of California, Irvine when her daughter was 2 years old.

“I remember her having chicken pox and me having to write a research paper that I was having a lot of difficulty with and I put the table right by the foot of the bed and you’re there pretty much feeling torn,” Hermosillo says.

The student parent feels guilty when she or he leaves the child behind so that she or he can go to school or work.

“It breaks my heart to leave my daughter crying at home,” Tancioco says. “There are times that I blame myself that if I could only have had a high paying job before I had her.”

In addition, academics can suffer because the student parents can feel that they cannot devote enough time to their studies, or they do not have a strong support network from Sacrifices are also made because one of a parent’s top priorities is his or her child. As a parent taking care of their child, staying up late to go to a party or even just to attend a study group becomes a dilemma.

Aside from the emotional aspects of being in this set-up, student parents can also encounter health problems, in addition to sleep deprivation and an unhealthful diet.

“Children get sick more often because they’re in day care or school, and it could spread around the family,” says Beverly Muse, Skyline College counselor for psychological services. “If the child’s teething up all night or has the flu, then you’re (student parent) up all night.”

When a student parent is not well-rested due to these circumstances, she or he will not have enough time to study and will not able to absorb any information in class.

Student parents can also experience “colds that last longer, anxiety attacks, ulcers or an immune system (that) just won’t compromise.”

Children are also affected emotionally with this set-up because they have immediate needs that sometimes the parent cannot satisfy.

“Young children are more ego-centric,” Browne says. “Their demands and needs are right up front. They live in the present, and they need them now. They can’t wait. They can’t understand when they need to.

“When the child is beginning to get tired, and more demanding of the parent’s attention, while the parent is trying to do homework, this can bring up a conflict between the child and the parent.”

Children can also have a hard time with this set-up because parents could take out their own stress or frustrations from school on them.

“If the parent is able to put aside their own issues and stresses during the time in which they have to be a parent, then that’s going to be better for the child,” Early Childhood Development professor Valerie Goines says.

While the immediate effects seem challenging, in the end, the student parent and child set up could prove beneficial.

“The child needs a positive role model in terms of she or he decided that she or he has a goal and has accomplished it,” Hermosillo says. “The child acquires interest of the mind and appreciation for exchange of ideas.”

Tancioco says: “After earning a degree, there is a big chance of getting a stable and well paying job that will support my family financially. In the long run, I’ll have more time to be with my daughter because I don’t have to strive harder like I do now.”

Student parents also mature faster and having a child can clarify what is important.

“Knowing your most important priority makes a big difference on your schedule,” Tancioco says. “Time has become more valuable. I have to plan ahead for a babysitter. I make a to-do list and allot my available time for errands and chores to be done.”

Being a student is difficult enough, and adding responsibility for another human being to the mix makes the experience more challenging. However, student parents have to realize and remind themselves that they can be helped.

“They’re not alone. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, and that is a strength,” Goines says. “(They can) connect with other parents who are in the same situation and just be aware of what the resources are for them.”

Also available on campus are programs such as CARE and CALWORKs that provide financial assistance to student parents who qualify.

CALWORKS is available for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) recipients and provides payments for childcare, books, and transportation costs, among others. CARE is a part of the EOPS program and is for parents with children under the age of 14, who can receive money from the county.

Balancing school and parenting might come across to some as a difficulty, but a student parent has perks that many other students do not experience.

“All the fatigue I get from working so hard and studying at the same time disappears every time I enter the door and there’s my daughter greeting me with a big smile and trying to reach me for a hug,” Tancioco says. “Those moments make it all worthwhile.”