Navigating around a tight schedule

[namormckenzie]

Hey, y'all.
Quick background: went to culinary school my dad passed away my last semester (where I failed all of my classes because it was too late to withdraw) and I changed my life plans. I transferred to a state school with a very unfortunate 2.99.

I finished my first semester with 4 A+s and one A. I'm pumped! I'm performing how I need to academically, but I wasn't able to volunteer much at all last semester.

I'm a mom who works 35 hours a week. How do you make your schedule work? I just sent in an application for an online volunteer counseling program which I am really excited about because I'm passionate about mental health and I could easily make it fit my schedule. I literally can't afford not to work so I can't take time off or pay for a babysitter for my child while I volunteer, so I'm planning to load my school breaks with volunteer activities. Is that going to be frowned upon because I don't make the commitment during the school year?

Also, y'all are such a great inspiration and thank you for taking time to read this and offer any insight.

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[kraskadva]

Sympathies on your father and congrats on your recent semester.
I doubt this would be an issue, since you'll have so many other clear time commitments (work/school/kid) that will show up on your app as well. Get what you can in when you can for volunteering, and just make sure to keep those grades high.
Some small leeway in ECs is made for non-trads with real, grown-up stuff to deal with, but that leeway is not in the grades. You have to keep getting those A's to show you're prepared academically.

 

[namormckenzie]

Sympathies on your father and congrats on your recent semester.
I doubt this would be an issue, since you'll have so many other clear time commitments (work/school/kid) that will show up on your app as well. Get what you can in when you can for volunteering, and just make sure to keep those grades high.
Some small leeway in ECs is made for non-trads with real, grown-up stuff to deal with, but that leeway is not in the grades. You have to keep getting those A's to show you're prepared academically.

Thank you so much. That's my plan! I was really feeling down about not being able to do as much volunteering during the school year as traditional college students so it's awesome to hear that.

 

[kraskadva]

Thank you so much. That's my plan! I was really feeling down about not being able to do as much volunteering during the school year as traditional college students so it's awesome to hear that.

Well, a lot of the traditional folks I know will take the five classes, maybe work a quarter of the hours that you are, not have a kid, and then proceed to say that they don't have time to volunteer regularly.
So...it you're getting in even an hour or two a week with the online counseling, and then some extra hours on breaks, you'll probably be looking pretty good on that front when you get to the point of applying.