Life has its twists and turns that become transitions in our lives. Transitions take us to higher maturity, learning, and self-proclamation. Becoming a parent is not a task that you prepare for, it is something that is learned and taken with steps of love each day.
Some college students at this point in their lives focus on their personal endeavors in school; however, a majority of their peers are focused on school and the care of their children. Becoming a parent in college is not planned for most.
Senior education major Willie Rhodes agrees, “I didn’t belive it when I first found out that I was going to have a son. It’s not something you prepare to hear as a young man in college, but those words changed my life. Even though I always wanted to become a father, I was not looking into having kids in college.”
Junior social work major Dana Steele also agrees with Rhodes, “When I found out that I was going to be a parent I was very nervous and scared. I did not know what my future would hold.”
Although finding out the news that each of their lives would change in the next nine months was difficult, the big hurdle came when both individuals had to break the news to family.
“Honestly, telling my grandmother that I was pregnant my sophomore year was hard for me. I was scared that she would be disappointed in me.” Steele said.
Rhodes expressed his experience with telling his family, “When I told my mom about me having a child, she fussed for a long time. Both my parents were very disappointed. My house was silent for a couple of weeks after, but when they first held him all of that went away.”
As reality began to take place, school was still a priority and a high factor in both students lives.
“I had to drill into my mind that everything was no longer just about me. So, I started to revise my life plan as far as my route through college and make provisions within my family. I had to learn how to take heed of resources I had within my family, so that I could get the help I need to make it through school,” Steele stated.
Things may have been rough in the beginning, but becoming a parent opened the views on life for both Rhodes and Steele.
Rhodes said, “Becoming a parent has taught me that in my life I can never be selfish. I have somebody whom I love more than myself and I would give up my being to make sure he has what he needs. I also learned that life is serious and it is not a game anymore. I have to do all things necessary to make a good life for my son.”
In agreement with Rhodes, Steele said, “Having my daughter has helped me to develop better time management skills. It has taught me how to be more responsible and not be a selfish person. The advice I would give my peers dealing with this situation, is to think positive. Don’t treat parenting like jail time; look at it as just another course in the school of living.”