TOPIC: Study tips when you have younger children/toddlers.

Hello, looking for advice from others who have babies/young kids at home and how you study around them? I have trouble getting solid stufy time i during the day and by the time theyre in bed im usually done for the day too, if i do dtudy its usually hard because i just want to emd my day. My exam is in August and I need a better schedule than i have now to get in enough preparation.

That's really tough, Chelsi. Mine aren't tiny and more and I catch up on learning materials having wireless headphones and listening to podcasts/video lessons with iPad propped up on the kitchen counter, while I am cooking. Honesty, wireless headphones are great! I wouldn't say it's focused study time, but at least it's something.

Thank you for the suggestion! Anything is better than nothing when it comes to studying.

Hi Chelsi,

I don’t know any parent with young children who gets enough sleep. You have a tough row to hoe with rearing kids and preparing for the PMP exam. I have 4, though not as young as yours.

What helped me prepare is:
1) Maintaining a schedule with small goals and adjusting it as I needed: studying 1 Knowledge Area per week, taking 40 question quizzes M-Thur, and a 200 question exam over the weekend.

2) Getting help from friends and family so I could carve out quiet time for reading. I needed a minimum of 30 uninterrupted minutes to read material at one sitting, or it wasn’t worth the time to start. I did practice writing brain dumps many days, which only takes 15 minutes.

3) Going to sleep as soon as my children went to bed (around 9pm) and getting up a couple of hours before they did.

For me to pass the test, it meant giving up most free time during the week and weekends for a few months. That began to wear on us towards the end, and my kids welcomed me back to the “human race” after the exam was over.

One last suggestion to consider is a bootcamp. Perhaps it would kickstart your preparation.

Yes, Chelsi, you can pass the exam and be a mother. At the same time. It makes the celebration all the better.

I wish you the best and know that we’re rooting for you!