When you are searching for a graduate school and you have children or are thinking about starting a family, consider the university’s resources that are available to graduate students with children. Graduate family housing is as important as financial aid.

Graduate family housing often involves a community of similar parents who are in graduate school facing similar responsibilities. These housing communities often have bartering systems that might involve exchange for daycare; escorts to and from schools; information about teachers, schools, and principals; newsletters; tax information; child support; scholarships; listings for part-time jobs; items to buy/sell; and childcare or other services.

When people say it takes a village to raise a child, they often mean that raising a child should not be the sole responsibility of the biological parents. As parents and graduate students, you need a network of mentors. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or to use available resources, such as on-campus daycare, after-school care, free or reduced lunch programs, summer camp programs, child-care subsidies, and other student-run support groups, such as single-parent groups, divorced parent groups, wives of graduate students, etc.

When the summer vacation occurs, you might still have classes. Consequently, you must arrange activities for your children. Many universities offer summer programs for children. Some of them offer scholarships based on the financial needs of the participating student. Your fellowship or assistantship awards might qualify your children for these programs. Nonetheless, these programs are generally not expensive. Programs can be 1-2 week programs, some are residential-based, some focus on academics, computers, and art, while others focus on athletics. If you can put together a series of these camps, you can cover the entire summer break for your child.

Even if your school does not have graduate housing, it might provide other services for graduate students with children. Some schools have organized student-parent groups, such as Michigan State University's Student Parents on a Mission, which offers parenting classes and opportunities for student-parents to connect with each other. Check to see if your university offers university-organized activities for the children of graduate students and other valuable services such as on-campus childcare, coupons for subsidized childcare services, and scholarships for graduate students who are parents.

As a graduate student with parenting responsibilities, you must become more organized than the average student. Because of time restrictions, you cannot participate in all department activities. You must be selective in terms of which activities, how long or often you participate. Make no mistake, some participation is required. Your attendance and participation in national conferences, campus workshops, and presentations are important components of your success in your graduate school. Your visibility in these national, campus, and department events helps you to become better known by your advisor, committee, and other individuals in your field. Your ability to network with faculty will help when it comes to securing — fellowships, assistantships, opportunities to work in a lab, and recommendations for the future.

Often, reserved readings are required and only available at the library's reserve desk for a limited amount of time. Reading these items at unpopular times might ensure that you trip to the library is not wasted, and you are able to find the material when you arrive. Because reserved readings are often available for a one-to-two hour time period, you may need more than one checkout period to finish the material.

To save time, photocopy the document to read during a more convenient time. In addition, you might need to bring activities to occupy your child. There is not much in the library to amuse children or to keep them quiet. However, most libraries have videos and or quiet-study rooms that can be reserved ahead of time. When I was unable to afford a television and a VCR, my daughter and I would watch videos together, or she would watch while I read articles next to her.