Nur Najiha Azman of INTI International University, shares her story on being a student and a mother.
By Anndrea A. Webber, Bachelor of Mass Communication, INTI International University
Class is officially dismissed! As students walk out the classroom, most are wondering about which assignments to start first. For Nur Najiha Azman, 24, it is wondering what to cook for the family and what her four-year-old son, Fatih, is doing.
Life as a full-time Mass Communication student at INTI International University changed drastically ever since Najiha had her son in 2017. In fact, the young student-mom took a gap year during her Foundation studies to focus on her transitioning into motherhood.
“I only got used to the motherhood life in 2018,” she says. “In mid-2018, I finally decided that it was right time for me to resume my studies.”
Although she was initially nervous to face her friends, in fear of how they might judge her, everything went by smoothly as they were all very open and supportive.
Juggling between education and motherhood isn’t an easy feat – especially when there’s so little time in a day. According to Nur Najiha, planning the perfect schedule has been and will always be the biggest challenge for any student-mom.
“It was very hard for me to find free time for my family when I was doing my Foundation in Business, as half of my day was spent in college,” she shares.
Luckily, she was blessed with very supportive parents who were willing to take care of her son whenever no one was home.
“They still take care of my son till today because they’re paranoid about sending him to a daycare – safety reasons,” she says.
Of course, Nur Najiha did not want to put too much burden on her parents which is why she is always planning a fixed routine each semester. Every semester, she will compare her timetable with her son’s schedule to keep things in order.
“Since most of my classes this semester end in the afternoon, I will reserve the rest of my day for my family. When my son goes to bed at night, that’s the time I’ll do my assignments or the things I like,” she explains.
With her weekdays occupied by studies and house chores, Najiha reserves her weekends for friends and family.
“Saturday and Sunday are my no-assignment days,” she says. “During these days, I’ll take time off studies and housework to focus on my loved ones and myself.”
Despite the tremendous weight on her shoulders, Nur Najiha doesn’t regret being a student-mom. To her, this was just another chapter in life and a journey to self-discovery. She believes she was brave enough to take on a huge responsibility at a young age, and she will always be proud she made that decision.