There is no doubt that surviving a deployment is hard. And unfortunately, going to school is hard too—so you put the two together and it can seem impossible. Of course, everyone’s situation is different and you have to make the decisions that work best for you and your family, but there are a few things that can make school a little more manageable while your spouse is deployed:

Online Training

We’ve talked about why online training is a great fit for military spouses before, but during a deployment it can make the difference between staying in school and dropping out. Taking classes online gives you the flexibility you need to hold down the fort and go to school.

Online programs work so well during a deployment because:

• You don’t need to worry about child care.
• Your classes can go with you if you’re planning to live somewhere else while your spouse is deployed.
• You can easily adjust your study schedule to fit the new needs of your family and the increased demands on your time.
• You can study at your own pace, so if you need to slow down or study a bit less while your spouse is gone it’s not a problem. If you want to study more to fill the time, that’s an option too!

Support Resources

A strong support network is crucial to surviving a deployment, and school is no exception. As a military spouse, you’re well-served by choosing a school that offers excellent support, and you should take full advantage of these resources.

Instructor support should be the first layer of your support network. Choose a school where you can get personal help and attention from your instructors, and then take advantage of it. This may seem tricky if you’re in an online program, but you should be able to contact your instructors by phone, email, and chat to get the help you need when you need it. The best instructors will even give you the encouragement and motivation you need when it gets hard—which is very important when you don’t have your spouse there to offer that encouragement and motivation.

You should also take advantage of opportunities to network with other students and graduates. You can get tremendous support from others who are working toward goals similar to yours. Often you can even partner with one or two other students as study buddies committed to helping each other get through your training. These relationships with classmates and instructors can provide much of the emotional support you need to stay in school while your spouse is deployed.