IRVINE : Single Moms Ready for College Challenge

For a group of 15 single mothers, Thursday marked the end of a one-month journey of self-understanding that could guide them from unemployment through college and on to careers.

The women were students in an unusual women’s studies class at Irvine Valley College designed to prepare single mothers for the often intimidating world of college life.

Since May, the women have studied everything from stress-management techniques to mothering skills in an effort to familiarize themselves with the college routine and decide on educational goals.

“Single parents are among the highest-risk groups--many don’t stay in college. So we wanted to target them,” said instructor Bari Rudmann, who on Thursday joined her students to celebrate the last day of class.

With the right support, “they can be the best students,” said Rudmann, who has taught the Women and Careers course for the past five years. “They have a reason for being in school and have no time to waste. It’s not like mom and dad are saying: ‘Go to school or get out of the house.’ ”

Rudmann’s class attempts to tap this motivation by testing students and matching them to potential careers. The students also receive help in writing resumes and preparing for job interviews. At the same time, they discuss how to avoid the pitfalls that force so many single parents to drop out of school.

“It’s been very informative,” said Irvine resident Erica Castro, mother of three children. “I’m 10 years out of high school so I didn’t know what to expect. I learned a lot about how to study and what to do.”

Among the greatest challenges Castro and other college-bound mothers will face is juggling homework and classes with all their other responsibilities.

“When you are a single parent, you are the chauffeur, the shopper, you name it,” Rudmann said. “You have to be totally responsible 24 hours a day and make all the decisions. College adds one more thing.”

The class attempts to deal with these pressures by discussing ways of managing time and organizing a work schedule. Other lessons focus on how to control the stress that comes with term papers and final exams.

Rudmann also attempts to explore with students the guilt that some single mothers feel about spending less time with their children to attend classes.

“You have to look at the whole situation,” she said. “Sometimes, it takes some rearranging to make it work.”

Students said one of the best things about the class is that it gave them a chance to meet other single mothers striving to better themselves.

“College can be so impersonal that some people can go through and never have a friend,” Castro said. “Meeting people is really important. It makes you feel like you are part of something.”