The holidays are here, my favorite time of the year. It’s also the busiest time of the year.

October is Halloween - doors and front yards are decorated with spider webs, witches and goblins. My pantry looks like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and it seems like every week there’s an event to attend to.

On top of that, I have midterms.

I have three classes to study for and their midterms are all the same week. My brain is going to be fried by the end of this. Every hour counts for me. Any little bit of time, doesn’t matter where I’m at, needs to be spent studying.  I say that to myself every morning when I open my eyes, yet the day doesn’t quiet go as planned.

This week my daughter has Back to School night. It’s only for a couple of hours but those are precious hours that I could spend making flash cards and going over my notes from class.

Also, my son has Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practice which has been moved to a farther location, meaning more time in the car and less time with the books.

Plus, my husband is in the field for two days this week which means I have to make sure he has all of his

gear ready to go.

Since most of my time is spent running around with, or for, my family, I’ve had to get creative when I study. My little, secret place is my car. I have a stash of flashcards in my glove compartment so if I’m waiting on someone, or just need some peace and quiet, I go in my car and study for a bit. My husband looks at me like I am crazy sometimes but it works.

I’m a visual person so for me to remember what I’m studying, I have to physically see it. I have tons of flashcards. Also, I watch School House Rock on YouTube. Yes, it’s really old school, but those videos give me a lot of information and the songs are catchy - which also helps me to remember.

Through all the hustle and bustle I still manage to get to class on time, attend any after-school events my children have, run my list of errands, help my husband pack, make dinner and help with homework.

To keep myself motivated through these hectic times I made myself a goal sheet that lists what I’ve achieved and what I still need to accomplish to become a registered nurse. I look at my achievements and that motivates me to keep moving forward.

So at night, when the house is quiet and the children are sleeping; I will pour myself a big glass of coffee and hit the books.

I wish there was a class for multi-tasking because that’s a class I would definitely get an “A” in.