r/SocialWorkStudents

As the title says, I’m seriously considering going back to grad school for an MSW with the goal of eventually becoming an LCSW. I’m currently in the research/decision-making stage and would really love to hear from people who have actually gone through the process.

For some background, I have a Bachelor in Fine Arts and have worked across arts, museums, galleries, and now a corporate office environment. I actually really enjoyed my time interning at museums and would still be open to working in that environment again, particularly because I love the educational and community-oriented aspects of the work. However, I’ve found that museum/arts opportunities can be fairly limited, both in terms of the number of positions available and the career paths they offer, which has made me think more seriously about what I want long-term. My current 9-5 corporate job has also made me realize that I don’t thrive in a traditional corporate environment. The day-to-day feels pretty unstimulating, and I’ve been missing a stronger sense of purpose in my work.

I’ve always been drawn to community-based work and helping people, and the more I’ve learned about social work, the more I can genuinely picture myself in the field. I’m particularly interested in the clinical/therapy route, but I also like that an MSW could leave room to explore different areas of social work.

I’ve done a lot of research on MSW programs and the LCSW path, but I’d really value hearing from people who have lived it rather than just reading program websites.

For current MSW students, recent grads, and LCSWs:
- What has your experience with the MSW actually been like?
- Did the reality of social work match what you expected going in?
- If you pursued the clinical/LCSW route, was it ultimately worth the time, cost, and supervision required?
- What do you wish you had known before starting your MSW?
- For anyone who came from a completely different undergraduate/career background, did you feel like you were at a disadvantage?
- And honestly, do you feel fulfilled by the work now? What do you like and dislike about the day-to-day?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who made a career change into social work, rather than those who knew they wanted to be social workers from undergrad. I’m very open to hearing both positive and negative experiences. I’d much rather go into this with realistic expectations than just confirmation that it’s a good idea. Thanks!

I am a UTA full online student. I will never be on campus, attend an event, join a club, or athletic team. I live over 200 miles from my school and zero reason to be there. Tell me why I am being forced to take a mandatory hazing, alcohol education, and sexual harassment course that will take over 2 hours of my time? This is a one size fits all prescription and doesn’t make sense. I could be allocating those two hours to something more productive.

Also, why am I being charged all these fees that are campus related? Is there any recourse for this?

* Edit* I took out the comment about being near 50 yo. That was more of a vent and some of you focused in on that. That’s not the point I was aiming for.

Is anyone else struggling with financial aid this semester? I’m trying to see if it’s an overall thing in every program or if it’s just my program and who is managing my financial aid. School started this week and I feel like I’m getting no answers and help regarding my offers…

I start my MSW program in two weeks, and the in-person orientation runs for three days, from early morning to late afternoon. Don't get me wrong, I am really excited to start my program and meet other students and professors, but does orientation really need to be three days long? I already have to attend separate Zoom meetings that cover field placement information later in the semester. Has anyone else experienced this? I love learning new things, but I'd rather classes start earlier instead of having full orientation days.

I’m in my late twenties and decided to go back to school last year. I’m not sure if I picked the right major. I picked social work to become a therapist. I work full-time and am very burnt out from my job. I could make a career out of my current job and be a retail manager (public) but idk if that’s as fulfilling. I’m torn between staying with my company long term and getting through my degree.
Im an online student. I’m taking five classes this semester to get into the profession program next spring. I have to take a 15 hour service thing this semester and another class where I need to attend an on campus event.
The 15 service hour intro to social work class is a class that I have to retake because I did not finish all the hours in the spring. I’m retaking it with a new professor, and this lady has a much larger courseload than the first professor. This semester is going to be filled with a ton of research and writing along with a statistics course.
I’m starting to think I can’t do all five of these classes and work full-time.
I remember my advisor asking me “ do you think you can take a full-time courseload in the fall?” And I told her yes. I think I might need to drop two classes which will delay my graduation about a year.

I’ve never been more affected by a president than now. It makes it feel like college isn’t even worth it.

So basically I graduated in May and started applying for jobs immediately even before I got my LSW. I wanted to be working full time for hours for my LCSW by September. During the summer I worked at my minimum wage job that has helped pay me through high school, undergrad, and grad school I have been at this place for 7 years. A friend of mine works for a private practice that she loves & has been talking to me about all year. I interviewed and instantly clicked with the supervisor and it was a perfect fit. I passed my LSW and got a contract sent from the company which I signed. I did one single training quickly after then was told once it gets closer to my start date I’ll do the rest. 2 weeks ago I even received my schedule & was told I had clients on my book. Last week I emailed asking when I would begin onboarding training since I have clients soon and do not know the system & I didn’t get trained in my specialties yet that they were going to pay for.

I did not get a response. I set up a meeting with my supervise which she canceled & moved to a dif date with no info. Then I recieve an email randomly stating the office I was going to work out is shutting down because they haven’t gotten enough business. They offered to have me work at their other office 2 hours away.

I literally do not know what to do or what to think but genuinely this is the most upsetting thing to happen to me. I turned down other decent offers & quit my job for this. I finish at my minimum wage job this week so now I will have zero income coming in if I don’t take this job with a 2 hour commute.

I feel so stupid for leaving my old job before I started working but I signed a contract, started training, and received a schedule! I also have a friend involved with the company I had NO idea this was gonna happen in a million years. Any advice or thoughts would be great because I feel completely defeated.

i keep saying minimum wage job but my job was tip focused so i was hesitant to let it go to begin with, it paid very well

I have a friend who is interested in social work after finding out I’m starting school for it soon. The only thing is he has a sealed child endangerment and dui misdemeanor charge from when he made a mistake years ago and drove intoxicated with his 14 year old kid. He completed a diversion program and had the records sealed and has 5 years sober and has dedicated his life to substance abuse treatment and helping others. Extremely active in AA and local rehabilitation programs. Can he still get licensed as an LCSW?

Hello all,

I just completed an MSW program this month.

I feel like I should be more excited about the fact that I just completed an entire masters program... but I am struggling with a lot of mixed feelings.

Now that I am a social worker, I need to find somewhere I can have this conversation. I very much know I am not alone with these feelings .... I should probably also start with the fact that I am a WoC.

On the whole, I am happy with my decision to pursue social work. The decision has always felt right, the work clicks for me and I am good at it. Before coming into social work, I had a career as a case manager, and I genuinely love working with people and I enjoy witnessing people heal / improve their lives.

There is a whole other side to my experience that I am also genuinely struggling with...

I went to a known school (I won't name it) and am actually in a little bit of a state of shock about the lack of unprofessional behaviors by many of the faculty and staff in my school program ... I don't feel the need to detail everything, because, well, it was a lot (unfortunately, not a small handful of incidences, but rather an exhaustive list of things I personally experienced as well as things I witnessed my classmates experience).

Perhaps the best way for me to summarize my experiences is that when I first entered into the MSW program, I was excited to be entering into a field that appeared to be intentional about diversifying the profession. The experience I just had, however, was very much not that. I witnessed countless students of color be treated horrendously to the point that I feel like I exited my program in a little bit of a state of shock. What did I just experience????

Honestly, the only way I have to describe what I feel is that the whole thing felt like a bait and switch: "Marginalized folks, come to social work because we need you!" And then we show up and we're told "No!! You're not supposed to be Black/Brown like that!!" ... all by a bunch of social workers who want to tell us "Well, I've been in this profession for more than 20 years, so...."

I guess I am just starting to brace myself for ongoing racial violence in a profession that is supposedly trying to counter it.

I am confused and need to hear from other social workers - I am honestly struggling to make sense out of my experiences.

Thanks.

I'm very curious, how many of us on here going after our MSW's are non-traditional students? I definitely am.

I am looking to begin my masters to eventually become an LCSW. I have heard a lot about different online schools, but looking for suggestions for online programs :)

I have my BA in Psychology so won’t be a fast track program!

Also looking for what jobs you did during clinical hours and your experience with getting assistance for placement from the program as well as balancing clinical hours and a job!

Hello, I'm curious to see if anyone who obtained their MSW at Ohio State or is currently enrolled or at least has been accepted can tell me roughly how long it takes to hear back? Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since my application was finalized (final recommendation letter was submitted 7/8). Obviously the anticipation is killing me, but I also need to know if I should apply elsewhere and that means asking additional people for recommendation letters. I finish my bachelors in December and want to go straight into OSU for my masters starting in the Spring semester, and if for some reason I am not accepted I still need time to apply to other schools and give them time for their review process. I've read 6-8 weeks online is the average time frame but I'm curious to see if anyone has applied as early as I have and still heard back within that time or if it was a longer wait because the bulk of spring applications haven't came in yet? Also, is it an email or do they mail out a letter? I'm not sure where I should be checking over the next few weeks! Thanks!

I’m starting my MSW program in a week and getting stressed about finances. It’s looking like I’ll have no savings left after these 2 years and I just wanna know if other people are/have been in the same boat, and what that’s been like for you post grad. I’m so scared to be so broke as an adult and have to fill so much of my time w classes and practicum

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice and feedback on online MSW programs. I prefer asynchronous but ,do not mind synchronized programs.

I graduate in the Fall with my BSW and want to go straight into my MSW. My options for spring are Baylor (I’m pulled towards this school because it is asynchronous but, the price tag $33,000 is making me rethink), UNT (I have heard mixed reviews. If I couldn’t make Spring work I was going to apply to U of H or Our Lady of the Lake. The price of these programs aren’t too much of a difference now that OLLU has reduced the cost of per credit hour to $760.

Can someone please influence or deinfluence me 😭

Edit: I would be an advanced standing student.

Hi! I graduated with a Bachelor in Criminology, Law, & Society from UC Irvine last year. During my course there I took lots of human psychology courses, child development, chicano/latino studies & I am now realizing an MSW is what I would like. I held a 3.9 GPA, completed a 12 week UC Irvine Police Dept. Community Policing program, completed a 120 Hour internship in which we worked with letters and audios sent in from incarcerated individuals across the state of CA & transcribed their letters/audios to share their stories and experiences during COVID and now within those institutions, and I worked in my family owned catering business through college in which I managed event scheduling, customer service, and management. I know I don’t have much to offer but I definitely know I have the passion and the brains to go for my MSW. I just feel stuck in the idea that I most likely won’t be accepted anywhere and have had so much difficulty finding a job anywhere & have even applied to volunteer programs that never got back to me. How realistic even is it that I would be accepted into a program? Any recommendations for programs or what I should do?

Has anyone had issues getting a placement for practicum hours due to them being heavily tattooed? I’m covered arms, hands,throat and was thinking about this recently.
None of my work is inappropriate or anything of that nature. Curious what others have experienced.

Hi everyone! 😊 First time posting here.
I’m currently a second - year BSW student at Deakin, studying part - time. Lord willing, I’d love to work in a school setting after graduating.
I have a previous experience as a Multicultural Education Aide (MEA/ES), and currently work as an interpreter with Services Australia and have been in this role for around three years.
I still have about a year before my first placement and have heard that school placements can be quite competitive. I’d love some advice on how I can best prepare myself now. If I can’t get a school placement, would an NGO/ community development or child and family placement also be a good pathway?
For those working in school social work, what experience, skills or placement would you recommend?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!☺️

I apologize if this post is a bit random. I am a BSW student getting ready to begin my first ever practicum placement in September. My practicum days are 8-4pm, and one thing I'm trying to figure out is how to meal plan my lunches. Because of my schedule, I'm used to being home during the lunch hour about 95% of the time and not having to pack a lunch anywhere. So I'm just curious, what are some lunches you like to take to practicum to give you enough brain power and energy to get through the day but are also easy to prepare and take to practicum?

I fear I might’ve chosen the wrong major. I want to be a therapist but what I want the most is to offer couples therapy; I’m really passionate about that. And while I know that technically it’s possible to do it (from what I researched) I just worry that it might be easier said than done. I feel like if people had to choose between an LPC and a LCSW for couples therapy they might choose the first. Any thoughts/experiences with this? If you know of any LCSW’s working in that field please do let me know so I can relax a little and not question my decision every night lol.