anyone here a social worker or get a BA in social work?

Sensoria17 · Feb 22, 2009

I have a BA in sociology. At my school, the main difference between a sociology degree and a social work degree is you have to do an internship for the latter. That being said, I found most classes to be a breeze. It's basically just a lot of writing. The hardest class for me was Research Methods and I think that was largely because I wasn't thrilled with the topic I chose. Comparing it to my LVN program, I'd have to say the sociology degree was a piece of cake. I studied many more hours during nursing school.

new1nursebabyea · Feb 22, 2009

Well, I did my undergrad in Anthropology and it was incredibly difficult yet highly rewarding. Yes, lots and lots of writing and research, whereas nursing school is lots and lots of memorization. Realize that difficulty is highly subjective and difficulty can vary greatly depending upon where you go to school.

You said that you failed a semester in nursing school. You did not really say why. Perhaps nursing is not for you if you did not enjoy the subject matter. Rather than just trying to finish school and get a degree, perhaps self reflection is in order.

First, do you really want to be a nurse or a social worker? Have you explored what these fields entail? With these fields, they prepare you for a career where the degree I earned initially gave me both a broad and focused way of looking at the world. However, it did not give me an entree into a career. However, the rigor of my undergrad program laid the foundation that is allowing me to succeed in an accelerated BSN at Drexel.

In the end, I think it is more important for you to do some soul searching and fact finding to determine your future goals. This can save you time and money in the end.

Hope this helps!

Rhone · Feb 22, 2009

I have a BA in Psychology and am now in nursing school for a career change. Compared to nursing school, the Psych BA was a breeze. I had a 3.9 GPA and was only really stressed out during finals week. In my LPN program, it's like every week is finals week and I have to study my rear off to get Bs on the tests.

On the other hand, it's worth noting that the jobs I was able to get with that degree were fairly high-burnout jobs with crap salaries. Seriously, I've seen people on this forum quote CNA salaries that were as high or higher than what I was making. It's only a little better with graduate degrees; my wife has a BA and an MA in Psych, plus post-graduate work and a therapist license (pretty much equivalent to an MSW (Masters in Social Work)). That's about 6-7 years of school, plus an unpaid internship--all for a therapist job with a lower salary than I will make when I finish my 1 year LPN program. At least being a therapist isn't as high-burnout as direct care psych positions (or nursing, for that matter).

If you go with Social Work, expect that you will probably have to get an MSW (not just a BSW) for a decent job.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from social work, just pointing out that there's usually a trade-off somewhere. While the path may be easier, it's also most likely longer and may not result in the kind of pay you were hoping for.

i do not know what to do. my dream is to graduate and have a degree.

I understand how you feel. As someone who is back in school 5 years after getting his BA, though, my advice for you is this: Research careers rather than degrees. Figure out what you would be happy (or at least content) doing, check out the typical salaries, and then figure out what degree(s) you need to get into that career.

new1nursebabyea · Feb 22, 2009

I think these perspectives are excellent!Although i would not have traded my undergrad experience for nursing BSN, I would have researched more about salary and life needs. After my undergrad I went to grad school (MFA) then taught for three years ft before deciding to be a nurse. The starting salary at my first university teaching job was pitiful. The second job was significantly better but less than the starting salary of a nurse straight out of school! This is also why I did not chose to become a PT (5 years of school vs. 2 for nursing and the salary differential not worth the investment).