I want to quit pre-nursing for social work!

[pumpkinlover95]

HI! Im a sophomore at a university. I originally wanted to apply to college for social work but my parents wouldn't let me because of the low pay so I decided to go for nursing. However, I absolutely hate the hard sciences. I suck at them and I'm about to fail my bio class. I barely passed Chem I and almost failed BIO I and now I'm going to fail BIO 2 and I haven't even taken anatomy or microbio. I really dont think I will be accepted in to the nursing school here.

I am thinking about switching to social work. I know the pay is not comparable to nursing but I think social work is kind of my passion. I have always been so interested in social issues and justice and I was on eboard for multiple community service organizations. If I don't volunteer I feel empty. I would prefer helping homeless people than patients in a hospital.

I've already invested a lot into pre-nursing but I really really hate bio and I'm going to fail and I might not even be able to get my health science degree within four years because I will have to retake my bio classes to get a c or above.

I really do not know what to do. I could see myself as a nurse and I thought that's what I wanted. I told myself that I could do it that I could tough it out but I really can't. The more I try, the more I fail. I think I could really do well in social work. Any advice?

Thanks!

[pumpkinlover95]

I have always always been a stronger in the humanities. I know... A lot of my friends have been saying to not give up on this class. But am I giving up on a class that I hate that no matter how hard I try I can't succeed? Or am I giving up on my dream? I took chem 1st semester freshman year and got a C. Took bio last year 2nd semester got a D. My mindset is already on defeat.

A lot of second degree students seek nursing because they cannot find a job but I'm pretty sure the field of social work is rising way more than other fields, maybe even nursing.

[LadyLamp]

Definitely do social work if that is where you heart is. I wouldn't worry about the money for now, as the field is broad, and many social workers do well and are not living hand-to-mouth. I work in the courts with social workers in CPS and the Department of Family Services, and they do fine.

[llg, PhD, RN]

If you don't really WANT to be a nurse ... and you seem not to have a talent for it ... DON'T be a nurse.

But maybe you shouldn't jump right into a different major right away either. That could be an expensive experiment. Maybe you need to take a semester or two off from school to think things through. Or maybe just take one or two classes while you get a job, save a little money, and learn a little more about yourself as a working adult. Perhaps you are having trouble making the decision as to what should do because you are not yet ready to make that decision.

How much work-world experience do you have? Have you spent any time in a health care environment or other environment where Social Workers might work? You may need to do that to gain a little maturity and a little first-hand experience before you feel ready to make that big life decision. There is nothing wrong with that. Don't through more money away taking classes until you are sure.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

If you don't really WANT to be a nurse ... and you seem not to have a talent for it ... DON'T be a nurse.

But maybe you shouldn't jump right into a different major right away either. That could be an expensive experiment. Maybe you need to take a semester or two off from school to think things through. Or maybe just take one or two classes while you get a job, save a little money, and learn a little more about yourself as a working adult. Perhaps you are having trouble making the decision as to what should do because you are not yet ready to make that decision.

How much work-world experience do you have? Have you spent any time in a health care environment or other environment where Social Workers might work? You may need to do that to gain a little maturity and a little first-hand experience before you feel ready to make that big life decision. There is nothing wrong with that. Don't through more money away taking classes until you are sure.

THIS.

Shadow and volunteer before you make a decision; and there's NOTHING wrong in taking a break in studies to regroup and refocus; there's many of us who have been there, done that, and went on to be successful in our careers.

Best wishes.

[jcol1460]

I'm a social worker in the process of changing careers to a nurse. Here's a bit of advice from my own experience.

While money should not be the deciding factor in your hunt for a career choice, it should rank in the top 3-5 of considerations. Example, I have a MSW, work as a therapist and have been doing so post graduate for almost 10 years. I've been in the field total for 14 going on 15 years. I have only had 1 job that paid over 40k and that came with a lot of moral and ethical issues and horrible burn out potential thanks in part to poor work culture (which is not uncommon I. This field) and lack luster management (also not uncommon). I have chosen my career path in the non profit sector, but compensation does not always follow cost of living increases or overall need. We are increasingly losing funding and the requirements to get what is available increasingly border on the ridiculous. That "making a difference" feeling doesn't pay your bills or keep gas in your car to get to work.

I wasn't a whiz in the hard sciences, but I also didn't struggle either. Only you will know if you've utilized all available resources to help you. I say this because you can do both social work and nursing. There are niches in each field which value having both perspectives (case management, community based nursing, mental health nursing, etc). Why not double major? Work on the social work side of it until you get your bearings in school then apply to the nursing program. A lot of the pre reqs are the same with the exception of the sciences, which the nursing sciences superceed the minimum needed for social work. either way, follow what will ultimately meet your life goals and help you maintain a satisfactory quality of life.