Student Social Workers

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:38 pm

Hi everyone, im new to this site, found some amazing information already and i've only been on here for half hour!! I didn't even know this site existed!!! LOL

Anyway, i basically have made up my mind that i definitely want to become a social worker. I am 22 and a full time mum to my 1 year old son. I left school with 5 A-C grades but this did not include Maths (im sooo rubbish at Maths lol)

Im going to do the Access to SW course at my local college in September 2010. Cannot wait!

But its the degree im worrying about. I will start that in 2011 as long as i pass my Access course. I basically want to know if anyone thinks i will find the degree all too much having a young son, (what do i do when he starts school? how do i get home on time from uni/placements?) all these things i feel are holding me back.... And are the placements monday-friday and what are the hours like on placement? Its not like i can say 'oh sorry i have to leave by 2:30 to pick my son up!' LOL.

And even if i manage all that, im still worired about finding the time to sit and study/assignments/portfolio etc etc, whilst also looking after my son/keeping the flat clean/housework blah blah!! How on earth will i do it? Is the degree work expectations completely time-consuming? How often did u all study/do assignments?

I am with my sons dad but hes a full-time university student doing engineering, he never ever stops studying/revising/doing projects, so its not like he can even help me out! i dont want it to affect his degree either you see, hes getting marks like 97% in his exams and i wouldnt want to affect anything for him coz im studying too if you see wot u mean. Hes fully supportive of me going to Uni though. His degree will be much more important however as he'll be the one bringing home the bacon hahaha! Smile

Hope people can help Smile

Hayz xXx

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:20 pm

Hi and welcome

Just to say that you need maths to get on the degree course GCSE or equiv. I had to go to learn direct to get mine as a condition to get to uni.

cebi

VIP **Offline** Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 199

My son was 16 months old when I started the course (MA). It isn't possible without some form of childcare. At the moment I attend uni 10-4, 10-2, 10-3 and 1-3 on different days of the week and he goes to nursery for each of those four days, and I read on the train, through lunchbreaks etc. I then study as soon as he goes to bed at night, while he naps in the day and for an hour before he wakes in the morning. I'm finding it quite hard going fitting it all in. We were told with regard to placements, that it's fine to say "my nursery closes at 6 so I have to be able to get to the nursery by 6" when requesting placements, but not "I have to pick up my kids from school at 3.30". I don't know what support you'd be able to get with childcare costs - for postgrads there is some means tested support, and I imagine that there's something similar for undergrads.