I wanted to study in this department as I have always had a passion for helping people and working as a volunteer within this sector. Before university, the fact that I grew up in the system opened my eyes to how it works.
My course is an integrated masters which is something I wasn’t sure about when I was applying. However, it has turned out to be one of the best decisions that I have made. I am learning about a lot of things I may not have learnt on a different degree plan and I can’t wait to graduate.
Lecture and Seminars
The life of a Social Work student can be hard in terms of the work load. However, being an organised and passionate individual has helped me to get to where I am now.
Every week as a social work student can be different in terms of the lectures, seminars and workload. But it is all part of the wonderful journey to being able to help service users in the near future.
What are lectures you ask? Well, lectures are where different topics within a module are taught by a lecturer. These are vital to attend as the information given can help with later assessments. One fantastic aspect about my department is the fact that lectures get recorded. This means you can always go back and listen to the lecturer again in case you missed something.
After the lecture, we usually have a seminar where the lecture is discussed. The groups are smaller and we can ask any questions about the lecture or the topic that we’re working on that week. Seminars have really helped me at times when I didn’t fully understand the lectures.
Working with others
Within my lectures and seminars, I am open to working and mingling with other students who study other subjects. I find this beneficial as it helps me to learn about the other degrees in the Department and make friends. People say that the friends you make in university, can be your friends for life. This is something which I am hoping to find (sometimes I feel I have already).
Also, having lecturers and seminar tutors from different backgrounds of work has helped me to get an idea of the different roles that there are in social work. Learning about the experiences they have been through in the field has helped to broaden my understanding of different areas and help me understand which area of social work I want to go into.
Support
One thing that York is successful in doing is giving support to students, especially through having personal supervisors. I am able to speak to my supervisor about anything, including things not related to my studies. For example, I can talk to her about my grades, my health, share funny stories, etc. I love attending our meetings as I feel my issues are being addressed.
Social Work Service User and Carer Participation and Advisory group
The Social Work Service User and Carer Participation and Advisory (SUPA) group come into some lectures and talk to us about their experiences. I find this fascinating, especially when they talk about how much social workers have helped to improve their lives. This motivates me to want to do my best and graduate and be able to help more people with similar and different issues.
Another great experience here at York was having the opportunity to watch a show performed by adults with disabilities. It was so touching to see, and it made it evident that being a social worker will be a rewarding job. I am pleased to have chosen York to start my journey to this great future. I can’t picture myself at a different university, even after just a few months in York it already feels like home.
Overall, life as a Social Work student at York it is an enjoyable and broad degree. It helps to encourage students to want to know more about the society that we live in and how we can better ourselves and understand all areas in order to help succeed in the future.
In my couple of months being here, I have settled in wonderfully and am getting on well with all my course mates, seminar tutors and my personal supervisor. As well as being a course rep which I believe has pushed me even more in wanting to help people. I have not regretted my decision to study Social Policy and Social Work at the University of York and I am totally excited to meet you next year as you join this great department. I know you will enjoy it as much as I do!
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