Full disclosure: not a social worker yet. I am currently starting my second year in my Masters of Social Work program and have about two more years and thousands of dollars of debt until I can actually call myself a certified social worker. But whatever, minor detail.
Today we had our last classes for our mini Summer semester and we had our term paper due which was 12 to 15 pages long and was kind of a big deal but it wasn't awful.
I went to a pretty strenuous school for my undergrad and I learned to knock out papers and to put up and shut up. My classes were usually very large and my professors were ambassadors, government officials and DC hot-shots. They did not care if you had a personal emergency or were in the hospital. Paper is due.
In social work school, it is so different.
Everything is about emotions. We start off each class arranging our chairs into circles and then spend another thirty minutes talking about how stressed everyone was about finishing the paper and whatnot and so forth.
It's usually at this time that I pull out my laptop and do my mandatory Google search of puppies kissing.
Today I almost lost it because we spent thirty minutes discussing why our professor doesn't use red ink to mark our papers and how that contributed to our self esteem.
Sayyyy whaaaat?
I am already noticing how snarky this post is and I almost want to edit it so I don't sound like such a bitch... But sometimes I have bitchy thoughts. Usually when I am hungry.
As a future social worker, spending 15 minutes arranging chairs in circles, discussing red versus green pens and practicing breathing exercises before taking group tests (yes- group tests) is pretty much the job description.
Luckily I have enough experience working with various organizations and agencies to learn that not all social workers are like this. Yes, a lot are and a lot shop exclusively at Chico's and wear lots of bangles and have like 30 bumper stickers on their car but there are some that don't and I am hoping to somehow find myself fitting in that category.
So what is the point of this rambling bitchy noise?
There is none.
Enjoy!
