To think DD is a fool to do this degree???

[ColgatePlax]

DD is 19 - she is planning to do Psychology this year at uni. Unfortunately, she didn't get on the Social Work due to no experience at all. They are a very flexible uni WRT the experience for school leavers, but as she has absolutely none, they said they just couldn't as she couldn't answer any of the questions about how she would work as a Social Worker.

She plans to use the Psychology degree for a few years and then do a masters program for Social Work???

I've said to her that as the uni literally told her if she had done a placement with sixth form (she couldn't do it at the time) she would have most likely been okay, that she should take this year to work in a related setting (care assistant, etc.) or volunteer, etc. she currently works in a supermarket, so she could do this. Surely that's a better idea that her plan!? Uni is very expensive!!

Since she's shown absolutely no evidence to the uni that she wants to be a social worker, and couldn't even answer questions at interview it's fairly likely she'll have changed her mind in three years time so it's probably a better choice, tbh.

It's not at all unusual, however I'd look at doing a joint degree (Social Policy or similar), as it seems everyone has a Psychology degree these days. It wouldn't stand out against all the other psychology degrees if she decided not to carry on to Social Work.

Her plan is actually quite sensible though, better to have a general undergraduate than lock herself into a 'professional degree' that has little flexibility. It's worse to chose a specific degree and realise you have no interest in it down the road (and I've known quite a few in education, nursing and other professional courses to regret their undergrad choices). Yes university is expensive, but so is being pushed into a course when you're young and have no real idea what a job like social work entails.

I think she's being pretty astute, surely a generic first degree will keep her options open to her. She may decide (as many do) that Social work isn't for her and she then has a great first degree to go onto any field.

Who knows what they want to do at 19?

She can do her undergrad in psychology and there is an amazing graduate programme called Frontline that she can apply for which is a two year scheme where she will get hands on work in children's social work and will work towards a masters in social work and be fully qualified after the 2 years. I work in careers for a university and this is a great route for students who don't do a social work undergrad.

Leave her to it. She can spend her spare time volunteering whilst she completes the degree and then do the post grad. She may even decide to do something else but I feel it is better to have a broad degree followed by masters than pen yourself into one career from the start.

She doesn't know much about being a SW or a psychologist, or the jobs that that degree might lead to so the broder options of psychology seems a good idea.

Sorry, I agree with those who think you are the fool for thinking her a fool. It sounds like she's thought it through carefully and made a rational long term decision.

I am confused by your response - your DD sounds like she's actually developed a good plan that gives her a great deal of flexibility, should she decide at any point that social work is not, in fact, for her.

I wonder if you maybe don't understand how this works? Getting a degree is not like buying entry to a specific job. The course gives you a developed set of skills, but there's quite a bit of crossover between disciplines, which means that there's a fair bit of flexibility about destination employment choices afterwards. It's important that your DD does something she really loves with her three years (and gets a good grade because she's willing to work hard) - she can then move into her chosen field with a fairly minimal amount of further work!

I did a Sociology degree then a Masters in Applied Social Work with the Diploma in Social Work attached. She can easily get some experience in this field as there are lots of jobs working in Care homes for people with disabilities (physical and learning) as well as Older People's homes. The would help her gain experience so that when she does her degree she can apply some of the Social Work Theories to the practice.

Psychology would also be useful too. I think the older you are when you go in to Social Work the more your practice will be informed by life experience rather than just the 'theory'.

It's a tough job and not popular with many people, many due to them not understanding the role, glad to hear people still want to go in to it.

Good luck to her xxxx

Agree with others. Child is sensible, mother a fool.

She's certainly not a fool.

However, I hope you don't expect her bursary and loans to cover everything at uni she'll face. They really don't stretch far.

University is a life experience thing as well as getting out of the parental home for a few years and learning to be self sufficient.

Phycolcgist eqrn £70K a year!

Psychology is a broad option - my sister thought she wanted to do social work but actually wound up in a specialised branch of HR that focuses on the psychological side. She couldn't have done that if she'd done a SW degree.

I think your DD's idea sounds excellent, don't think she's a fool at all.
Make sure Psych degree is BPS accredited however.
Quite a few social worker friends have moved out of social work into other careers ( they were burnt out with the stress and workload) and having a broader undergrad will facilitate this.

She can do care work or similar in the holidays to gain some experience of working with vulnerable people, whilst pursuing her degree. Then if she doesn't change her mind she'll be ready for the masters and the career she wants.
If she changes her mind nothing is lost. She'll have a good numerate degree.

I can see your point OP. A year spent working in the health and social care field as a support worker or health care assistant would be excellent experience and help ensure she makes the right decision with regards to her degree course. I certainly wish I had done that as I think I would have chosen a slightly different field to the one I am in.

A year out working is never wasted.

IT depends on whether she will have lost the desire and motivation to study after three years at uni.
Several of my DDs friends plans initially included masters years or conversions after a general degree but on reaching the end if three years some have really had enough of studying, or become ill, or not done well enough, or now want to earn money.

You call your daughter a fool?!?

I would say your daughter will do best by working hard and getting the best possible degree in Psychology, and also trying to gain work experience during her holidays in any related areas.

A good degree will open doors and leave her with the freedom to change her career options before she graduates or in the future.

I wish her every success.

One of the reasons behind the gender pay gap is that some young women, for a variety of really-need-to-be-explored reasons, either through a total lack of confidence or a fear of failure, select a really shit job to aim for.

Like social worker. A low-paid, highly-stressful job with extremely low job satisfaction, where she'll never get around to 'helping' people because she'll be swamped by paperwork, told to hit impossible targets and paid about 30p an hour to do so once all the overtime has been factored in.

See also: teacher. Nurse. Nursery worker.

Low, low pay. High stress. None of the 'helping' of yesteryear. They sound warm and fuzzy on paper, but come on - don't we know now as a culture what these roles are really like nowadays?

There's a reason men disproportionately don't apply for these jobs (and why no one can be arsed trying to encourage them to do so). Men select high-paying jobs or areas where they will earn money and gain prestige. Women disproportionately choose 'social worker'. WHY!? Is there a job that doesn't involve a sewer that is renowned for being any more shit?

So, first:

1. She needs to pick a real job with a future and a decent salary expectation, not picking a job that's only going to be easy to get 'cause no bugger else wants to do it.

1. Warm fuzzy joy is gained by doing warm fuzzy things in your free time, not at work. Chasing 'meaningful' jobs where you 'help people' is why 'helping' jobs like care, children and social work have become low status, low paid and dominated by women. Help people at the weekends. There's no money in it as a career. Care professions are the lowest paid and garner the lowest respect, and social worker provokes outright outrage and scorn.

1. Unless she wants to burn out and quit in 5 years, don't get into debt to do social work. Or teach. Or nurse.

Financially it makes sense to do your suggestion but she'll be a better social worker if she does her proposal.

Please can we stop with the 'social workers are all working for 30p an hour drowning in paperwork never happy at work always stressed' stuff because it's simply not true.

I agree with others that she's better keeping her options open. Also, and I'm aware I'm massively projecting here, please be careful how you speak to her about this. My Dad was outraged that I didn't do the degree course he thought I should and frankly sulked about it after telling me not to 'come crying to him when I realised I'd ruined my life'. I'm not suggesting you're using that kind of language, but if this becomes an issue between you now the way you handle this is likely to be something she remembers for years to come.

Low low pay? I earn £37k 3 years after qualifying. It's not loads but it's not low.

Does your DD really, really want to be a social worker - how does she know if she has no experience and has not read up on it? I think going down the Psychology degree route is a lot more useful - lots of options in modules and a broad degree like psychology will be more marketable than a vocational social work one if she decides on a career change later. My DD's friends who did Psychology degrees are doing a myriad of things: Phd's, PGCE's in Primary Education, Clinical research assistant, law conversion course, Accounting, Human Resource Management, Social media and marketing. Her one friend who did Social work can't cope in the job and is on the verge of a breakdown (some shocking cases and a huge workload) it's a big ask at 21 years of age. She is applying for Nursing and Occupational Therapy Masters for next year.

If she wants to be a social worker later, she can still do the Masters in Social Work there is still a bit of restricted funding available and maybe in 4 years time bursaries etc will be reinstated.

I think she is doing the right thing,social work demands a level of life experience and maturity, which is something she will develop over three years. She might of course change her mind completely in which case a more general degree will stand her in good stead.