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!!

The postgrad programmes like step up give you a bursary and pay your uni fees. Itd be better to do the bps psych degree then the social work course

Psychology degree sounds like the more sensible route. It can link into
Social work if that remains what she wants, but it also throws open lots of other options.

Legal editor and clinical psychologist. Mine is more flexible, hers more interesting!

Psychology first gives more options, more choice. I was so fixed I was going to be a family law barrister, a six month work placement working with social services made me realise I was not emotionally ready, the threads you read on here can be nothing to the stuff that you deal eith. By the time I was ready I had a family and my job is so flexible.

Psychology allows her more options and the chance to mature and decide it it's really her

She's not a fool! A psychology degree will give her choices, and as others have said it is an accepted path into social work if she still wants to do that.

I think you calling her a fool (to her face or not, if you think it I'm sure it shows) is horrible. She has thought through the options, you may not agree but you could speak to her constructively and be supportive!

Teachers, nurses, nursery workers and social workers are low paid jobs. If you're getting excited by 22k a year you've made a wrong turn somewhere

My brother is a teacher and makes a LOT more than 22k. My sister in law is a nurse and makes more than double 22k.

Not sure you know what you are talking about.

OP, a psychology degree and and a social work masters is an excellent combination and should be a good route to an excellent job.

Hardly any full time hospital nurses will be on £22k. They get up to 30% enhancement for shift work, plus extra pay in high cost areas, plus progression up the pay scale. Most nurses will earn £30k+.

No, it's not a fortune for the responsibility and there is the pay increase 1% cap, but it's well above the median salary and plenty to have a good life and buy property in many areas.

A psychology degree would be a useful grounding for a career in social work. She can do the masters or frontline later once she has more life experience. She sounds sensible.

As a previous social work manager I personally don't think having a few months experience as a carer before doing a social work degree gives people the best grounding and life experience to do what is quite a difficult and stressful job. Where I have employed social workers "straight from school" as it were with limited experience they've often needed a awful lot of mentoring or been very cocky with overconfidence impacting on how they work with people. I think going the psychology degree route is a better idea. Give her a few more years life experience behind her and as PPs have said it gives her more options to consider in the future if she wants to go into a health/social care career.

I have a psychology degree and loads of my friends did this exact route- mostly specialised as psychiatric social workers either in the community or secure settings. If it is a good psych degree- bps accredited, high maths quotient, she will be very in demand. It's one of the more employable degrees because employers recognise you can write, research, present, have strong maths skills etc. If she changes her mind she has loads of options. I work I a specific policy area but use a lot of the research skills still.

Wow I didn't know most nurses were on 30 plus! That's not bad. Argh I so wish I'd gone a different route to teaching.

Entering a new career part time is proving hard.

I'd go for the psychology. If she can do it, she could work/volunteer in care homes/with children at weekends or during gaps in her timetable or in vacation. She wants to do social work but hasn't any practical experience - that says psychology to me while she spends 3 years refining what she wants to do.

On top of which I wouldn't influence her choice apart from gentle questioning and don't dismiss her arguments. Don't be the DP with a dissatisfied DC saying "it's all your fault I chose ...."

I think it sounds a good idea. My DD is following a similar route

I disagree with the person that said you can't help people anymore or get good feelings or joy from these types of jobs. I am in a similar field to nursing and I adore it. I get immense satisfaction from it. I can't see me getting that from jobs that make money for people at the top or in business. Shudder.

My best friend did a Psychology degree. She is a retail manager now. After she left Uni no one was willing to give her paid work in the field. She wanted to give counselling to children. She needed the work experience but no one was willing to give it unless it was voluntary. Unfortunately she simply couldn't afford to do counselling work on a voluntary basis. If she can gain this whilst she does her degree, it will be highly beneficial. I'm not sure how much they go hand in hand though and I don't work in social care.

I worked with a few folks with psychology degrees and were support workers. Unless you do a PhD you can't really do much with it! A degree in itself is good as it shows employers you are able but I advise people to do a vocational degree! I did a sw degree and for most part was a good thing! Perhaps get some experience in health and social care for a year or two then apply for social work again!

I think it could be a sensible move as having an undergraduate degree In psychology provides many career opportunities. She is still young and may change her mind on social work but having three years perspective will help her cement this decision and she may find herself curious about other paths. I have a psychology degree and am currently an A-Level teacher but have been considering a career change to counseling.

I don't think ur dd is s fool- at 19 unless she has major experience in social care settings, she would really struggle to answer the questions asked for a social work degree and complete the course work/ placement. If she can manage to complete a psychology degree and do her social work masters she will have a really good skills set - she could do clinical social work and go into social work management too. Not to mention other related careers. Voluntary work is a good way forward and also reading some introductory social work text books is a good start. She needs to have a think about what area of social work appeals to her. I hope it all goes well for her.. please support your dd, she really sounds like she knows what she is doing...and yes I am a young person's social worker and love my job!

Would it be possible for her to do some shifts in a nursing home or similar during her degree? - life experience, social care experience and some earned money of her own. Also she might make some knowledgeable contacts.

If you did call her a fool - say sorry asap and mean it. You are both doing your best and working with the knowledge you have.

It's her decision not yours.
Psychology is much better than social work, so many more options.
Depends on which area of social work she wants to go into but after just leaving this field after 20 years I wouldn't recommend it.
I wish I'd done psychology degree instead of social work so I didn't have to retrain now.

Sponge what are you looking at training in?

I'm an ex teacher and saw a fab facilitating job but it requires sw/mhn/ot registration which I don't have. it seems to me that having been one of these opens so many doors whereas my teaching psychology hasnt!!

Haven't read the whole thread but think your DD is being very wise. A degree in psychology gives her other options. A masters will help her stand out from the crowd.

YABU. A social worker fresh out of uni after an undergraduate degree without having spent enough time in the real world will be as much use as a chocolate teapot.
A social sciences degree with relevant summer work, some volunteering and a bit of maturing will do her all the good in the world. And when the undergraduate degree is done, if she is still interested, a postgrad will be pitched at the right level.
I work in a related field and the best, most effective social workers are more mature emotionally. Your average 22yo is not there yet.
I hope your DD is going to be good at her job but for the sake of her client group, I would demand the best possible experience and training.

Pizza I have no idea, I have a some time to think about it until the redundancy money runs out.
I've been looking at courses today but nothing really jumps out at me.
I think I need to be a sun lounger tester in the Caribbean! 😀

Agree with PPs.
I don't see a problem with her Degree choice- it's not like she's dedicating 3 years of her life to Gender Studies or Feminist Dance Therapy!!

Sponge I'll be there with you!! I wish i could find something!!