Any social work applicants out there?

[chan321]

I've just applied for the social work degree and thought I'd create a thread for other social work applicants to share hints and tips etc :)

I've just applied too, only got one interview so far but its at my first choice university so its all good ??

Ahh brilliant, well done! I only sent my application yesterday so it's a waiting game now! Which unis have u applied to x

The University of Leeds, the University of Huddersfield and the University of Bradford...I'm on an access course right now as I left school after my GCSE's nineteen years ago, so need to pass at a high level to get a place at my chosen uni's ??....where are you applying? X

I'm also doing an access course. I've applied to Demontfort University, Nottingham trent, university of Nottingham, university of Coventry and university of Northampton. I applied to as many as possible to give me the best possible chance of getting a place. I'm excited but nervous about the prospect of interviews x

I'm so nervous for the interviews, they are quite intense for social work degrees, I just know my mind is going to go blank and I will mess up, if I just get lucky at one university I will be happy, I have the experience, I have the academic skills, I'm just not good under pressure x

How are you finding the access course? I'm finding it quite fast paced but managing to keep up and get good grades x

Hello/ just wanted to say I applied last year and in my first year if I can help at all

How are you finding it miketheshite? The prospect of the interviews is scaring the life out of me where are you studying? X

I am at chichester, it's been really good had 4 essays of 2500 words and a ten min interview to hand in last Friday.
The interview isn't as scary as you think. Make sure you have something from background reading to mention (I mentioned sociology) I also mentioned hamzah khan, regarding the media attention and his mother maybe having hm issues- and the failing of multi agency working.
I found reading a serious case review really helpful.
You could look at say Victoria climbie, kimbery Carlisle.

Try and look at the laming report and the Munro report.

Some of the people on my course looked at the winterbourne case too.

Hope I'm helping x although I'm hoping to swap to nursing x

Thanks for the tips, I will definitely look into them, I know quite a bit about the hamzah khan case as its very local to me and victoria climbie as it was so well covered in the media, I've worked with vulnerable children for last 16 years so I'm hoping that the knowledge I've picked up along the way holds me in good stead.....why the change to nursing? May I ask x

I was signposted wrong last year and I think having a stay in hospital has really fuelled the desire again tbh.
Nothing to do with my course- my course is great!

You sound like you will do fantastic

I hope you get to change your degree course if its what you really desire to do, my friend just qualified as a nurse recently and she is loving it....I'm presuming you are a mature student, what is uni life like for mature students? If you are one that is sorry about too many questions x

My uni is a very small uni.
I'd say of a class of 55 around 1/2 of us are mature students. I'm 25 but the oldest lady on my course is 53.

Because my course is so big there has been a bit of bitching.
The younger students don't understand sometimes that it's not always up to lecturers to spoonfed and you need to study at home too.

The university is an amazing source of support so so fantastic
I really do love it even though it might not be where my heart is

I'm finding the access course very fast paced and I have a 1 year of at home who keeps me very busy lol but I'm coping ok and like u getting good grades. I've been offered an interview today so it all feels very real now. There's a book by bel thompson that I'm reading that is apparatly really beneficial!

Miketheshite - (absolutely love the name!) What sort of questions were u asked at your interview? Was it daunting? I took have lots of relevant experience etc and tend to be able to fake confidence quite well at interviews but only if I know what im talking about lol!

Neil Thomson* not bel thompson?! Lol

I just got the Neil Thomson book the other week, Pamela trevithick has been recommended to me too.....great news about your interview x

I have to say i found access must faster paced than uni so far and found it's really prepared me.

I was asked my strengths and weaknesses, what id do if I knew a service user, where I want to be in five years and why I want to be a social worker.

It was scary but I felt access really prepared me

I definitely needed this access course, the way it prepares you for university is fantastic, the academic writing skills, referencing, reflective practice skills etc, well I didn't even have a clue about those until I started this course, I'm enjoying the welfare state and sociology units but finding the psychology a bit more confusing and I have an exam in that straight after the Xmas hols, dreading it, but I will try my best x

You sound really well prepared

I also have an exam after Xmas on conformity and obedience.

Miketheshite thanks for the info! :) is it true they prefer it if u have no preference of which area you'd like to work in ultimately? I want to work in children's services and I'm not sure if I should tell the truth or say have no preference?

I'm not sure I can tell you that I definatly wanted to work with children's services and if I follow this degree I actually now want to work with older people or offenders.

The same as if i do nursing; a huge change of heart

Well I already made it clear in my ucas application that I want to work with youth either offenders or care leavers, so I hope that doesn't affect my application, I'm working for the youth offending team now.......much prefer the essays to the exams and presentations, I just go to pot I had a 10 minute presentation on discrimination, stereotypes and prejudice yesterday, it was like hell on earth for me...mind you the worst bit I find is having to wait two weeks for the grade.....x

Ah the course I'm on is a bit different. We have no presentations it's all essays and one exam. And we get our grades back within days. I feel for you though, I wouldn't like to be waiting two weeks for grades! X

On my course I'm finding the interview recording of myself so difficult, as my voice makes me cringe.

We have to wait 3 weeks for grades I submitted on the 5th-12th and as it's Christmas out results are due jan 16th

I don't think any university cares much if you have a preference at the start of the course. Most people do.
University interviews ask you about values and ethics, ask for examples of whee you might have had an ethical dilemma at work, when you have applied learning from your studies to work, etc. They are harder than job interviews ime!
I just qualified this summer and am a LP to a 6 year old. It wasn't as hard as I expected it to be once I got going.