Reflective Essay On Pursuing A Social Work Education

Pursuing a Social Work Education
Upon entering college, my focus was strictly psychology. I loved getting to understand individuals, as well as how a person’s thought could influence their lives. However, being a social welfare minor I came to understand that there are other impeding factors that can influence how an individual functions, lives, and even their development; one huge one being social factors. Social factors are things that influence the way a person lives. The more I came to learn about these social factors and how they affect individuals, the more I became intrigued by social work. I moved from thinking simply on a person’s thoughts to thinking on their context as well. There are so many things that go into understanding
an individual that stem far beyond what they have going on internally.
I began to do my research on social work and came to find that I could still pursue my passion of helping and understanding individuals with a masters in social work degree. Social work allows you to not only take the individual into thought, but also the many factors surrounding the individual that can help/hinder that person. With a social work education, I will do my best to provide the resources necessary to help those who are affected by their current situations; rather this is through therapy, advocacy, and/or research. I will work to understand individuals and the systems around them and work to see the best way for the two to intertwine. I feel that the University of Tennessee, Knoxville MSSW program can help me to do just that. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville MSSW program offers a concentration in Evidenced-Based Interpersonal Practice. With a degree in such I would be able to still focus on the clinical aspect of individuals that I love all while incorporating the social aspect as well. The program is a perfect fit for me and would allow me to thrive
in the things I find most intriguing.
Capacity at Hand
Being in the social work field, empathy is a huge element in the work. The amount of empathy I tend to display has caused me to stumble once or twice while working in this field. I too often find myself wanting to do more, see more, or hear more about a person or a situation. This leads to excess time being spent on areas that might not need consideration right then and there. This flaw, however, is also a strength. My decision to empathize, more so than normal, often leads to great detail and description. It allows for the writing process to flow with ease and to be accelerated. Truly knowing your client can go a long way. We all have strengths and weaknesses, it is a matter of allowing yourself to adjust these attributes to complete the task at hand. Commitment and Time Management
I strongly believe that my undergraduate experience has equipped me for the demands of obtaining my masters and the rigorous schedule that may accompany that.
During my undergraduate experience I partook in numerous activities that required a huge time commitment. Early on, from my freshman year forward, I learned the importance of balancing a schedule, committing to that schedule, and adjusting whenever necessary. My schedule consisted of organizational events, work study, and taking no less than 15 hours a semester. With a schedule as such, it could get very busy and even overwhelming at times, but it is part of what has allowed me to become the productive individual that I am today. One of my current jobs as a caseworker requires numerous time commitments. You have to be committed to staff meetings, appointments, and your clients (which can be over 10 individuals at a time). It is a matter of planning ahead, committing to getting things done on time, or early if possible, and planning for the unexpected. I do not expect graduate school to be minuscule. Challenges are what make us better and help us to grow, to learn and to understand. I know graduate school will allow that for
myself. Ethics Matter
A vast majority of my beliefs align with the profession. In particular, the will to help others and the strength based approach are two things I value about the social work field. The will to help others not only benefits that individual but also myself. It brings pleasure and gratitude to know that you have contributed to someone’s success and society as a whole. Someone once told me, ‘You can change a person’s environment but until that person changes, nothing else will.” This saying stuck with me and is part of why I am fond of the strength based approach. Being able to strengthen and encourage change in a person mentally, hugely motivates them to evaluate other areas in their life. It is in this moment that a turning point can occur in a person’s life.
If conflict does exist with my values and the values of the profession, it is my job to keep the two separate. I know that there are times that this might arise. This can be conflict religiously, ethically, in lifestyles, or with the law. If I cannot adhere to the values that are placed upon me, I feel it would be necessary to remove myself from that situation or seek an alternative solution. Though you are a professional you are also a general human and there are certain aspects that people are simply not willing to compromise on. It is ultimately a matter of knowing these things, and rationalizing between what you should or should not do if a situation presented itself. Within the social work profession, conflict is inevitable, we just have to do our best in finding resolution.