Working, Interning, School

[MSW11]

Just curious, for those of you who are in programs at the moment, are any of you working? And for those of you who are working, how do you find this works out with your class and internship schedule? Sounds as though evening or weekend part-time work would be our best bet, but even at that, I am wondering how those of you who are working, manage to juggle everything...any thoughts?

[emoleys]

I'm full-time and I am definitely not working a job outside of my field work and classes. I work 3 full days a week (sometimes, depending on the demands of my clients I may go in during other days as well). The other two days, I'm in classes all day. If I worked a job in addition to this, I know that I would not have time to do my school work and still keep my sanity.

If you plan to enroll as a full-time, you will have some time outside of your internship and school schedule, namely the weekends. However, I must caution that working a job during your MSW program puts you in danger of burning out. I have a classmate who attempted this and broke down during class during the semester. I'm not saying that it's impossible, but at your internship/field work, you'll be faced with some pretty intense situations and difficult work. You may also have frustrations with your classes. Having a regular social life (hanging out with friends/classmates outside of the school setting) really helps facilitate your processing of both your school and field experiences.

I can see how a part-time student can make this work. Otherwise, I would advise you to attempt to get work-study (if offered) through your school so that you can get paid for the hours you work during your internship/field work.

Good luck!

Edited January 29, 2011 by emoleys