How rigorous has your MSW program been?

[LittleDarlings]

What has your first semester been like? How much free time have you had? Have you had the chance go mingle? I always see my friends on FB who are in grad school and they are talking about going out and have pics from tons of parties and stuff. I know this isn't the usual though, I have no idea how they make time for that. How has the homework been and papers?

[GeoDUDE!]

I'm not in an MSW program, but a geophysics one. I'll just say this, IF i didn't have a thesis i could probably coast buy doing almost no work and get mostly A's. Graduate classes I've found are substantially easier than undergraduate classes.

[nugget]

MSW programs have internships. It's not just course work. Our internships are 4 days a week, plus coursework on the side, and no one coasts through the program.

 

I'm not in an MSW program, but a geophysics one. I'll just say this, IF i didn't have a thesis i could probably coast buy doing almost no work and get mostly A's. Graduate classes I've found are substantially easier than undergraduate classes.

[sun519shine]

It's not the most difficult thing in the world, but it is way different that undergrad. It takes more out of you emotionally because of the content and you are really growing as a person. In my experience, the professors aren't trying to make your life hell, they are really supportive. It is doable to have a life, but having something else than school be your main focus can probably be difficult. 

[citychild]

Pretty difficult, honestly. Internship 3 days a week, sometimes more. I'm about to start another internship for my certificate. Plus work, and volunteering.

This semester has consisted of a single class with 74 assignments by itself. Another class had a 51 page paper I just turned in.

Free time? What is this?

No regrets.

[Lola1233]

MSW programs have internships. It's not just course work. Our internships are 4 days a week, plus coursework on the side, and no one coasts through the program.

 

I totally agree with this.

 

Here's my weekly schedule breakdown as a first year student:

16 hours internship

10 hours in-class time

10 hours work study

10-20 hours assignments

 

That's 46-56 mandatory hours, which do not account for sleep, eating, transportation, or those 51 page papers. 

 

No one is coasting through my program. And the 4.0 students are definitely working their assess off. 

[U-M_Detroiter]

Obviously academics are very important in an MSW program, but how would you rank: academics, networking, field work, as most important and least important? 

[LittleDarlings]

I think academics is most important then field work because to me that falls into academics and then networking

[Purplescarves]

I would rank field work as most important for your future career. I heard this a lot coming in and it's been reflected as the school year progresses. Most of the content I've learned thus far has been in the field.

[briefinterviews]

Academically, I do not think my program is as rigorous as I hear others are--we certainly do not have 50+ page papers, anyway. The culture around readings are to focus and hone in on what compels you most, and not stress about reading everything because nobody actually expects you to read everything (most classes do not even reference the readings). In fact, they seem to provide readings as a general framework and professional reference; you can get away with not reading much of anything, actually. Assignments are reasonable, overall--lots of room for flexibility, creativity, and real-world application for the most part. Though this is also assuming something about the strength of your writing and your own process around producing papers.

 

The general advice seems to be about setting your own priorities for learning and growth because you simply cannot do everything--though many of us still try (especially that first semester, till we grow the wiser). Put into it what you want to get out of it. For me, my focus has been on my fieldwork and research, and I do not regret the investment. I am one of those people who doesn't do a lot of the reading, but I don't feel shortchanged--I earmark what seems interesting and most relevant to me, and can reference it later and as-needed. Meanwhile, I feel like classroom training has definitely done its job in wiring me as a macro practitioner.

Edited December 21, 2013 by briefinterviews

[MSW13]

Please keep in mind that a 51 page paper sounds more like a thesis than an "average" essay. I think it is important to remember that most programs are structured differently. For instance, some have the first semester dedicated to in-class only and then the next semester full time practicum only, while others (like the one I'm in) are a mix. This will greatly influence what you can expect in terms of course load. Also, if your program requires a thesis, that is where you will get that monster 51 page paper--but remember, the rest of your schedule will be adjusted accordingly. You will NOT have 4 courses each requiring a 51 page paper.

 

In my program, I have 3 days of placement and 4 courses (total 33 hours not including reading assignments. etc.). There is a ton of reading and in most cases, you cant get away with not reading because you have to reference the readings in your weekly assignments. In the first semester, I've written eight major papers (10 pages ++) and several minor assignments (reflection pieces, etc.)  Having a full course load AND placement has been challenging and there isn't a lot of spare time.

 

But, if you can prioritize well, you can still manage to have a social life. It cant be all school all of the time, you'll stress out.

[dlr129]

i apologize in advance for bumping this topic, but i thought i'd ask for some additional input.

who has employment outside of their academics and internship? i am deciding on school for the fall, and i'm worried about taking out too many loans. i'd like to work part-time to cover some costs, maybe 10-15 hours/week. is this a reasonable goal? will i burn out? should i just take the extra loans?

(anyone specifically at WashU's Brown School that can tell me about their experience there?)

[MSW03]

I would love sons feedback on dlr129's question too

[meep15]

i apologize in advance for bumping this topic, but i thought i'd ask for some additional input.

who has employment outside of their academics and internship? i am deciding on school for the fall, and i'm worried about taking out too many loans. i'd like to work part-time to cover some costs, maybe 10-15 hours/week. is this a reasonable goal? will i burn out? should i just take the extra loans?

(anyone specifically at WashU's Brown School that can tell me about their experience there?)

I am also quite interested in this question. Have you been offered any work-study positions? Work-study is really nice, because as the name implies, if there's not a lot to do, you're allowed to do homework, read, etc. while still getting paid. 

However, I might be interested in an additional part time job, so I'm wondering if work-study plus a part time job is in any way feasible with typical msw programs.