finish my MSW

MY FIRST YEAR OF GRADUATE SCHOOL IS OFFICIALLY OVER. This year has been the most challenging year of my life for a variety of reasons, but I am so proud of myself for coming through it on the other side. It honestly brings tears to my eyes to think that six years ago I had a dream to become a social worker and attend this program, and I am actually making it happen. I have said it before but I used to drive by Wayne State every night on the way home from UofM and pray I got into the program. I have made so many awesome friends this year and so many wonderful professors. I am so grateful and thankful to EVERYONE who stood by me this year and supported me, whether it was my family, Sal, friends, coworkers, managers, even customers who threw in a few positive words along the way, and every 43 things member who cheered me along the way. I have such a wonderful career ahead and am about to be blessed with many opportunities this coming year. I am truly looking forward to the privilege of working with my future clients, and feel fortunate I will be given the chance to empower, advocate, and enhance their lives.

I was accepted to participate in the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education!! It is a prestigious internship program that focuses specially on the elderly. In addition to my internship, I get to have a lot of experiences with trainings, seminars, and workshops. Very happy about this!

At the end of December 2013, I will have completed 28.5 credits.
31.5 credits to complete before being finished with my Masters.

Today I had my internship interview at Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation, which is an agency in Detroit that specializes in services for the elderly. I completely nailed my interview and was offered the internship ON THE SPOT. They were even impressed with my traveling experiences! I really love my advisors and feel the agency is a great fit for me. My advisors are in their 70s and still practicing as social workers, which is inspirational to say the least. I felt very safe at the location and it is close to my house. I think I got really lucky and feel this is going to be a great experience for me.

I am waiting to hear about my first interview with the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. I have researched this agency and I feel like it would be an awesome fit for me. I am hoping to have the interview pretty soon to set up my placement for the fall. I am really looking forward to the internship and working with the elderly.

I also researched what my classes will be and the times next semester. I will only have to go to school for one night class and it is at the Center campus (10 minutes from my house). I will only have to worry about driving for the internship, which is going to be awesome. The rest of the classes I can take online!

I am beginning the process of applying for internships. Just sent over my resume and questionnaire (what I am interested in). I have to schedule a meeting with the advisor. I am scared because there were only two agencies in the gerontology area to choose from. Hopefully they were just getting an idea and there will be more choices. I feel pretty lame because my resume is so short compared to others. A lot of people have a TON of work, intern, and volunteer experience. I don’t have much at all.

I also applied for this opportunity called The Hartford. It is a two year internship and I would focus specifically on the elderly. I’m not sure if I will get it because I sent the wrong resume format (stupid mistake) over. This might be a good thing because I am interested in doing hospice or hospital as my second placement. For now I will just focus on this first one and see how it goes.

I am completely and utterly burnt out with graduate school.

“Graduate students often find them suffering from midsemester-itis, that mixture of stress, exhaustion, and low motivation that comes during the dark days of February. Lot’s of graduate students are susceptible to feeling stressed out and blue.”

Classes this semester are going fairly well. I am not interested in my Research class but my Gerontology and Diversity classes are both interesting. I am getting used to the online format and I enjoy it. I am considering signing up for online classes this fall so I won’t have to commute. I will be putting enough miles on my car interning so it is something to consider.

One thing is I am finding it hard to get back into the swing of things. I think having four weeks off made me TOO relaxed. The first two weeks are always like that and I know I will bounce back.

I also am going to start hearing about internships fairly soon. I am leaning towards doing one in a hospice or a nursing home.

I have to make a choice about whether to stay or go at Wal-mart this fall. I am leaning towards leaving to focus on my internship full time. I truly believe that it is time to move on. If I leave it won’t be until September. Leaving will give me more time to get some more experience under my belt, which will put me in a better position for a career. I haven’t touched any of my refund so that will be a good emergency fund. My refund from next semester coupled with my savings from this entire year will put me in a decent financial state to leave. I am cutting back on things (cable and cell phone bill) now instead of waiting so I won’t have as much to do then. I am still going to try to get a job in my field now, but just getting ready to close the door on the Wal-Mart chapter.

Micro Theory – 98%

Social Welfare Policy- 94%

Research Methods A- (not sure the percentage)

I am happy that my professor added some more points in for participation so it bumped my grade up.

Awesome way to kick off grad school!