Blog 13: Thats a wrap!

As the semester comes to an end, I have been reflecting on my social work classes. This was my first semester as an actual Social Work student in upper division classes. I have really enjoyed my social work classes and learning more about the field. I feel like all of my classes this semester will definitely be valuable to me in my future career as a social worker.

I enjoyed learning about all the different macro organizations through Communities and Organizations. I liked how Professor Rhodes incorporated games, guest speakers and Ted Talks into our lessons. I really enjoyed the class where we talked about the criminal justice system interesting. I did not realize the statistics of how many people are in jail for drug and alcohol related crimes. I also did not realize how terrible the conditions were within jails and prisons. It was difficult to hear that many of them do not even have AC. I found it very powerful to hear from someone about her first hand experiences with the criminal justice system because of the amount of times her son has been in and out. I also enjoyed the numerous times we discussed the foster care system. I did not know the amount holes within our foster care system. It was interesting to hear about all the different routes a child takes within the the system and how many times they are moved around. One of the main things I have taken from this semester is the numerous ways we can advocate and fight for our clients. I have really realized how powerful we can be through the use of our voice and standing up for justice. The last few classes, all of my teachers have talked about the emotional stress of social work. We talked about how many people get burned out easily from hearing and seeing so many sad things. I have realized how important it is for us to take care of ourselves and know how to separate your life and your work.


Observation:

There is a Jamaican woman in the final 5 for the TV show, the Voice. I have noticed that they do not talk about how great of a singer she is and how far she has made it, but about how she is from Jamaica.