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Is Social Work a Good Major??

I want to help people... I love helping people. However, with a major in social work and doing that full time, will I have enough of an income to pay off my college debt? Or would it be better to major in something else and then volunteer to help people? I would love to help people full time, but I also want to make sure that I have enough money for a comfortable life.

#social-work #volunteering

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Jenna’s Answer

Define "comfortable" life. Does that mean material things? Flexible schedule? Helping people? What is "college debt"? Are you taking loans out and going to an expensive school, or are you looking at scholarships, working part-time, or seeking other ways to control your expenses? You can always take a class in social work at school or volunteer to work with a social work program to see if it is something you like. What else would you major in, and would that give you the time/flexibility to volunteer in a way that is meaningful to you? It's not a simple answer- you will have to reflect on what means the most to you. You can always change your mind if you decide you want to change your major. It's great that you want to help other people- however you do it, don't stop doing it!
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Yandira’s Answer

Hi Daleen

Helping people is great but if you want a substantial salary social work/counseling may not be for you. There are many factors that play into "comfortable living". It depends where you live and the cost of living there.
I suggest you look at the classifies to find out what an entry level social worker in the area you are considering starts out with. If you haven't identified any areas, check out elderly and special needs the older population since all the kids with IEPs will age and do not think society is ready for this boom.
You can also take a few courses and volunteer and see if it is a good fit for you all around.

Good luck!!!
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Angela’s Answer

Hi Daleen

I think the other two responses were very thorough and provided excellent insight. I do think it's tough to have a lot of college debt right out of college. Starting salaries in social work are not comparable to others in other fields, such as engineers, etc. If you have other passions that can turn into a career for you, volunteering and giving back without doing it as a full-time job is definitely an option.

Definition of comfortable life is very personal and subjective so it's hard to know what you are looking for.

Hope this helps,

angela
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