One week down, 2 years to go.

Is it horrible that I’m already starting a countdown to graduation?

I started the Masters in Social Work (MSW) program at U of I last week and I absolutely love it so far! Academically-speaking, getting your MSW is nothing compared to an MBA, JD, or researching engineer-like stuff (I have no idea what they actually do…they just seemingly bring a lot of money into the school and work really hard).

These are some of my books…THICK books…(of which I borrowed from the library for free!) that’s one huge difference from undergrad…I’m already about 10 chapters behind in one class.

But mentally/emotionally-speaking, I can already tell this is going to be an uber challenging two years. Of course we’re learning therapy techniques, policy outlines and such, but these classes also force you to confront your own prejudices and past–the good and the bad, and what your convictions are and how you reconcile those with a professional field full of ethics and legitimate human beings.

We’re not dealing with designing a bridge, accounting books or a news story (tho I fully recognize each profession can hugely impact people–i.e. Minneapolis bridge collapse; Arthur Anderson; Watergate), but social work is directly working with real people…real brokenness…and a glaring (and freeing) reality that I can’t help everyone…I’m not God…and sin is very real and alive in people (including myself!), families, and systems in our world. (I think this is going to be a lesson I will be learning over and over again.)

I already find myself jotting down personal notes as if I were listening to a Sunday sermon during class. It will be interesting to see how convictions as a Christian and as a professional social worker intertwine and clash as I learn more about the profession. So get ready to read a lot of entries about social work and the soul for the next couple years!