Social Work student, Kasia Nowinska: "I never knew what I wanted to do until that moment"
A friend of hers who had just received a degree in Social Work told her all about it, what it required and the options it opens up after graduating.
Helping people
"I never knew what I wanted to do until that moment. I always loved helping people and working with children but did not actually realise that I could study anything that would allow me to do it professionally. I wanted to do something that would give me satisfaction, would make a difference and make me feel that what I did was worth doing."
Motivated that she could now develop a career helping people, Kasia decided to go to university and study BA (Hons) in Social Work at LSBU. "I wanted to learn more about vulnerable people, about addictions and different problems that people cannot deal with on their own. I hoped that by understanding all these life difficulties more deeply, I would be able to help those who need it and want to be helped."
The right environment
After asking around, Kasia chose to study at LSBU despite other options due to the course's strong reputation, and the University's fantastic location.
Early on in her studies, Kasia realised she had made the right choice with social work.
The lecturers are passionate about their subjects and know how to share their knowledge in lectures, seminars and workshops. Other professionals and service users are also invited to share their experience and point of view with students. This makes it easier to understand the complexity of working with other services and how service users feel being in the middle of it. Everything is made easier at LSBU by the well-equipped library, too.
Preparation
Placements are a vital part of the course. Kasia was placed in two different sectors, one with adults (part of an outreach team in a homeless people organisation) and the other one with children and families (in a child contact centre). This gave her a strong idea of what is required on a daily basis to be a social worker, and although she recognises the challenges, the rewards more than make up for them. "People who want to be Social Workers need to be strong emotionally to be able to deal with everyday problems of these vulnerable people. I'm passionate about working with vulnerable people to either enable them or help them achieve a full potential of quality life."
Future plans
"During my three years at LSBU I have met wonderful people, including staff, new friends, professionals from the placements. I have learned a lot and am looking forward to put all my knowledge and skills into practice now."
After graduation Kasia will have a few months break to enjoy spending some quality time with her baby daughter. After that, she will then look for a job in the Children and Families' sector.