Is anyone else overwhelmed?

During my first week as a full-time MSW student, this is what I learned.

You take 4 classes, each of which lasts for 3 hours. My smallest syllabus is 9 pages long. My assignments for the semester include 10 papers, 1 project, 1 debate, 4 exams, and other stuff that I am sure I haven’t read yet.

You also have a field placement that counts as your 5th class. It takes place 2 days a week for 16 hours. My field placement is at a Baltimore City Elementary School. Within a week, I had to be fingerprinted and get a physical, complete with a TB test, at one of the 3 agency-approved locations.

Then there’s the need to remember which number to use for what things. You have an 8 digit school ID number that most of the teachers ask for during the first class, a 14 digit barcode number on the back of your ID card that you need to log into e-reserves at the library, and a parking permit number to remember just in case you want to buy parking vouchers.

There is a lot to learn both inside and outside of the classroom. My hope is that I would take things as they come, one at a time, and focus on how privileged I feel to study at the University of Maryland. I am excited about the opportunity to learn from and share information with the great minds that I have already encountered in my classes.