I am going into my senior year of college and have known which major I wanted to be in since the very start. However, over the past few years people ask me what I am majoring in and when I tell them that I am a Social Work major, most of the responses I get are things that I am tired of hearing over and over. So here's to the social work majors who are tired of hearing these things.

"You won't make a ton of money."

Trust me, I am fully aware of this one. I did not choose this major to be able to retire early and live a big life on lots of money. I chose this major because it makes me happy and excited. I feel like it is fully using the skills and knowledge I have been given to make a difference in the world. I do not regret choosing a major that makes me feel so alive.

"That is a tough career path."

Again, this is something that I knew when I took my first social work class. However, I have already seen in my camp job that while there are tough days, there are also better days that come with it. I love celebrating the small victories that my campers have each and every day with them. It can be frustrating when there is a tough day but when I remember the victory that happened before it or think what could come of the tough day, I cannot help but smile.

"It takes a special person to be a social worker."

This is one that people would think is a compliment but when you hear it every single time you tell someone what you're studying, it gets tiring and sometimes can come across as a lack of belief in you. I know there are days when I doubt myself asking if this is something I can do 100% of the time but then something happens where I am reminded that this is what I am meant for.

"So what issue/problem does your client/camper have?"

I absolutely hate hearing this. There are other ways to rephrase this statement such as "what diagnosis have you worked with?" or "what do you do to support you client/camper?". I do not view what my campers are diagnosis with as their "problem" or "issue". Instead, I view it as the part of them that needs addressing but remember that they are a human being just like you or me. Honestly, the best part of camp is that I do not always know the diagnosis- but by the end of the two weeks, I know the camper personally. I never look at my camper as "so and so who has down syndrome"- instead I view them as who they are as a person- do they like sports or music? What's their favorite activity? I look at that more than I ever look at a diagnosis.

"Why do you want to work with crazy/ bad people."

I will never view the people I work with in my career in social work as bad or crazy. They just need some guidance and I am there to provide that support to them to help them reach new levels and better themselves. I honestly think the stigma provides more of a mental block for them then helping them want to change.

"So you're the one who takes children away?"

This one is a common one and one that every single social work major talks about. First of all, child services is only one aspect of social work. While I would not mind starting out in that field, I want to be a school social worker in the long term. Secondly, a child is only removed if the situation is not safe and being at home puts them in harm. However, media makes this side of social work to be so cruel when it really is not. So no, I am not the one who takes children away, I am the one ensuring that a child has a safe place to live.

These are only some of the few things that social work majors are tired of hearing. There are so many more that we all hear but these are the ones that irk me the most. Here's to my fellow social work majors- keep sticking strong to the major you believe in.