Split between nursing majors, social work majors, and education majors, the upcoming semesters are anticipated to be critical periods that can significantly impact both their morale and financial situations. Along with a rigid course schedule, nursing students must prepare themselves for what is to come with clinical schedules.  

NURSING MAJORS  

Fourth-year nursing major, Ashley Speight, said “Nursing school tells you what takes up a lot of your time but until you actively go through it, it just takes up a lot of your time. You don’t have as much time for yourself and nowadays they are pushing for self-care, but you have clinicals, labs, practical’s the next week.”  

Most nursing students’ placements are often randomized, ranging from five minutes away down the road to an hour at most.   

“I feel like that’s what is the least fair,” Speight said. “It’s not the best that they can do when it comes down to clinical placements, I feel like they should bring in other factors.”  

Other factors being cost of gas, vehicle, and cost effectiveness. All which students must pay out of pocket, while also paying for textbooks and scrubs.   

Speight said, “We do not get paid for clinicals, I know the reason they possibly can’t pay us is because of liability issues and we’re unlicensed. But I feel like stuff can be given, like paying for our lunch.”  

Most student internships and clinicals are unpaid, like, students often work an on-campus job on the side to keep up with the costs that come with their major.   

EDUCATION MAJORS   

For education majors, their field experience starts around their sophomore year and continues until their final semester senior year, all unpaid and placement randomized.  

Kay Michaels, third-year integrated social studies major, said “I will not know my field placement until December, last time I was placed it was in Wellington. My first field was kind of rough, I only got one credit hour though I was in the classroom for six hours a week and the commute alone were one hour all together.”  

Outside of the field, student educators would often have to bring work home resulting in at least ten hours’ worth of work a week, according to Michaels; split between creating a portfolio and 3-2-1 essays.  

According to The Teacher Toolkit, 3-2-1 essays are three things learned from the lesson, two things they’d like to learn more about and found interesting, and one question they still had about the material.  

“With education majors fields look different for everybody,” Michaels said. “We must do three field experiences, one during sophomore year, one during junior year, and the third one which is student teaching. Your first one is one hour, your second one is three hours, and your last one is 40 hours; which is 12 credit hours.”  

Education majors spend roughly around $120 for their field experience, the amount increasing per year. The price includes background checks and a fee to be placed in the field.  

According to Stephen Denney, Chair of the Education Department, and Laura Kanney, director of Field and Partnerships, there have been discussions of potential pay at the student teaching level in the future due to changes in Ohio Law.  

“Laura does have a tutoring grant, in which students are tutoring students and are paid to do that,” Denny said. “That is outside of field experience, but they are gaining experience and getting paid.”  

Alongside tutoring positions, students are encouraged by administrators to take up substitute teaching in the local school districts. According to Kanney, most are paying around $100 a day and gaining outside experience within the classroom.  

“We do as much as we possibly can to help support these kids and keep them as close to here [Ashland] as we can,” Denney said. “Be considerate of their time and their respective finances as well.”  

Leah Hoyle, third-year middle grades education major, acknowledges the heavy course load and uses it as a teaching moment for herself as she furthers her career.  

 “I have been able to work as both an Eagle Tutor and a Tour Guide while in my fields. While my plate is full, I have learned a lot about time management,” Hoyle said. “I have not had any big issues with my major, but any confusion about things I have been able to work through with the help of my amazing fellow education students. It is nice to have fellow classmates in their field experiences because we all understand the workload that each one of us has- being both a full-time student and a real-time teacher during the week.”   

SOCIAL WORK MAJORS  

In the same building of Dwight Schar College of Education, senior social work majors prepare themselves for their upcoming semester of their internship.  

Logan Miller, fourth year, became a social work major because of his interest and desire to help those who need help.   

Miller said, “At the beginning of the semester, it was very difficult to find an internship, especially local to Ashland. I had contacted over six different agencies before finding my internship. The most difficult thing about finding an internship was the 500-hour requirement and the issue of making sure those hours were completed in only one semester. Most other programs have the same requirement of 500 hours, but it’s trenched over the course of one academic year. Luckily, my placement was very accommodating.”  

Social Work majors find working during their 500-hour internship to be difficult time-management-wise. Between preparing for their licensure Exam and meeting the requirements for their internship all together, some Social Work majors report feeling overwhelmed and overworked during their final semester. 

Based on feedback from previous students Field and Program Director, Carly George, said “Students who need to work or choose to work, that’s one of the things they have said can be a challenge. Time management not only with work and with their practicum but also having time for themselves and things like that can be a challenge.  

Cara McKeown, fourth year, was originally an undecided major during her first year and decided on social work after taking a class and because of her desire to help people.  

“Yes, I can get paid but it’s hard,” McKeown said. “The way it would work I would have to do my internship every week for at least 35 hours. I’m working a full-time job for free and then I have to go work another full-time job because I must pay for my tuition and bills, and it doesn’t account for that.”  

Like education majors, social work majors must pay for their own background checks if their organization does not provide one and insurance.  

“We have [the Social Work program] started to look into that,” George said. “On the day of giving, I was the first academic programs to take part of that to try and come up with ways to assist our students. I think what students are more concerned about price wise is the cost of the licensure exam which they complete any time during their last semester.”   

Towards the end of the semester, social work students will have to pay for their own licensing exam which is $230 and the practice exam that is $85.  

The Social Work program current budget, according to George, does not have room to assist financially with students’ current expenses. They received $180 from their Day of Giving Campaign.  

“I just think that there’s a lot going on,” McKeown said. “I think it just adds to my stress, this semester I have been so stressed out about finding an internship before Thanksgiving. I’m calling people and they aren’t answering or calling me back, that I don’t know what else to do.”  

McKeown has added that from the second week of September to November, she has called agencies to have an internship secured by the first week of November.   

Some students are a bit luckier and secured their internship earlier in their college careers; Grace Mulpas, fourth year, chose the path of social work to make an impact on others, finding what makes them successful through case management.  

“So, I am in kind of a different boat than the rest of my fellow senior social workers because I had to complete two internships. I have to complete one for my social work degree and one for my addiction degree,” Mulpas stated. “I would say that I haven’t really had any difficulties finding my spring placement, but that is because I have already been established in an agency the entirety of the fall semester. Finding a placement for this semester (currently in) I wouldn’t really say it was difficult, but I also feel like there is a lot less intern competition in the spring if you are looking for the fall semester.”  

Each degree has its difficulties and costs associated with completing them. As the year slowly ends, students have a chance to reflect on the good parts of their major despite the financial stress it adds to their plate temporarily.  

Michaels acknowledged, “I’m glad I get to be in a field, I just wish they made it a little bit easier. I know they can’t get specific for each and every major, but I know most people getting the same degree I am are facing the same struggles as I am. I can’t speak for every major; I just know that budgeting is an issue. A big issue.”