Family Studies Major

I graduated with a major in Family Studies.  Some know what that means while others ask me "What in the world can you do with that?" The answer....a lot of different things.  I wanted to share what my passion is about my major and why I enjoyed taking all of the classes and yes...writing all those blasted papers!

When I first read about the major here is what I found......

What are the employment opportunities?
Family Studies graduates are qualified to work in a wide variety of professional settings including social service agencies, hospitals, community education centers, the judicial system, police departments, rape crisis centers, employee assistance agencies and child care centers. Graduates may also be employed as personnel coordinators and family caseworkers. Visit WSU Career Services for current listings.

What will I learn in the program?

Through contemporary educational practices, you will learn to be a family life educator. You will develop a respect for diversity and the ability to create environments that enhance the lives and healthy development of children, adults and families over the life span. Addressing the holistic needs of children and their families, the curriculum provides you with a thorough understanding of family relations, child growth and development, interpersonal relations, resource management and family finance.

At the time I was an Elementary Education major, but do to some changes in my life (ie getting married, working full-time) I wasn't able to start the program.  So I was reading and trying to find something similar, and I'll admit it, find something that would take me the least amount of time to graduate in.  I stumbled across this major and decided that it seemed appropriate and so I decided to try it out.  Little did I know that I would LOVE every class, learning everything and begin to have a passion for helping families, couples and individuals learn more about themselves and the relationships they are apart of.

Part of my passion is really talking with couples that are dating, engaged or married. I am intrigued by the variety of relationships and how couples differ in making their relationship work.  When we move, my wish is to get a job that is teaching or working with families about how to improve what they are already doing and give them tips to make all of their relationships better. I hope to start a master's program sometime soon (because unfortunately you can't do much with a bachelor's) Maybe Marriage and Family Therapy?? who knows...

The whole point of this rant??  Well I stumbled across this blog http://www.thedatingdivas.com/ and wanted to share it with everyone (the few that do read this blog :) ) because dating while you are married is crucial in making it work. Sometimes it is hard to date your spouse, because let's admit it, it takes effort!  We are so busy with our working lives, children (for some). school, church etc... that it is just one more thing to add on to your plate...and you're already married so what does it matter?  Well this blog has some GREAT ideas for dating your spouse and I am really excited to read more and try some of them out.

The second point of this rant...would be this website/blog http://blog.strongermarriage.org/  The stronger marriage organization is something I learned about in one of my classes and loved!  They have classes that you can attend (that are fairly cheap, if not free) and recently I discovered that they have a blog that discusses different things that happen within a marriage. 

There is always something that we can improve, either within ourselves or within our marriage.  We just have to be committed and willing to make those changes. 

This is a small glimpse into my major and what I learned!  I have such a passion for this and helping others learn the information (which is why I felt I needed to share these resources).  Hopefully someone can use the information or find something helpful or fun to improve their relationship.