Or some similar major? I was reading the blog of one who got a degree like this. Then when she didn't snare a husband, went to Beauty School so she could get a job.

A woman with that degree would be equally up a creek if her husband died unexpectedly without leaving her with major assets while she still had children to support or if her marriage didn't work out. If the woman happened to be bright enough to pass whatever teaching exams a state required, she would be within a year of a teaching credential, assuming she had any aptitude whatsoever for teaching. Otherwise, that diploma would be a pretty worthless piece of paper.The BYU administration should be embarrassed to offer such a useless degree.

And then she'd be qualified to teach...Family Studies?
Perpetuating the cycle?

Wonderful. :(

ificouldhietokolob Wrote:
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> And then she'd be qualified to teach...Family
> Studies?
> Perpetuating the cycle?
>
> Wonderful. :(

I'm unsure as to how it works in other states, but in California if she passed the right sub-tests of the CSET, she would qualify for a multi-subject credential program. that means she could teach a self-contained classroom. In most districts that would be kindergarten through sixth grade, though it goes up to eighth grade in some rural districts. Also, some continuation school programs use multiple subject teachers in their high school programs. Adult schools also sometimes use teachers with multiple subject credentials for their GED programs. She could also opt for a special education credential in place of or in addition to a multiple subject credential.

I'm not saying that the children of the world would be best served by having a teacher who was there because that was the only above-minimum-wage job she could get with just a year of additional schooling, but realistically there are already a whole lot of people in the teaching profession who are there by default. (Some teachers, thank goodness, are not there by default.) Also, if the woman with the family studies degree is not at least moderately facile with regard to linguistic and logical-mathematical concepts (or, as we sometimes say to spare the feelings of those who struggle with academic concepts, "not a good test-taker"), a multiple subject credential via examination as opposed to through an education or liberal arts undergraduate degree would not be an option for her. Passage of the CSET is meant to certify that a person has familiarity with the subject matter that would have been covered had the person studied the required fields in college or university. (California's CBEST, on the other hand, screens only for the most basic of academic skills. A smart fifth-grader or average eighth-grader should pass it. Anyone who can't pass the CBEST after a few tries shouldn't be teaching your kids or mine.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/2017 05:06PM by scmd.

scmd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
Passage of the CSET is meant to
> certify that a person has familiarity with the
> subject matter that would have been covered had
> the person studied the required fields in college
> or university. (California's CBEST, on the other
> hand, screens only for the most basic of academic
> skills. A smart fifth-grader or average
> eighth-grader should pass it. Anyone who can't
> pass the CBEST after a few tries shouldn't be
> teaching your kids or mine.)

I took the CBEST a few years ago when I was between jobs, thinking that I might do some substitute teaching. There were a couple of people in line in front of me the morning of the test who were bemoaning that they had already failed to pass it once or twice. Once I had taken the test myself, I was stunned by that. I am highly educated in the Humanities and English, but my math has never been great, and I still found the math portion easy. I recall one of the people who said she had already failed the CBEST twice said she was currently teaching 3rd grade, maybe as a long-term sub. :-(

Is this the same as the infamous Family Relations & Child Development degree program?

Yes, in my day that was the degree that screemed "I'm really not interested in anything but popping out kids." At both Ricks and BYU it was called CDFR (Child Development and Family Relations). I do know a couple of girls who got that degree and later went back and took some education classes and have been teachers for many years. I really don't think it's as big of a percentage of degrees now as it was 40+ years ago. There are more girls who know they may need to have actual education that can earn them a living if they need it.

CDFR was huge in the '60s! It meant you weren't some uppity 'thinker' kind of girl who at moment might burn her bra or talk back...

I know a girl, who got pregnant her sophomore year. She wanted to study PR, but then switched to family studies cause it was easier and more applicable to her life. She says that she enjoyed the program and feels like it helped her to be a better mom and a wife. But yeah, I wonder what she could do with her degree, if she got divorced.

That's sad. She's doing it for her own convenience. I wonder years from now when she realizes it only served to benefit her position over where her potential and passions really are. One day, she will realize she could have made a living doing something she loved.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/2017 05:08PM by helenm.

She's not the first woman, who completely left her dreams behind. She got pregnant very young and unexpectedly. I know she struggled and probably didn't feel ready for many things.Now her husband is in medical school and she doesn't have to work. Her children are her everything, which is great, but it ever won't be about her and her dreams ever again.

goldrose Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> She's not the first woman, who completely left her
> dreams behind. She got pregnant very young and
> unexpectedly. I know she struggled and probably
> didn't feel ready for many things.Now her husband
> is in medical school and she doesn't have to work.
> Her children are her everything, which is great,
> but it ever won't be about her and her dreams ever
> again.

If she thinks she's guaranteed a sweet life because her husband is in medical school, she may eventually find out otherwise, and may still someday rue the day she gave up her plan for a "real" degree for a bogus one.

Yeah, when he dumps her for some one more mentally stimulating.

elderolddog Wrote:
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> Yeah, when he dumps her for some one more mentally
> stimulating.

Exactly!

Unfortunately, plenty of my Mormon friends won't admit that divorce can happen to them too. They get married in the temple and think they can make anything work. I hope it will work out for her, but you never know

There is still hope, but it will ultimately be up to her whether she wants it enough for herself.

I wonder if such degree programs are intended for the elite girls. There are wealthy LDS families who give their kids trust funds. But those young women are a pretty small part of the BYU population, which makes me wonder if they must work hard to lure middle class girls into signing up for the major.

One of my talented nieces did.

Now she's a TBM SAHM.

The church is true!

Chicken N. Backpacks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of my talented nieces did.
>
> Now she's a TBM SAHM.
>
> The church is true!


Being a TBM SAHP is great for anyone for whom it works out. It's just scary that some who aren't trust fund babies are duped into thinking such a course of study is a responsible use of the money required to fund tuition and living expenses associated with attending college..

I was a SAHM, and that was great. But when I tried to be a TBM SAHM, it didn't work out. Too much stress; almost ruined my marriage. So we became lukewarm Mormons, but guilt caused us to be full tithe payers to make up for it. That was a mistake.

If the church really cared about families, it would tell everyone except the wealthy to keep their tithe and just make an offering of whatever they can afford without depriving their children. But TSCC doesn't care if you deprive your children, so long as they get your money. My daughter appeared to have a talent for music, but we couldn't afford to pay for the music lessons. If we had not paid that stupid tithing, she would have had those lessons and developed her talent. Her life isn't as rich or fulfilling as it could have been.

brigidbarnes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was a SAHM, and that was great. But when I tried
> to be a TBM SAHM, it didn't work out. Too much
> stress; almost ruined my marriage. So we became
> lukewarm Mormons, but guilt caused us to be full
> tithe payers to make up for it. That was a
> mistake.
>
> If the church really cared about families, it
> would tell everyone except the wealthy to keep
> their tithe and just make an offering of whatever
> they can afford without depriving their children.
> But TSCC doesn't care if you deprive your
> children, so long as they get your money. My
> daughter appeared to have a talent for music, but
> we couldn't afford to pay for the music lessons.
> If we had not paid that stupid tithing, she would
> have had those lessons and developed her talent.
> Her life isn't as rich or fulfilling as it could
> have been.

This is sad, Brigid. It's unconscionable that the LDS church not only willingly takes money from people not wealthy enough to be giving it, but actually commands them to give 10%.

Now it's called "Family and Consumer Science." Here's the requirements for the major:

https://registrar.byu.edu/catalog/2014-2015ucat/departments/FamilyLife/FamConsSciEduMajor.php

Confession time: I did take the NFDS 250/251 (Lab), "Essentials of Food Science," and got a D+. My term paper was on the merits of Chef Boy-R-Dee vs. Franco-American.

According to BYU Admissions, the ten most popular majors are (by rank):

Exercise Science
Elementary Education
Psychology
Management
English
Public Health
Computer Science
Family Life
Chemical Engineering
Communications

So yes, Family Life is big.

caffiend Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now it's called "Family and Consumer Science."
> Here's the requirements for the major:
>
> https://registrar.byu.edu/catalog/2014-2015ucat/de
> partments/FamilyLife/FamConsSciEduMajor.php


That one is actually a credential option program, basically the modern equivalent of the old home economics teacher preparation courses. As lightweight as it may seem, the load is heavy as compared to Family life/family studies. https://catalog.byu.edu/family-home-and-social-sciences/school-of-family-life/family-life-family-studies-bs

Thanks for the catch; I was careless.

"Home Economics" is actually useful. It should include a program in financial literacy: how interest is computed, how to manage credit & debt, different types of life insurance, how to commit to savings and investments, etc. with a major emphasis on how to live within one's means, etc. etc.

my wife was forced to change to this major when she was almost kicked out of BYU for failing grades in her own major, mostly due to screwing around too much. She spent an extra year there in order to graduate after changing majors.

It sounds like one of those liberal arts majors where you have to figure out how to translate it into a job that pays a decent wage. I suppose someone with that major could take additional classes to get an elementary teaching credential, or go to graduate school in elementary education, social work, or other fields.

Those degrees will get you into some grad programs including many law schools but usually don't stand alone in terms of getting anyone a decent job. I say usually because my sister-in-law lucked into a pretty good bank job because the employing agency cared that she held a bachelor's degree from a respected university; they didn't really care what bachelor's degree it was.