Marriage prep class is first of its kind in U.S.
Utah State University has developed the nation’s first university-sponsored pre-marital education course.
The course, “Saying ‘I Do’: Consider the Possibilities”, was made available on the Internet earlier this month. The Utah Governor’s Marriage Commission teamed up with USU’s Cooperative Extension Service and the Utah Department of Workforce Services to provide the free online course to the public.
According to the course’s introduction, the aim of the course is to “provide instruction, resources, skills, and hope to couples who are considering marriage as well as couples desiring to strengthen their marriage so that they can enjoy all of the benefits marriage has to offer.” Research has shown that couples who participate in some form of marriage preparatory classes are more successful than those who don’t.
James Marshall, a USU extension specialist, developed the program.
“A lot of people don’t know how [to make their marriage better], or want to take the time to find out,” Marshall said.
He said the course is an easy way for people to find out how to make their marriage better.
“The reason we set up this course is to strengthen marriages and families in Utah and to help prevent unnecessary divorces,” Marshall said.
The course is organized into seven sections, covering topics such as finances, your partner, and the “three C’s,” commitment, communication and conflict management.
Marshall said a survey was conducted of 2,020 different newlyweds before these topics were chosen. The newlyweds were asked what they and their spouse fought about the most. Marshall said the most common answers were debts brought into the marriage and balancing the amount of time spent at work and at home.
Each section of the class is filled with large amounts of advice from experts, and are designed for easy navigation, Marshall said. A student doesn’t have to read every single section of the Web site; if they desire, they can pick and choose.
There is even a search feature on the Web site, if there is one particular thing someone wants to learn about. Most sections also include quizzes which can be taken to rate a person’s relationship. These quizzes are helpful when deciding which area of the relationship needs to be worked on the most.
The sections also include inspirational quotes such as “Love is a four-letter word spelled t-i-m-e,” and advice from marriage experts.
Sharon Thacker, a junior psychology major and a newlywed, said she loves the Web site. She said that it’s full of ideas and useful hints about being married.
“It explores every aspect of marriage and having a family so that you’re prepared for it all when it comes along,” Thacker said.
She said she recommends visiting the Web site to anyone considering marriage.
The course is free to the public and can be accessed through the Utah Governor’s Commission on Marriage’s Web site at www.utahmarriage.org.
-sophisan@cc.usu.edu