Looking at it from afar, a program’s curriculum may come off as some sort of checklist for the students. It’s a series of courses to be completed and passed within a given timeframe before moving to another set of courses. What makes the courses different for everyone is that the journey is unique to each student, from undergrads to seasoned professionals in post-grad. In this article, we take a look back on last semester’s journeys from the perspective of students who came out victorious amidst their challenges.

HEEd 120 (Household Resource Management) provides a "hands-on" course in the field that emphasizes resourcefulness in practice over pure theory. For students like Kai, one of the most significant hurdles in this course is a group project requiring students to raise funds without initial capital, requiring them to pull from their knowledge, skills, talents, good ol’ creativity, and time management (it’s a timed challenge that felt like Amazing Race!). Ultimately, it taught them that time, energy, and skills are all valuable resources that must be managed with intention.

“One of my favorite projects was the final requirement, where we were given a month to learn or improve a skill that could positively impact our lives. My key takeaway from this class is that everything can be considered a resource, such as time, energy, skills, and more, and it is our responsibility to manage and utilize them wisely. To future students, I encourage you not to view this course as just another requirement. HEEd 120 is a valuable opportunity to develop skills and perspectives that can genuinely improve your daily life.” — Kai

HEEd 135 (Instructional Strategies in Home Economics) puts the “unsettling” weight of translating the educational theories they learned in prerequisites courses to teaching sessions as they take their position as the educator. For students like Elaine, the "mental weight" of the final teaching demonstration stands as the most challenging milestone, often accompanied by significant anxiety and overthinking. Students had to “wrestle” these fears through speaking activities and impromptu presentations to help them become comfortable with their own voices. This process teaches a vital lesson for future educators: teaching is not about a "flawless performance," but about trusting the extensive preparation, knowledge, and planning built throughout the semester.

“The experience showed me that teaching is not only about preparing lessons or delivering content. It is also about thinking quickly, adjusting when things do not go as planned, and continuing to teach even when you are unsure of yourself. There were moments during preparation when I doubted myself, especially when I was trying to fit all my activities within the time limit, and those moments made me realize that planning alone is not enough to say you are fully ready. In the end, it taught me how to be an effective teacher and experience what it is like to be one. For the future HEEd 135 survivors, if there is one piece of advice I would give you, it is this: trust your preparation more than your fear.” — Elaine

If HEEd 135 is the shooting range, you could say that HEEd 147 (Practicum II Teaching Home Economics) is the battlefield. Students are immersed in the actual education field, facing a "challenging yet fulfilling" reality. This endeavor demands high flexibility, as student-teachers may need to master and deliver varying content, such as Agriculture in one quarter and Home Economics in the next. Chari shares that moments of breakthrough often occur during practical projects, such as teaching students to hand-sew coasters. These experiences highlight that student motivation often stems from the patience and support of the teacher. The practicum underscores that effective teaching relies as much on establishing strong student-teacher relationships as it does on technical expertise.

“Students not only remember the lessons you have taught but also the way you taught them. The lessons may be forgotten, but the treatment leaves its mark on them. Thus, effective teaching accounts for both expertise in the subject matter or its technicalities, as well as the teacher–student relationship, because it encourages students to like learning more.” — Chari

A leap further into the program and we get a glimpse of what it is like to survive a graduate-level class in HEEd 214 (Home Economics in the Educational System). For Ms. Joy, the transition back to graduate school after decades was made significantly smoother by the meticulous organization of HEEd 214, where she found the well-prepared course pack and thoughtfully organized timeline to be essential tools for her success. The clear guidelines and standards provided a necessary roadmap that helped her navigate the heavy workload and set high personal performance standards while balancing her full-time professional life. The unique environment of having very few classmates served as a constant motivator, requiring her to always arrive prepared with assigned readings and engage in attentive, active discussion. Ultimately, she reflects on the course with gratitude, noting that it set the tone for her entire graduate program by teaching her how to effectively harmonize her academic ambitions with her professional and household responsibilities.

Miss Joy shares that as a working professional, post-grad students must navigate the exhaustion of evening classes following a full workday, relearning how to manage time for academic readings alongside household chores. Researching often requires "detective work", demanding just as much, if not more, time and effort than undergrad classes. 

“I tend to overthink, wondering whether the materials I gathered are sufficient to present comprehensive information, whether the time I allotted for preparing my presentation and paper is enough, or whether I have exerted enough effort to produce quality work. Through this course, I learned to manage these concerns more effectively by planning ahead and focusing on what is essential.” — Miss Joy

Whether navigating the "Amazing Race" of fundraising in HEEd 120, overcoming the "mental weight" of the final teaching demonstration in HEEd 135, or facing the "battlefield" of the actual classroom in HEEd 147, these student stories reveal that the HEEd curriculum is far more than a simple checklist of courses. From undergraduates learning to manage their time and skills as valuable resources to post-graduates like Ms. Joy balancing professional life with rigorous "detective work" in research, the journey is defined by a commitment to learn the field of home economics education and grow as a person ready to tackle life.