18 is a fun age. You’re finally liberated from childhood and launched forward into the big world of adulting. Whether you’re off to college or about to start in the ‘big kid’ world working, you’re off to a great, big world full of adventures. Here is a list of 18 things you should be able to do (or you should teach your child) before you turn 18:
1. Make your bed
There’s a speech I’m particularly fond of in which an Navy Seal Admirable discusses the pros of making your bed each morning. He claims that if you make your bed first thing in the morning, you will be inspired to complete another task, and then another. All of these small tasks can lead into something much bigger at the end of the day. Even if, in worst case scenario, everything that could possibly go wrong does and you are left feeling as if the world hates you and you can’t do anything, you will at least have a nice made up bed to come home to.
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2. Cook a meal that’s not frozen pizza
Even if you don’t move out immediately when you turn 18, you should be able to cook for yourself. That doesn’t mean frozen pizza and Ramen. While delicious, your body will eventually crave something else and you’ll need to be able to do it yourself.
3. Balance a checkbook
This goes without saying. Having your own place comes with bills. You’ll need to know how to balance a checkbook when those bills start rolling in. Even if you plan on living in a dorm room shortly after high school, you’ll still need to be able to do this because you never know when there may come a time when you have to write your tuition and textbook checks.
4. Know how to save money and spend wisely
It is never too early to start saving for the future. You want to have an emergency fund in case something comes up. You get a speeding ticket and don’t want to tell your parents? Emergency fund. Your washer breaks? Emergency fund. You somehow get incredibly lucky and don’t have any misfortunes? Retirement fund. Saving your money is so incredibly important, but it also goes hand in hand with spending wisely. You want to ‘treat yo self?’ Do it. But don’t splurge every single week on something you don’t need. The supermarket is having a sale on toilet paper? Go ahead and load up, you know it’s something you’ll need and it can hold forever.
5. Learn how to make a budget
Creating a budget does wonders for your financial life. With a budget, you will find that (in most cases) you won’t have to live from paycheck to paycheck. Not only can it help with making the most of your finances, but it also forces you to evaluate your spending habits. It’s okay to splurge once in awhile, but when it becomes a frequent thing and you’re constantly finding yourself running out of money, it might be time to re-evaluate. Having a budget forces you to be honest about your spending habits and gives you the room to spend where you need it (etc: 20% to savings, 30% to groceries and necessities, 40% to expenses and bills, 5% eating out, 5% to leisure).
6. And how to stick to one
Being able to create a budget won’t do anything for you if you can’t stick with it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve overheard someone talking about how they’re running out of money and need their parents to send them some. This is not a healthy habit to have. No only does it display a lack of an ability to handle money, but it also creates a habit of running to your parents when things go wrong.
Parents: If you’re going to give your kids an allowance in college, give them that and that alone. If they go over for the month, then they must deal with it.
7. Take care of your finances in general
If you haven’t been able to tell already, FINANCES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. The habits you make now are the ones that will stick with you forever. You do not want to create a habit of living beyond your means.
8. Be able to do laundry
Don’t be Chad from Sigma Apple Pi and have to ask someone else to do his laundry for him. This is a basic life skill you should be able to do. If you have to rely on someone else to either do or help you with your laundry, you’re going to be stuck when something comes up and no one is there for you.
9. Know how to stand up for yourself
This one goes without saying. In your 18 years of life, you have most likely had a time where you have felt cheated or swindled. As you move through life you’ll realize that those times never go away. Know how to stand up for what is right and, most importantly, how to stand up for yourself.
10. Ask for what you want
If you never ask, you will never get it.
11. Know how to ask for help
This one is huge. So many people are scared to ask for help. They believe it makes them look weak or incapable. You’ll find that there are times where you don’t understand a concept in your math class or you’re not sure how to finish a project assigned by your boss. Whatever the case might be, it’s always okay to ask for help.
12. More importantly, know how to help yourself
Sometimes no one will be able to help. Either they don’t know how to or there’s a problem that you will just have to face yourself. Regardless, you’ll need to know how to figure some things out by yourself and trust that you are capable of doing so.
13. Be resourceful
Being resourceful is a key solution in solving problems by yourself. Don’t be afraid to try new things or solve a problem unconventionally. If you’re about to enter your broke college student days, I can’t stress enough how important it is to be resourceful.
14. Be able to use soft skills
No one wants to be around someone who doesn’t have ‘soft skills.’ It may sound harsh, but it’s true. If you can’t make eye contact with someone or don’t know how to make small talk, work on that.
15. Know how to work with deadlines
Whether you’re off to college or about to start working, you’re going to have deadlines. Every job has deadlines. It could be the time you need to show up at work or an important project that needs to be done by a certain date. If you’re going to school, you’ll soon find that working with deadlines can be tricky with you have 15+ of them in the same week. Time management is key here.
16. Know when it’s your turn to take out the trash
Whether you’re going to be living with roommates in a dorm or an apartment, you’ll realize that there are numerous chores to be taken care of. Even if you don’t have roommates, you’ll be the one doing all the chores. If you do have roommates, make sure you’re doing your fair share. No one wants to be the only person taking out the trash, recycling, scrubbing, etc.
17. Be able to handle your problems
In whatever way you handle problems, be sure you know how to do it. You’re going to have all sorts of problems from friends, professors, bosses, roommates, assignments. Know how to deal with them. If you can deal with them, then you can move forward to either finding a solution or even just coping.
18. Know how to cope
Problems arise, sometimes you’ll have problems that can’t be solved and you’re forced to have to cope. You want to be able to cope in a healthy way. Whether that’s hitting up the gym, going on a run, sleeping, crying, cooking, reading - whatever you have to do, be able to cope. Don’t turn to harmful substances that can affect your body, mind, or relationships.
