The older and more educated I get, the stupider I realize I am. It wasn't until this past year, of filling out my taxes myself for the first time and cosigning on my new to me car that I realized how little I know. It's funny how the education system considers us good to go after 12 years of fractions, history, and sentence diagraming. They didn't check to make sure I knew how to budget or pick an electric company. Here are some classes I wish they offered in high school or even college.
1. Budgeting 101
Yeah, I know my high school offered personal finance, but it was considered a joke class. No one learned anything in that class. I want a real life application.
2. Grocery Shopping (For More Than Just Junk Food) 102
When you no longer have a meal plan and have to actually buy life sustaining groceries, it can be really daunting.
3. Savings and Its Importance 212
I just started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and wow. I honestly didn't know just how important it is to save. We should be telling everyone.
4. Living Space Hunting 215
Hgtv made getting a living space look tremendously easy. They did not prepare me for all the questions I should ask before signing a lease. I was still living in the dorms, what did I know about asking about water allocation? (Answer: Absolutely nothing)
5. Stress Management 243
I'm talking about real life ways to deal with stress. Teach us how not to use bad coping mechanisms to deal with stress. Give us real life things we can do. Tell us that it's okay to take a break for our mental health.
6. Balance: How To Say No 305
But life for real, every needs to quit telling us we should say yes to everything. We aren't superheroes. We can't do it all. So start telling us to do what we can to the best of our ability. Not do everything you can crappily.
7. Health Insurance and You 325
Why you need to get your facts straight now. We won't all be ignorantly voting and signing up for things if we are actually taught about how health care works and why we need it.
8. Taxes and The IRS 340
I just freaked out for the entire 3 hours I filed my taxes this past year. Its NBD. (Read as: SEND HELP SEND IT NOW)
9. Investing 489
Dave Ramsey. He got some things to say about this and I really wish I understood what it all really means. The only thing I know is that smart rich people do it.
10. Human Decency 490 (Capstone)
That's right. Everyone should have to take a class about respecting fellow humans and about how to peacefully disagree and have conversations. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all knew how to peacefully talk about things we disagree about?
So there you have it. What are you some classes you think we should have the chance to take?
