Admit it. We’ve all been there. That eye opening moment in our lives that leaves us wondering what exactly did we learn in high school. Yes, of course you learned Math and English along with some History or Science; but what exactly did you learn though. If only there was some type of guidance to help us figure out what other skills should we be learning. Ding, Ding, Ding, you found one. Me! Of course I’m no expert but like anyone else I’ve been there. There are five major things students should be learning before trying to survive adulthood.
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1.Networking
Networking is one of the best ways to move forward in this world. The people you know can help you either succeed or fail. You most certainly want to succeed so having trustworthy contacts is important. Even some of your high school classmates can help you obtain a job or help you in difficult times. Building strong relationships with people is key to beginning a good networking source. Your professor or teacher is always a best source to be part of your networking contacts
2. Job Interview Skills
Quite recently I had a job interview and I cannot tell you how nervous I was. Although the questions they asked weren’t difficult, I was not prepared. Further into the interview I relaxed myself and it was a piece of cake. Learning how to answer questions like “tell me about yourself” should not be difficult. Although learning the hard way is always a good lesson, you do not want to be that person who is either not prepared or late. However, high schools should most definitely teach interview skills as well as how to appropriately dress for them.
3. Tying a tie
You should most definitely know how to tie a tie. Formal events and even some job interviews require you to wear formal outfits. It would be nice if you could do it yourself. Whether it be a guy, a girl or even a 10-year-old, anyone and everyone should learn to tie a tie. I have seen so many of my male friends and even siblings struggle to tie a tie. I recommend this skill not only because you want to look good doing it yourself but because you never know when it might come in handy.
4.Cooking Lessons
It would be awesome if schools taught students how to cook. Not only would students not starve to death but students would eat much healthier. Talking to some of my friends has made me realize that none of them know how to cook. Although it is a bit funny to watch them struggle making some scrambled eggs, it shouldn’t be a laughing matter. Learning how to become independent is something we’re all doing. These are basic skills that we all need to learn in order to thrive in a tough world.
5. Taxes
The majority of students who graduate high school don’t know important life skills such as how to file taxes, how to prepare for job interviews or simply how to fill out financial paperwork. As boring as it may sound, it is crucial that students know these skills in order to succeed in life. After I graduated high school there was so much paperwork to fill out for my financial aid application and I’ll be honest, I had no idea what I was reading. There are high schools that offer financial literacy classes and that is amazing, however aside from teaching students to be money savvy and financial literate in some subjects. Students should know how to incorporate that information into a 1040 IRS document.
Surviving adulthood is hard enough, and it's even harder when we don't have the proper skills that we need. Hopefully you won't have to take the long difficult road like I did. Best of luck out there. It's a tough world.
