It's 2016. If you're telling me that the job you walk off with at graduation after getting your degree means you are super successful and set to be an adult, there's a whole world outside the walls of your university that will prove you otherwise. Getting the job you want and being with the crowd you are is only half the battle, actually being a real person and knowing how to act in certain situations is the other. Surprise, surprise... there are indeed things in college that they don't teach you in class that can help you with that second half. Here's 10 of them:
1. How to work the room.
Frat party is to college what a client dinner meeting is to work. You should be able to walk up to someone who you have never met before and find a common interest to discuss. Dancing on an elevated surface won't get you a boyfriend or a client, so learn how to actually speak to someone.
2. Holding your liquor.
Everyone has a drink number. In college, you have several opportunities to learn that number. Learn it, live it, and love it because your boss won't walk you home and buy you pizza from the people outside the bars in the real world.
3. Public speaking.
Public speaking is considered the human race's biggest fear, more so than death. College is a time to practice this. You are going to have to present yourself to a large group of people out of college at some point, whether it be a team, the Junior League crew in your hometown if that's how you roll, or a board of executives. Familiarize yourself with what makes you comfortable when speaking and master it.
4. Cooking a good breakfast.
Ramen may have worked as an underclassman for your boyfriend or girlfriend that spent that night in your five-by-five dorm. However, if you're looking to get serious or at least impress someone who spends the night, know how to put together a stack of pancakes and not burn scrambled eggs- oh, and keep some orange juice in the fridge. If not for someone else, at least do it for yourself.
5. Uncork a wine bottle.
Realistically, the knife or scissors in the drawer that you used freshman year is much harder than the actual wine opener itself, so have no fear. It will be very embarrassing if you can't open your own bottle at an event or someone's house, so learn how to do it gracefully or invest in the electronic opener.
6. Do an interview.
This goes back to working the room and public speaking. Take the time in college to figure out who you are so you don't feel the need to memorize yourself to recite to an employer. Take on those practice interviews they offer at your school, and figure out what makes you you so you can land the job of your dreams.
7. Take flashcards out with you at night when you know you have an exam the next day.
Aka... know your priorities and balance them well. I took my flashcards out for my bio exam to my own birthday dinner. This will help when your best friend's bachelor(ette) party is the night before your annual meeting.
8. Throw together an acceptable outfit in the 10 minutes you've left yourself from snoozing your alarm twice before class.
Learn how to dress in college. You should not take three hours to get ready for work or for a meeting because at that point, you're just wasting time you could be utilizing for legitimate things like getting coffee or practicing an intro to a presentation.
9. Understand the rules to at least one sport.
Go to a sports game in college, ask the woman next to you who is wearing the "so-and-so's mom" shirt to explain a few things that just happened in the game, and memorize it. No one wants to take you out to a sporting event corporate function or even a date if you can't somewhat hold a conversation about the current happenings on the court or field.
10. Dance with someone, and I don't mean twerk or grinding.
Switch out your Miley for Frank or Dean. Learn some steps, because twerking at 25 is only acceptable when you're with your friends and in a corner and you've been dumped or in your 5 o'clock Zumba class.
If you have all of these mastered, kudos to you. In the scheme of things, these are so simple in comparison to doing taxes and taking out loans. So at least while we're clueless about performing real adult-people tasks that college just didn't seem to teach us, we can fool everyone else that we aren't clueless by performing these simplistic tasks with class and common sense.