High school has a curriculum for a reason. English, math, science and social studies are absolutely necessary subjects if we want to live in a country with the potential for new scientists, engineers, writers and good policy creators. These are all of the jobs that make life easier for the rest of us. So for that one kid in math class who always seems to ask, “when am I ever going to use y=mx+b in the real world?!” Well, young fellow, along with that and the majority of the math you learn, you probably won’t. But here’s the thing… THAT’S OK. Teachers are still teaching these subjects because, believe it or not, some students will grow up to be those scientists, engineers, writers and good policy creators based on their budding interests and skills in these specific classes. And for that, our lives will be easier! These core classes should not be taken out of schedules or made to be optional.
But with that being said, there a number of gaps that high school has yet to fill in terms of preparing students for the highly anticipated “real world.”
1. Taxes
What happens if you don’t file? Why do you file? Where is my money going that’s taken out of my check? What is a tax write off? Why do some people get thousands back and others have to pay?
2. How to understand and fill out a W-4 (is that what it's called?)
It’s a mandatory piece of the hiring process for any legitimate job and it has something to do with taxes (see #1)…but do any of us actually know how to fill it out? And what any of it even means?
3. How insurance policies work
What is covered? What isn’t? What’s a deductible? What’s the point of it if you still get medical bills? Can you bill a co-pay? What’s the purpose of a co-pay??
4. Car stuff
Not everyone has a dad or a big brother who can show you the ins and outs of everything under the hood.
5. How to sufficiently budget $$$
Rent. Utilities. Groceries. Gas. Tuition. Clothes.
Which brings us to…
6. Credit cards and loans
Do I need one? Which one should I get? What is APR? When are you charged interest? What is a credit score? Can you recover from a bad credit score? What's a mortgage?
7. Public speaking
So that when we have to take the required college version of it, we’re somewhat prepared.
8. How to manage stress in a healthy way...
Because no one likes to be a big ball of anxiety and not know how to fix it.
9. ...and time
10. The freaking stock market
Literally too clueless about the subject entirely that there isn’t enough time to ask all of the questions I have about it.
OK, so I get it. A lot of this stuff can and should be taught by our parents…but some of our parents are still just as clueless as we are. Or some of our parents assume we're being taught it in school. Yeah, some of this stuff is offered as learning through extracurriculars in high school, but if anything is optional to a high school student, chances are they’ve got “something better” to do.
To sum it up, we learn a lot in high school. A lot of people figure out who they’re gonna be in life and what they’re gonna do. Some don’t. The basic stuff is necessary, we all have to suffer through (or enjoy!) math, science, English and social studies. But if we really want our students to be successful after age 18, they need to be pruned for the “real world” stuff, the new stuff to suffer through.
