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11 Things I Wish I Learned In High School

High school taught us all about math, history, and science, but they failed to teach us life lessons.

11 Things I Wish I Learned In High School
Jennifer Hupko

When you're in high school, you learn how to find X in algebra, how Columbus "discovered America", how the Native Americans and Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving, elements on the Periodic Table and what verbs, nouns and adjectives are. You learn how to spell, how to write and how to be a "good student." But after high school is all said and done and you enter the real world, you realize how much you still had to learn. Sure, you know how to solve a quadratic equation, but you have no idea how to do LIFE. Here are 11 things I wish I learned in high school:


1. How to change to oil in your car.

I feel like this should be a necessary part of Driver's Education. Honestly, I didn't even know where to look in my car to see if I needed an oil change or what a "dipstick" even was.


2. How to purchase a car.

Yes, buying a car. As a young adult, buying a car is a huge deal. If you don't know what you're looking for or what you're talking about, you could end up with a car from Mr. Wormwood in "Matilda." So to avoid the whole "lemon" scenario, this should also be included in Driver's Education...


3. How to write a resume.

There are so many different formats for resumes. So many. As a high school graduate, I didn't know how to write a resume to apply for jobs when I had to enter the real world as an adult. A resume is really something that can be a deciding factor on whether you will get an interview for that dream job you always wanted.


4. How to budget.

First things first... YOU ARE NOT ROCKEFELLER. Sure, you have a job now and are making some money. But let me tell you something, you do not need those sparkly red pumps that just go perfect with that ONE dress you have that you've never worn. Put them down. When you graduate high school, life gets real and so do the bills.


5. How to interview for a job.

Going into an interview is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences, especially when you really want the job. Having interview skills makes such a huge difference in how well your interview goes. You could have all the experience in the world, but if you interview how Dale and Brennan did in "Step Brothers," you don't stand a chance.


6. How to actually cook.

When I was in school, we had Home Economics. However, the only ingredient we seemed to be allowed to use was cinnamon. Sure, I could make cinnamon muffins, cinnamon toast and French toast...but I didn't know how to make an actual meal. Learning how to actually cook would have saved a lot of epically failed dinners.


7. How to manage your time.

Procrastination is one of the biggest obstacles you have to overcome as a college student/ adult. The excuse "I'll get to it later" will only make things worse. Because let's be honest, later is usually the day your big project is due. Time management skills are essential to life. Sure, you may have gotten invited to the biggest party of the century, but your paper for your Philosophy 101 class is due at 8 am and you haven't even opened a new Word document on your computer. If only you had started it last week instead of binge watching "Orange is the New Black."

8. Survival skills.

Okay I know we aren't all going to have to worry about surviving the 75th Annual Hunger Games or the Purge...but having knowledge of survival skills would have been nice. Maybe you were a boy/girl scout in elementary school and learned how to tie a knot in a rope. But most of us haven't learned how to survive if we ended up stranded in the middle of no where. This is definitely a situation where "finding x" will not come in handy.


9. Repairing things around the house.

As a woman, I would have loved to learn how to fix the little things that go wrong. Depending on someone else is not something I enjoy doing or spending a lot of money to have someone come fix something I could have done myself.


10. Dealing with/ helping someone deal with grief.


At a young age, we think we're invincible. Very few times do we have to deal with tragedy or we're protected from it. When you get older, things become more real. Problems you had in high school were nothing compared to what life has in store for you in the real world. You're vulnerable and everyone deals with grief differently. We say the wrong things or say nothing at all.


and finally...

11. Value the time you have, you can't take it back.


I know graduating high school seems like the greatest moment of your life (it is pretty amazing), but don't wish it away. Some of the people you were friends with you may never see again. I wish I had appreciated my time in school more, because some days I really miss it. You can't go back in time, back to when life was much easier without piles of bills and job applications. Live in the moment.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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