In high school, you learn things that teachers deemed important to know. While some of it may be relevant or at least interesting, most of it seems like a waste of time. You flip through your flashcards on the steps of Mitosis and question why any of what your learning will matter a year from then. College, the big, beautiful light at the end of the tunnel looms in the distance as your chance to learn things that you will remember for the rest of your life, like how to apply for a real job and pay your taxes. Unfortunately, that's not really what college is, and the skills you learn may not be what you expect. You learn everything there is to know for your major, but that won't be until your junior year. Before then, you will sit through some tedious classes, and you will struggle in classes you thought you were done with in high school. But there are some skills that are necessary for your future, and you need to take the time in college to at least be confident enough to use these skills in your day-to-day future. For some majors, some of these are necessities that will be over-emphasized in all your classes, and for others, these will probably never be mentioned. Take the time, on your own, to learn these 14 essential skills. You will thank me later.

1. Excel/Google Sheets

2. Persuasive writing

3. Field-specific resumé and cover letter

4. Basic accounting and finance

5. Social media and website building

6. Public speaking

7. Leadership and teamwork

8. Time management

9. Research tools and essay writing

10. Interviewing and networking

11. Basic coding languages

12. Creative problem solving and proactivity

13. Editing (print, photo, video and sound)

14. Home improvement and cooking (beyond macaroni and cheese)