I spent four long years in high school. We were told that after graduation, we would be ready to take on the world as fully-functional adults. Maybe I took too many senior skip days, but I feel like there are some serious gaps in my education.
1. How to study in college.
It seemed like most of high school was geared toward getting us ready for college. Whether it was making sure we took the highest level classes we could, packing our applications with extracurriculars, or taking the SATs and ACTs multiple times, college always seemed to be the focus. But when I got here, I realized I didn't learn one crucial skill—how to study for tests and exams.
But thank God I can write in cursive.
2. Anything about banking or investing.
I have a bank account and know how to put money in it and take it back out. Beyond that, school didn’t teach me anything about banking. I don’t know how to invest or help make my money work for me.
But what I can do is play “Hot Cross Buns” on a recorder.
3. How to do taxes.
I’m not even entirely sure what taxes are, to be honest, but I know I have to pay them at the beginning of each year. There are tons of services you can use to get your taxes done, but it would be nice to know the process, even just a little.
But you know what’s more important than taxes? MLA citation.
4. How to vote.
It seems like a simple process, right? You just walk in and press a button, and then you’re done. Not exactly. You have to register to vote, figure out where your poling place is, and know when and what political offices you can vote for.
But at least I can tell you how to read a periodic table.
5. How to buy a house or car.
I’m not exactly at this point yet in life, but when I am, I’m screwed. How do I get in contact with a realtor? How do I know how much I can afford? How do I avoid getting cheated at a dealership? I have no clue.
But SOH CAH TOA, am I right?
6. How to dress for different occasions.
In high school I had pretty much two ways of dressing—normally and for prom. You’re saying that my tux and aquamarine bowtie isn’t appropriate for job interviews?
But I can tell you all about the different kinds of triangles.
7. How to survive job interviews.
Speaking of job interviews, high school failed to let me know that they weren’t all going to be as easy as my first interview for a minimum-wage job in a concession stand. There are lots of questions, paperwork, and niceties exchanged at a job interview, yet I know none of them.
But who needs to impress an employer with your resume and cover letter when you can put a condom on a banana like they showed you in Health class?
8. Time management.
In school, you’re told when to start working, finish working, change classes, eat, and go home. After you graduate, things aren’t a cut and dry. People don’t tell you what to do or when to do it. Adult-ing is a lot of responsibility; responsibility that I don’t want.
But if you give a group of numbers, I can tell you the mean, median and mode pretty quickly.
9. The importance of mental health.
School always stressed the importance of being physically healthy. We had years of gym and health class, and all complained about Michelle Obama’s school lunch movement that made our portions of pizza and chicken poppers smaller. But school didn’t ever talk much about mental health, which is just as important as your physical health. Young adults nowadays face more stress and mental health issues than any generation before them, yet we’re completely unequipped it handle these problems.
But hey, we have a piece of paper that tells us we’re fully prepared for adulthood. What more do we need to know?
