Remember when you were getting ready to graduate middle school, and you were forewarned that high school allots you with extreme freedom? Well, looking back, was that really the case? As a current college student, I am here to tell you that you finally achieve ultimate freedom in college. I recently went with my university to see "School of Rock" on Broadway, which by the way was amazing, creative, hysterical, and warm-hearted. Anyway, our “chaperones” allowed us to wander around the city before the show started. We were not even required to have a buddy, but of course that is always preferred when you are in a large area. It was our responsibility to arrive at the theatre on time for the show.

I am an independent person, but I was lucky to be going to the show with a group of people that I know. However, what about those who are not as individualistic as me? How would they have been able to survive being in a potentially unfamiliar city alone for a certain amount of time? High schools should prepare their students to better develop independent skills. High school should arrange for students to be more exposed and aware of real life scenarios. My high school offered a class called Life Skills, but it was not a mandatory class. And from what I’ve heard, even the students who did take it did not acquire useful abilities.

Many people despise high school and the cliques and hardships that may occur throughout one’s career. However, I did not mind high school, but I would have liked it even better if I had been taught how to handle realistic situations. Being given prospective scenarios would have helped me with my involvement in the “real world.” Yes, math, English, foreign language, science, and history are all important. But what about being forced to learn how to pay taxes or do laundry or write a check? I remember learning how to write a check in an 8th grade social studies class. I was only a young teenager, and that did not do me much good. I would have rather learned how to do so later in my high school years.

One may argue that having no choice but to be independent in college allows us to make mistakes, which in turn creates learning experiences for us. This is true, but having additional steppingstones in high school that would give people life benefits is something that all high schools should implement. Students must be required to take a cooking class. They will then have the opportunity to learn how to make something other than a bowl of cereal. Students in college may join a club that asks them to prepare a dish, but how can they do so if they lack the skills? Many students are capable of doing certain tasks, but they just need to be taught first. Additionally, this teaching and learning will most likely not occur at home. Therefore, learning skills in the classroom environment will encourage students to continue to expand their knowledge and form vital abilities. This will hopefully lead to individuals becoming even more mature. A well-rounded high school student makes for an impressive college student! As a future educator and member of society, I hope to see more and more high schools make more of a fuss over learning life skills!