You’ve made it to the real world; congratulations! You’ve now joined the real world of independence and responsibilities. You’ve got this, right? Well, just you wait until you have to pay taxes or have a job interview for the first time and you realize all the things that high school never taught you about the real world. Here are just a few.
1. How to cook.
Remember all the stories your parents had about a their Home Ec classes? Yeah, that would have been very helpful for us.
2. How to balance a checkbook.
I feel like this is something that we should know how to do by now.
3. How to buy a car or house.
Any payment installments are terrifying. How are we supposed to know what’s a good rate and what isn't?
4. How to do taxes.
I don’t even know where to start with these. I feel like I’m reading Greek.
5. How to budget every month.
You have to have enough for food, apartment or house payments, your car payment, bills, and other necessities. You have to budget how to live month by month.
6. How to have a successful job interview.
What questions are they most likely going to ask? What should I wear? What should I bring?
7. How to write a W2.
I literally called my Dad to help me fill one out, I had no idea what I was doing. That would have been helpful to know.
8. How to take out student loans.
I don’t even know where to start, or what website to use. How do I even know if it went through? The website never told me.
9. How to be successful at time management.
Remember all that work you still have to do? Yeah, you went out with your friends instead. Time management is difficult sometimes.
10. How to write a resume.
What about me should I let people know? How long should it be? What types of things should I include in a resume? How should I organize it?
11. How to live with someone else successfully.
You have a roommate in college and usually in an apartment after college. But how do you solve issues successfully and in a respectful way? How do you become a great roommate?
These are just a few of the thing that high school never taught us about the real world. I’m sure there are others out there, but I’m also sure that you can relate to at least one of these. Despite these setbacks, I’m certain that you will survive the real world and learn all of these skills in your own time. Hey, that’ what being on your own is all about!
