After 3 semesters in college, I have had the opportunity to look back at my high school experience and I have discovered that in some ways, it was lacking. After graduating high school, you are expected to become at least somewhat independent whether that means going to college, getting a job, or joining the military. No matter which route you choose, you won't have as much help from your parents that you are used to having.
Since coming to college, I have had multiple experiences in the "grown-up world". For example, I had to fill out W-4 forms for a new job, I had to figure out how to keep track of my bank account, I've had to learn to drive places on a route I've never taken, and I've had to plan events that weren't just for my friends and myself. I had no idea how unprepared I was for the real world.
In school, we learn math, reading, writing, science, and maybe a new language. While all of those subjects are necessary, what about life skills? While academics may give us the knowledge necessary to do well in college classes, it does not prepare us for everyday life. What do we do when we are three hours away from home and have to fill out insurance paperwork? What about when we need to look at bank statements and pay bills? What do we do when we need to write a resume and a cover letter? Or even when we need to cook our own dinner or sew a hole in our pants?
Unfortunately, schools have made standardized testing their priority. All class time is dedicated to preparing a student for a single test because the school needs to look good. While some preparation is okay, the abundance of it has come at the expense of basic life skills.
Schools should include classes that teach basic skills like banking and professional development. Classes like home economics should be mandatory or at least more encouraged.
Students graduating high school today are not as prepared for the real world as they should be. Schools need to work on rectifying that. When I look back on my high school experience, it is clear that my agricultural classes were the ones that prepared me the most. While I will always use the information that I learned in my other classes, the unconventional classes were the ones that ended up having an influence in my success while living on my own.
The public school system needs to make a change. Succeeding on a test does not prepare you for life after graduation.
