There's No Place Like College by Hannah

There's No Place Like College by Hannah - January 2023 Scholarship Essay

After Covid-19 was introduced to us in 2020, so were many other hardships to our communities and world. Lack of fast-food and restaurant availability pressured families to cook at home. Others, accustomed to living paycheck-to-paycheck were placed in a deeper financial rut as their workplaces struggled to distribute payroll. Home services were no longer available, and some households helplessly tried to manage simple car, plumbing, and house maintenance without any professional company assistance. As I witnessed the newfound need for (and lack of) self-sufficiency in my community due to Covid-19, I realized the call for home and lifestyle education. Youth are commonly taught home and lifestyle economics in elementary schools, where they learn simple sewing, baking, and finance tips. However, this type of education is lost when these kids grow up and transition into adulthood. In fact, according to the American Dream Education campaign, many students between 15 and 21 claim they feel completely unprepared to face the world of adulthood in the 21st century. These students graduate from college still not competent enough to function successfully in their personal lives. Why then, at the time of life when this type of education is most pertinent, is it unavailable to the average university student? I believe that, not only should a home and lifestyle economics course be an available class at every university, but that there would also be great benefit to every individual and consequently the future of our world if it were to be a required class.

The home and lifestyle economics course would be a co-ed course and introduce university students to the nuances of happily owning property and having a family, if the student so chooses in his or her future. This would include areas of money management, healthy living, and property maintenance. The money management unit would provide instruction on taxes, investing, and overall financial literacy. The healthy living portion would teach students how to grow food, make meals from scratch, and fully prepare against a potential food shortage. Lastly, the property maintenance unit would entail practical advice on how to take care of various types of household appliances, such as cars, plumbing, and basic housekeeping.

Ultimately, this home and lifestyle economics course would provide resources and instruction to equip university students with certain abilities so that they become less reliant on professional help for managing a house and family. I believe this will give them more stability in their lives and truly prepare them for their future. By learning how to save money, make meals, and take care of private property, these students will enjoy a healthy, happy life as well-rounded, self-sufficient individuals. ‘There’s no place like home,’ as the saying goes, and I believe that there is no better place than college to guide people on the road to personal success in their everyday lives.