Things I Wish I Knew Sooner by Jamie

Things I Wish I Knew Sooner by Jamie - February 2022 Scholarship Essay

It is not often that colleges and universities poll their alumni to determine if any crucial life skills were left untaught during the course of a student’s tenure. If I were given the challenge to design one elective class for brand new college freshmen (or anyone looking for a useful way to spend tuition dollars), I would take that opportunity in a second! My new class would be called “Things I Wish I Knew Sooner.”
Things I Wish I Knew Sooner would be beneficial to college students as college is the gateway to the “real world,” and this class will be a peek into other majors, a GPA increaser and a helpful hints class to ease the stress of everyday life. For example, a section of the class would help take the stress out of all things finance related by introducing students to the basics of taxes and household budgeting. This will help students understand the importance of financial planning and goal setting and allow students of other majors to dip their toes into business. If facilities allow, this class will include basic home economics—cooking essentials and home organization skills. This section adds a little fun and perhaps a delicious component to the course, while instilling lessons on nutrition and life-hacks that can make personal spaces more organized and efficient. Finally, I would include a section on soft skills that would be useful for any student seeking a career that will entail working alongside (in person or virtually)other individuals. Soft skills are challenging to teach, but are crucial for students entering the workforce. This section may be tailored to help students discuss their resume on an interview instead of merely reciting it, practicing office etiquette and virtual meeting protocol instead of facing angry co-workers as well as learning the importance of small talk to develop emotional intelligence in the workplace.
College students would greatly benefit by adding a course to their workload that not only allows them to explore other areas of interest but also decreases stress and increase their personal skills.