Practical Living: A Necessary Subject for School by Jessica

Practical Living: A Necessary Subject for School by Jessica - August 2015 Scholarship Essay

Many people would agree that with the advent of "No Child Left Behind" the curriculum in schools focuses ever more on the need to meet certain testing requirements. This often times leaves students and teachers without the time or resources to provide students with a more general life skills that students may not be learning at home. Students are required to memorize formulas to complete complicated algebraic equations, but cannot balance a personal budget or manage credit cards. Students write essays for English but not how to craft a resume for jobs. Students learn about history, but not about the importance of a civil society.

If an additional class would be added to the high school curriculum, a class focusing on the necessities of everyday life would benefit students, especially graduating seniors, greatly. Perhaps schools offer classes that touch on aspects of these topics as electives, but these are useful and necessary skills for all students. The course would cover a broad range of topics in units throughout the school year: personal finances and taxes, job-hunting and business etiquette, basics of car/home care, and culminating with a unit on civic responsibility/ethics.

The first unit would introduce students to concepts of salary, personal budgeting, taxes and costs of living. Students would be required to plan out weekly, monthly, yearly, and long-term plans based on different scenarios of income and needs. Students could gain real-world experience through assignments to find the actual costs of their estimated budgets. The unit would conclude with researching jobs of interest to them, finding the average earnings, and applying their budgeting skills.
The end of the first unit would segue into the second unit: business skills. Students would use persuasive writing to prepare cover letters, formulate a professional resume, and learn to adapt these to showcase different skills for different types of jobs. Students would learn basics of business etiquette relating to contact by email and phone, interviewing skills, and presenting a professional appearance and demeanor. A side topic would be online social media presence and how employers can judge applicants before ever meeting in person. The unit would conclude with students taking part in job-shadowing activities.

Now that students have a grasp on the mechanics of making a living, the third and final unit would cover the needs of society for all members to contribute to the betterment of all. Study of current events would lead to discussions of game theory and the tragedy of the commons. Students would be encouraged to reflect on ways that individuals can impact the society. Ideally a student-lead community service or volunteer project would complete the course.

The goals of the course would be to not just add another requirement to student’s already heavy workload, but to provide the means to assist students in becoming responsible, contributing members of society. With the hovering attentions of increasing numbers of helicopter parents, students are not learning the life skills to function autonomously. Many of these students are herded into college as the only possibility out of high school and find themselves floundering in debt or unable to cope with life suddenly on their own. States have ultimate control over their curricula and while the contents or presentation of this course may vary significantly from one area within the United States to another, the core principles transcend socio-economic strata and regional differences.