Life Skills by Rebecca

Life Skills by Rebecca - August 2015 Scholarship Essay

It has been quite a little while since I have been in high school. Back in the day, I remember learning things like algebra II/ trig and chemistry, and though I am sure they will serve some purpose at some point in my life, they are not things that I use everyday, or even just to make it day to day in this crazy world. If I could add any subject to the American high school curriculum, I would add “Life Skills.” This essay seeks to discuss a couple topics that could be presented in the subject that is “life.”

At one point or another the baby bird is going to fly from the nest and live on its own. Many go straight to college, live in dorms and then live on their own, but many will also move out and join the workforce immediately after high school. Regardless of the situation, it would be beneficial to teach students what to look for when searching for an apartment and how much one should pay for rent based off of the income received. Getting an apartment sounds easy, however, from personal experience it is very difficult and then trying to figure out what I could and could not afford was just a nightmare. A lesson on this in high school I feel would have really benefitted me. With that, leads into my next topic, money.

Even now as an adult, I still have some trouble budgeting my money, and I think it was because I was never really taught how to do it. How much is appropriate to spend on groceries, on cable and Internet, on car insurance, on extra fun things, etc.? I would want a lesson to be taught on budgeting, what it looks like, how to put one together, and how to adhere to it and plan for unexpected situations. I feel this would also be a great opportunity to teach the wonders of Excel, and how to prepare a budget on Excel.

There should also be a lesson on money forms. This should include credit cards, loans, checks, etc. How does one apply for a credit card and what is a credit score? How will it benefit me? How will it hurt me? Many teens think a credit card is just free money, however, teaching them early what credit is, will hopefully steer them in the right direction when their adults. In addition to paying with a card, there is still the option to pay with check. They should know how to write a check, and how to log it. In addition, loans can be very confusing, and like a credit card, can seem like free money. Student loans, personal loans, auto loans, there are a million types of loans and there a ton of things that go along with it like APR and variables. What do these things mean? By explaining what a loan is, how to go about applying for one, and what comes along with it will help students prepare when they enter the real world. Since they learned about budgeting, they will be hopefully be able to payback their loan with the interest.

Moving forward, with money comes taxes. For every job one needs to fill out tax forms. These are often confusing, as there is a lot of writing in small font. It would beneficial to familiarize teens with these critical forms, and allow them to practice filling one out and what each section means. This is a vital skills that will be needed when beginning employment.

Life skills are extremely important in surviving, and though I only mentioned a few, there are a ton more that could be taught to prepare students to live on their own and make it. Parents will obviously have their role in teaching life skills as well, however, students spend the majority of their day at school, so why not allot time to teach students something that they will be able to practice everyday after they graduate? Teaching and solidifying life skills will help to make society a better and more stable place.