Survival 101: After High School Fundamentals by Tamiah

Survival 101: After High School Fundamentals by Tamiah - August 2015 Scholarship Essay

There are many subjects that could be added to the American high school curriculum. An after-high school course could be taught for American students. A lot of students do not know which direction they should go after college. They also do not know how to live in college or after college because they aren’t taught those essentials. The course could be “Survival 101: After High School Fundamentals”. The course would teach students how to really survive after high school whether it’s going to work, going to a community college, or going to a 4-year university. This course should broaden the students’ knowledge on what to do after high school, how to budget, and other need-to-know subjects.

First, this course would allow students to seek their way to figure out what they would like to do career wise. In my opinion, they are only 2 options, school or work. Continuing education has many benefits but also can be very expensive. From my understanding that is why a lot of students do not go to college. A lot of students do not realize that there are a plentiful amount of scholarships out there to help them pay for college. This class could help students find scholarships for college. Students can also go to a community college. It is only 2 years but it would give someone an associate’s degree, which is more than a high school diploma. Students can choose to go to a 4-year college/university. Many jobs require this level of education or even more so the more education one has the better. Most students do not enjoy school as much as others and would not want to continue their education, which is fine. Those students should go to work full time. There are jobs out there that only require a high school diploma. The catch with working full time after high school is that if you want to make real good money one would have to work at a higher risk jobs. Those jobs include working for electric companies, gas & oil industries, etc. Students coming out high school should always know the options they have. This class would allow students to weigh their options carefully and explore what they would like to do.

Secondly, budgeting is the most important life essential one needs. Everyone should know how to budget but a lot of students do not know, simply because it is not taught. Students need to know when to spend money and when not to. Recently, I have noticed that a lot of younger adults spend their money on the wrong things. They go out and buy clothes, food, etc. and cannot pay their rent on the 1st of the month. Teaching students how to budget will help them so much. Learning how to create a balance sheet will definitely guide students in the right direction. Money does not grow on trees and I think a lot of students see it that way not realizing it will hurt them in the future

There are many other things that could be taught in this course that the young adults should know about such as investing, managing credit, and networking. These are also important in becoming an adult. This course should enlighten students on subjects that will really matter for when they become adults. Many students have to go out there and learn for themselves. They end up making some really bad choices that hurts them tremendously and would take a lot to fix. This course should give students the opportunity to hinder those mistakes they were bound to make and grow in a positive way.