It is quite impossible to spend a day at a high school without hearing an exhausted student mutter “Why do we have to know this anyway? I’m never going to use it in real life!” Whether being applied to calculus or biology or anything in between, this phrase is common and often dismissed by teachers. High schools argue that their responsibility is to provide well-rounded academics and college preparation, but as these are institutions where students spend nearly 40 hours a week, shouldn’t they take the time to help their students not only prepare for college, but for life? Here is a list of things I wish I had been taught in high school.
Finances
Credit cards lead to us a love/hate relationship with spending. They play a huge role in the growing debt of the average person. As many college students often live paycheck to paycheck, being able to budget and maintain good credit are necessary skills, as well as balancing a checkbook, and how and when to take out a loan. And then there’s the big one: taxes. If you feel confident during tax season, congratulations because you are the minority. I would have greatly preferred to spend time on other relevant math functions such as splitting bills and tips than on calculus.
Jobs, Balance, and Time Management
College is a critical time because how we spend our time now will largely the opportunities we are given post-college. However, with so many options, it can be overwhelming trying to decide what to take on and when to say no. Every semester, I am faced with the same question: Do I want to take more units, get an internship, work, or do a combination of those? Career Services is a great resource for helping with these decisions, but I definitely wish there was more help earlier on, including interview preparation, understanding and negotiating contracts, and building a resume.
Car Maintenance
Car maintenance is another area in which many students are clueless. What do all those lights on the dashboard mean? How do you change a tire? These are questions we really should know the answer to.
Government
Yes, this is a course most people take their senior year of high school. However, it is not only broad, but very repetitive of middle school government courses. As this is often taught right around when students turn 18 and can actually partake in voting, courses should be more centrally focused on our area and our role. What are our senators and representatives our doing? How do I register to vote? What is the importance of voting in the primaries? And how do I fact check and analyze political platforms, and our rights? These are the things I want to know.
Healthcare and Nutrition
I would have loved to see more of an emphasis on nutrition and how to take care of myself. With the growing obesity rates in the United States, teaching youth how to properly care for their bodies has never been more important. Beyond physical health, there also needs to be more emphasis on the importance of mental health. Depression and anxiety are not talked about nearly enough considering how prevalent they are, with anxiety disorders affecting nearly 18% of Americans, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Because of this, many of those affected do not seek treatment and do not talk about it, therefore closing the door on learning about resources and coping mechanisms. This needs to be taught at a young age, both for those affected and for those who wish to reach out to a friend who is affected.
Sex Education and Healthy Relationships
Tying into health, I am one of many who are formidably disappointed in the average high school sex education program. Let’s get one thing straight: Many students are sexually active by college, and preaching abstinence isn’t going to change that. Instead, education should be focused on not only safe sex, but consensual sex. Everyone who went through SSU’s orientation remembers the skit in which a male character sexually assaults an intoxicated female character at a party. I remember feeling horrified at how many students argued that it was not sexual assault, leading to a glaring realization that this lack of education contributes to the high levels of sexual assault on college campuses. In addition to the requirements for consent, many would benefit from discussion on relationships themselves: how to be a good partner, and when to identify unhealthy and manipulative behavior. Our relationships with people, be it romantic or platonic, have arguably the largest impact on our happiness, making this topic too important to let us just “figure out.”