How is it that so many people get into college with nearly perfect SAT scores, 4.0 GPAs, 40+ previous college credits, and closets filled to the brim with all sorts of prizes and awards, yet when these same people are asked how to turn on the washing machine they blink twice and stare at you blankly? Our society has become so focused on getting their kids into college and striving for academic perfection but does not emphasize the acquisition of basic life skills. Yes, academics are important but so is knowing how to cook, knowing how to do laundry, and even knowing how to wake yourself up in the morning. Parents should place life skills at the same level of priority as one would place academic and future career success because both are important to thrive in not just college but throughout adulthood. If any adult with a child is reading this, please let it resonate with you not only for your child’s sake, but for the sake of their college peers; We are tired of your grown kid not being able to pick up after themself.
Time to take a little shift on the ‘prepare your kids for adulthood train’. College students, please gather round and pretend that I am holding your hand as I say this. We can only blame our parents for so long before we ourselves must learn to do what needs to be done. Clock it! At the end of the day, college students are adults and adults must learn responsibility. Yes, Mom and Dad did not teach you how to use the wash and dryer, but YouTube exists, and Google is free. In other words, no one should be completely left in the dark about these sorts of things because there are so many resources available to teach you.
The big takeaway is this: prepare your life for excellence by acquiring basic life skills.