You’ve just started your senior year and you’re excited, but also a little nervous. It’s your last year of schoolwork, but also your last year living in the comfort of help from school and your parents. Here are three essential skills you should learn this year so you’re prepared for the real world after graduating!
1. Learn how to cook.
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Cooking for yourself does a number of things: you save money, you eat more healthily, and you save time. Spend this year finding yummy recipes, trying new things, and practicing your skills in the kitchen. Cooking on the weekends can give you leftovers that last the entire week, so you aren’t scrambling after work to find something that will fill you up.
Recommended tools: Use a kitchen checklist and scout the best deals on products you want to get.
Recommended viewing: Cuisinart Culinary School by Cuisinart Canada – a six-part video series that covers all the basic techniques so you can cook safely.
Recommended reading: Thug Kitchen by Thug Kitchen LLC – all delicious vegetarian recipes written in a hilariously profane manner.
2. Learn how to make (and stick to) a budget.
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Budgeting is incredibly important even while in college, but not many students are too concerned with the nitty gritty of their expenses. Tracking what you spend will help you see if you need to cut back on eating out or stop ordering things on Amazon at 2 a.m. Figure out the best balance between transportation, rent, bills, school expenses, food, and entertainment and stick to it! Spend this year practicing tracking your expenses and deciding how you’re going to spend your money.
Recommended tools: Use an Excel spreadsheet to list your spending and income each month and make sure the final amount matches what the balance is in your bank account.
Image source: author’s own budget spreadsheet
Also, look into apps like Mint, RetailMeNot, GroceryIQ, and GasBuddy to save money on regular expenses.
Recommended viewing: Budgeting 101 by 2minutefinance – a four-part video series that covers the basics of how to create a budget.
Recommended reading: The Wealth Solution by Steven Atkinson, Joni Clark and Alex Potts – although it’s definitely more focused on long-term investment, this book helps break down the world of investment and emphasizes that you should invest according to your personal life goals. Once you start working, you will need to know what to do with a 401(k) and figure out where you want your money to go.
3. Learn how to clean.
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With your housemates, you might have a chore chart that keeps everyone responsible for cleaning up after themselves. However, learning to clean properly will be essential for when you move into a place that might be your home for five or more years. Cleaning will keep your home hygienic and safe to live in – you don’t want mold growing because you forgot to clean your bathroom for a few months!
Recommended tools: Go through a cleaning supply checklist and see which products apply to your living situation.
Recommended viewing: For some reason, cleaning vlogs are weirdly popular and satisfying to watch. There are plenty videos out there, but I like this cleaning vlog by How Jen Does It because she tackles a variety of surfaces and gets the job done quickly.
Recommended reading: Lots of magazines like Good Housekeeping have great tips for efficient ways to clean and organize your home. Additionally, Life’s Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets by Lisa Quinn is a cult favorite, with her witty humor and practical advice helping you through the tedious tasks of housekeeping. Finally, if you’re looking for ways to declutter your life, Marie Kondo’s books emphasize the joys and rewards of organizing your home.
Before you head off into the real world, practice these skills during the last year of college and you’ll be prepared to handle the important and practical tasks any adult has to do!