75 Things I Wish I Learned in High School
6:00:00 PM
According to Wikipedia, "Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits."
Personally, I don't think that's what I received when I went to high school, or any school for that matter. I don't know what your experience was like, but my schools focused on three things: dress codes, standardized tests, and preparing for exams.
Administrators say that dress codes are enforced so that students aren't distracted, but they're actually doing the opposite. When students are sent to the office for dress code, they are being taken away from their classes. Yet, teachers continue to do it. I remember getting dress code in elementary school, because my skirt was too short. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! Don't even get me started on the whole collarbone issue!
Public schools also put way to much time and effort into standardized tests. Instead of learning important life skills, students are forced to learn the material for the next big test. In Florida, we spent so much time preparing for the FCAT that we didn't always finish the planned curriculum. Schools are so focused on their overall grade, that they even began paying teachers based on their students scores. Not only is that not fair for the students, but it's not fair for the teachers either.
Another thing wrong with today's education system, is the pressure put on students to do well on regular tests and quizzes. Nowadays, students are taught to memorize the materials only long enough to take the test. I know from experience, that once I aced that test, all of that information went out the door. I can honestly say, I don't remember a lot from my thirteen years in school. Of course I remember basic math, but I don't remember facts from 5th grade science class or 12th grade government.
Your education needs to teach you the basics, and provide you with the skills to succeed in life, or at least get by. So I have created a list of skills and topics that I think should be taught in high school. I hope to create blog series based on these topics, but those will come at a later time!
Home Economics
1. How to cook
2. How to clean (properly)
3. How to sew
4. How to get married
5. How to adopt a pet
6. How to fix things around the house
7. How to eat healthy
8. How to meal plan
9. How to eat with proper etiquette
10. How to deal with grief
11. How to intervene when someone needs help
12. How to make friends
13. How to determine who your real friends are
14. How to get out of toxic relationships
15. How to communicate
16. How to forgive
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| *Borrow this image from here.* |
Finances
17. How to buy a house
18. How to buy a car
19. How to get a loan
20. How to budget
21. How to balance a checkbook
22. How to run a business
23. How to invest money
24. How to get a credit card
25. How to evaluate a contract
26. How to tip
27. How to get insurance (car, house, health)
28. How to rent an apartment or a house
28. How to rent an apartment or a house
29. How to open up a bank account
30. How to know which bank account to use
31. How to build credit
32. How to pay bills
33. How to save for retirement
34. How to do taxes
35. How to create a resume
36. How to build your resume
37. How to prepare for a job interview
38. How to negotiate
39. How to write a professional email
40. How to ask for a raise
41. How to write a cover letter
42. How to network
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| *Borrowed from here.* |
Health
43. How to navigate the healthcare system
44. How to deal with stress
45. How to make an informed decision about sex and birth control
46. How to take care of yourself
47. How to find a doctor
48. How to make your own doctors appointments
49. How to give yourself physical exams
50. How to stay mentally healthy
51. How to love yourself
School
52. How to study
53. How to study abroad
54. How to get an internship
55. How to determine if college is best for you
56. How to look for the right college
57. How to succeed without going to college
58. How to determine the best career for you
59. How to pay for school
60. How to get scholarships
61. How to get student loans
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| *Borrowed from here.* |
Other
62. How to change a tire
63. How to change your car's oil
64. How to code
65. How to tie a tie/bowtie
66. How to register to vote
67. How to vote
68. How to manage your time
69. How to defend yourself
70. How to get a passport
71. How to handle an emergency
72. How to handle the police
73. How to pay a ticket
74. How to look out for scams
75. How to handle a car accident
What do you wish you had learned in High School?
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1 comments
Thanks for this awesome piece. Indeed these are gaps that the education systems all over the world must grapple with to be relevant. I was only wondering whether there aren't things you wish you had learned from school that do not begin with "how to" but also what is, when to, why to, which to, how long to, when not to, etc.?
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