In my opinion there were not a whole lot of practical classes at my High School while I was there. Granted I was in a well respected public school with many intelligent students and inspiring teachers, but between my torturous math classes and my fun drama classes, there was a bunch of real world topic left entirely untouched. Today we are going to explore those skills I feel should have been included in my education.
1. Finance 101: From opening a checking account and savings account to balancing your checkbook and what overdraft means, I think the U.S. is sorely lacking where money is concerned.
2. Credit Cards and the meaning of APR: I did not get my first credit card until I graduated college and I have to admit it probably would have benefitted me well if I never decided to sign on the dotted line. Part of me thinks that credit cards are just evil. They increase your purchasing power and you end up spending more money on the interst rate on an item you really couldn't afford in the first place.
3. How to pay bills on time. Learning to pay attention to the bills piling up around you instead of having an out-of-sight-out-of-mind attitude. How do you think all those credit card APRs increased? Late payments my friends.
4. Why you need a job with benefits. Not only would this class teach all of the various aspects of health coverage, dental, vision, and 401Ks, but it would teach you how to navigate the complicated maze of representatives to get the answers you need. Basically it would be how to deal with customer service reps without screaming profanities.
5. Trouble shooting the squeaks, squels, and grinds your car makes with the added skill of learning how to change a tire right next to a busy freeway entrance.
6. How to write a resume and preparing for a job interview. This class would prepare students for their first jobs, from how to search the internet and want adds for jobs to how to create a resume. They would learn what to wear and how to act on a job interview as well.
So, there it is. Are there any classes you wish you'd had in school?
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1 comment:
I like the SNL skit where their program for managing credit card debt and money in general is "If you Don't The Have Money, Don't Buy It!" That's not exact, but you get the picture.
I would also like to see all high schoolers take these classes:
Relationships 101, including ho to tell if you are in an abusive relationship and how to tell if you are a creepy stalker and ned to just let it go.
Scientific Research 101: How to look at "research" and tell if it is flawed, and how to separate medical/professional/political opinion from fact.
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