OPINION

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By Kate Ferrell

As I near the end of my high school education, I am preparing for the next four years of my life, where I will attend a university to pursue a higher education and narrow my focus on a particular field of study. While I am absolutely ecstatic to begin a new chapter of my life, I, along with many students, am badgered by many worries of being foisted onto the real world after college. High school is meant to prepare us for college, and college is meant to prepare us for a career and have more opportunities in the future. But where are we prepared to be an adult? What happens after I graduate? How am I expected to know how to pay taxes, create a resume, buy a house, handle all financial payments, budget myself, sew, and simply juggle every aspect of my life?

Unfortunately, few of these skills have been taught in any of my classes. Some may wonder why my parents have not taught me how to do any of these tasks, but I cannot say I know one person whose parents have taught them how to buy a house at my age or how to manage all files and paperwork for all aspects of their life. I have learned about all the scientists who discovered DNA and viruses, and the issues with recycling in Spanish-speaking countries (which happen to be the same as in America), yet I have not been equipped with some of the fundamental skills in order to manage my life after high school.

I am not saying that learning about famous scientists or recycling issues is unimportant, but knowing how to pay taxes will get me much farther in life than the ability to quickly blurt out who discovered DNA. Learning these fundamental skills can be more important and applicable than some topics I am taught in class. For this reason, I believe it is very important that schools educate students with a Family and Consumer Science (FCS) course.

Senior Olivia Diamond (‘18) agrees with this idea as well. “I just wish we had general life skills classes. For instance, adult finance and how stuff such as loans work, I have no clue how to do. Also applying for jobs and creating a resume—there is only so much google can teach you so, it would be nice to have a class where they taught us what we want to know,” she says. Earlier this semester, Meade Spotts (’18) wrote for The Match about how his Applied Math class does delve into personal finance skills. 

While skills such as communication, public speaking, proper etiquette, first aid, and time management are taught as we grow into young adults, I feel like I lack other basic skills, such as navigating myself through a job interview, how insurance works, or what to do when my car breaks down. Such non-academic skills allow students to develop a sense of independence as they take on their future.

Another senior, Caroline Hall (‘18) also finds the idea of a life skills class appealing. She states that, “Not only is it something that we will actually use later on in life, but coming out of high school if kids know how to pay taxes, invest in the stock market, buy a house, or whatever it may be, they would be so far ahead of other people our age in, arguably, the most useful aspect of life. Plus, it is more fun and engaging for students, considering it’s something we would have to be doing in the not-so-distant future!”

In her Match opinion piece last spring, “The Need for Personal Finance,” Frances Melvin (‘18) said that “from my experiences in AP Micro and Macroeconomics, these classes teach about several factors of the economy, but they are mostly focused on businesses and national economics, rather than what’s specific to individuals or families. While I think it would be difficult to incorporate personal skills into Micro or Macroeconomics because of the need to get through specific material before the AP, there could definitely be a new class created to teach these skills…” She also mentions the fact that one credit of Economic and Personal Finance is required in Virginia Public Schools, yet not for private schools.

Seniors are not the only students who feel this way. Even younger students, such as Bralyn VanRoekel (‘20), wish there was some sort of a Home Economics class to teach students how to do basic skills around the house, which would help students learn skills they will use in their living spaces in college.

I think that the traditional curriculum schools teach to students is extremely important to expand our knowledge and allows students to find an area of interest, whether it be academic or artistic. I know that schools are trying their best to prepare us to take on the demands of college work, and that AP classes require a certain amount of time to cover the material. However, given how our school’s schedule includes many breaks during the day, I think it would be beneficial at some point in the Upper School to take the time to teach students basic life skills that will put to use once students begin living on their own. Life skill lessons could be incorporated into the available break periods, or taught during advisory. By incorporating an FCS course into our curriculum, I, along with many other students, would feel considerably less intimidated by what the real world has to bring.

Featured image courtesy of aafcs.org.