You’ve learned a lot in secondary school, including algebra, history and how to text under your desk. But once you leave your beloved alma mater behind, you may realise there are some very important life lessons that you never learned.
If you want to avoid that terrifying task of entering the real world without many of the skills you need to succeed, take the time to learn these things, before graduation day rolls around.
1. How to cook.
You have to eat to live, and eating is easier (and cheaper) if you can make your own food. Unfortunately, you probably won’t learn that in class. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to master a few healthy dishes that will keep you nourished and energised.
2. How to manage your finances.
Unless you take matters into your own hands, chances are you’ll leave high school without a base knowledge of personal finances.
3. How to stand up for yourself.
You know standing up for yourself is vital to earning respect in the classroom, on the football field… and in your future. But it’s hard to be your own advocate when you’re not feeling self-assured or when you’re struggling to explain your learning difference to a teacher. In order to stand up for yourself, you need to have confidence in your beliefs and your talents.
4. How to build a website.
Coding is, like, the new literacy. So why are our secondary schools not teaching it? Just because your school is behind the times doesn’t mean you have to be. And luckily for you, computer coding is one of the most accessible things you can learn on the Interwebs. Try out Codecademy for a user-friendly, step-by-step guide to building websites and cool apps.
5. How to manage your stress.
For most teenagers, school is a main source of stress and sleepless night, but not a great resource for learning to relieve those stress headaches or minor panic attacks. Don’t despair — stress management is something you can totally learn on your own. Teenhealth has a great guide for managing all the major stressful life events you might encounter. Plus, there are tons of meditation apps for chilling out to a pleasant soundtrack of waterfalls and raindrops.
