Education plays a major role in most of your life. As children, you spend the majority of your time there. It’s a place where you learn the foundations of your career, meet new friends, and ultimately become the person you are today.
While there is a lot that you do learn in school, and a lot you will experience for yourself when you leave, there is also a lot that you don’t learn that impacts your life when you leave school.
Here are some important things you need to know when you leave school or college.
Personal finance
Some of the most important financial concepts such as how to budget, how to save, how to invest, how to buy a house, how compound interest works, how to avoid debt, how to use credit cards, and more are not often taught in schools but have a significant role when you leave school.
For example, it was reported that, after the fourth quarter of 2020, consumer debt reached $14.56 trillion, suggesting that debt is a major issue. Money is important, and impacts everything you do, from buying a house or car to going to college, to buying groceries every week. Learning basic personal finance could help eliminate some of the issues and beliefs people grow up to have around money
Laws
The law is not always a fun or interesting subject for some, but it is an important one. Many people are not aware of the laws that affect everyday life unless they are studying to work in the industry. Some laws are common sense, for example, to not steal or drink and drive. While the law is a complex subject, some simple aspects would be helpful to learn in schools because they impact you every single day, some that you are aware of while others you may not be, for example, reading and signing contracts (both important ones, as well as the common terms and conditions your agreement when using things like social media), employee rights, preparing a will, and civil litigation.
Finding a job
The skills you learn at school will for sure equip you with the right requirements for a job in your desired field. However, the skills to look for that job, write a resume, attend an interview, workplace etiquette, how to support yourself, negotiate salaries, read contracts, and more, are not often taught. To a certain point, the best way to learn is through experience. But navigating the job world can seem very daunting and intimidating when leaving school and would be helpful to learn more before leaving.
Mental health
Mental health is being increasingly acknowledged as an important aspect of life but is not often taught in schools. Mental health affects everyone differently and can impact the way that you learn, your energy levels, your motivation, your tolerance and stress levels, and sometimes your ability to work. It can also be impacted by your lifestyle, for example, the way you eat, exercise, habits, and behaviors, etc. It is important to learn how you can help yourself, how to regulate your emotions, and how to seek support if you are struggling.
Self-defense
When you are in school, defending yourself is probably the last thing you are thinking about. But as you get older, become independent, it may be something that would come in handy one day. It is something you don’t want to have to use but is a good skill to know. Self-defense is not often taught in schools, but with the correct lessons and understanding, learning how to protect yourself is an important skill. This can be in a physical sense, but also awareness. The concept is subjective, but it would be useful at the very least to learn more about being proactive and how to avoid certain situations.
First aid
Not only should you learn how to protect yourself in an emergency, but how to protect others through the use of first aid. First aid is usually taught at a costly price, on a course outside of schools. Valuable skills such as how to apply CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, a tourniquet, how to dress a wound, etc. can be helpful for everyone.
Life is a long and complex journey, full of ups and downs. Part of life is to live, experience, and learn as you go. School plays a significant role in life, as you spend the majority of your childhood there, however, there is a lot that you do not learn in school that is handy to learn as you navigate the world on your own.
