What "Life Skills" class do you think every graduating high schooler should have?
I teach "Life Skills and Personal Finance" to high school seniors. I want to come up with a good list of "skills" that I can teach these young men and women before they are off on their own. Some of what we already cover includes:
● Banking
● Resume & Cover Letters
● Basic Budgets
● Spreadsheets (Excel)
● The Expenses of a Child
What other things can I include? Thanks!
All of the above are great.
How about this:
*Teach the consequences of personal debt as part of basic budgets. Many students graduate out of necessity with high student loan debts, and they also graduate with high credit card balances. Have them learn how long it will be before they pay off a credit card using minimum payments.
* Another good thing would be to teach them to fill out a basic 1040ez or 1040 form to do their own taxes. Teach them which form they have to use as well. Why pay a preparer when your taxes are simple?
* Teach the basics of personal nutrition, cooking, and how to shop economically at the grocery store. (Compare the cost of homemade spaghetti with the cost of a frozen meal or takeout).
* Teach them about where they get forms … like at the DMV, County Recorder (birth and death certificates etc), how to obtain copies of their medical records etc
* Ayas idea to teach time management is a good one too, though it’s subject to a lot of value choices over whats worthwhile getting done. Have them make those choices. I’d just have a hard time assigning a grade to that.
Time management and personal responsibility. Seriously, when I taught college students, those were the two things they seemed to lack the most. It might not be as fancy as an Excel spreadsheet, but it’s just as useful.
References :
I don’t understand why excel is important? Especially considering that there will be other programs available by the time they start to worry about expenses.
I like the Banking idea, and the expenses of a child idea. However, I think resumes are pretty well covered in college (if they opt not to go to college, most people will never use a resume anyway). I think an applied nutrition unit would be a good idea, like go over basic nutrition and basic cooking and the like. Most people when they go out on their own try to live on take out… So combating our nations obesity problem would be a good idea.
References :
Jr. in college.
All of the above are great.
How about this:
*Teach the consequences of personal debt as part of basic budgets. Many students graduate out of necessity with high student loan debts, and they also graduate with high credit card balances. Have them learn how long it will be before they pay off a credit card using minimum payments.
* Another good thing would be to teach them to fill out a basic 1040ez or 1040 form to do their own taxes. Teach them which form they have to use as well. Why pay a preparer when your taxes are simple?
* Teach the basics of personal nutrition, cooking, and how to shop economically at the grocery store. (Compare the cost of homemade spaghetti with the cost of a frozen meal or takeout).
* Teach them about where they get forms … like at the DMV, County Recorder (birth and death certificates etc), how to obtain copies of their medical records etc
* Ayas idea to teach time management is a good one too, though it’s subject to a lot of value choices over whats worthwhile getting done. Have them make those choices. I’d just have a hard time assigning a grade to that.
References :
Organizational skills. Everything has a place, and everything in its place. Even if you know HOW to balance the checkbook, you may not be able to if you can’t find it and the bills that need to be paid.
Loan expenses. You may buy a house for $200,000, but that’s NOT what you will pay for it!
Differences in insurance…car, life, home. Term insurance vs. whole life insurance, etc.
Debt management, or living without debt.
Skills needed to be an excellent employee. Neatness, orderliness, honesty, timeliness, etc.
MARRIAGE skills! Once you’re married, the time for being selfish is OVER or so is your marriage!
References :