The majority of students’ lives are spent at school, building up knowledge to get them set for college and future careers. But what happens to them when they graduate and are off to adulthood? When it comes to life outside school, are they really prepared? 

The idea of graduating high school and not having a base to move forward with your life is daunting. Life skills are the set of knowledge needed to navigate through various aspects of life. This includes finances, problem solving, communication, mental well-being, and more. These are necessary skills for leading fulfilling lives after high school. 

As teenagers move out and start living on their own, they struggle to learn the concept of personal finances. 

Raisa West, a 22 year-old undergraduate student at NC Central said, “When I first stepped out of high school and started living on my own, the main things I struggled with were the responsibilities, specifically managing my money and debts. It was like I was expected to know everything without preparation.” 

Many young adults like her have similar issues as they were never taught anything outside of academic subjects. With classes like business, personal finances, and more, individuals would have the groundwork, resources and support to help through future challenges. 

Being able to solve problems in situations where time is scarce is also very important. A course with this and other related topics would help students develop the opportunity to tackle common obstacles using real life scenarios and hands-on activities.

A  life skills course should be a mandatory class because it supplies students with knowledge vital for the real world. It prepares them for the reality of being an adult, building that foundation for life, and pushing them forward to success.