The Four Subjects we ALL wish they taught us in school.
The time for reflection and nostalgia comes upon everyone at some point. Remembering the games we used to play on the playground, the teachers that always got us in trouble, or the weird lunches our friends would bring to school come and go. During this time of reflection, a couple of things come to the minds of everyone at least once in your life.
“Did I really need to take that subject?”
“I should have tried harder in math instead of math lit.”
And of course …
“Why didn’t they teach me this in school?”
Today, we’re diving into the subjects that we really should have been taught at a school level. You know, the ones that would have helped us today instead of aimlessly attempting to do it in our adult life and looking like we’re just as lost as we were when we were teens.
Taxes.
I bet that the majority of those reading this right now still have no idea how to go about doing their taxes and if you do know, do you mind sharing it with us?
Submitting taxes and documentation is part of adult life that everyone should be doing. Unfortunately, most of us succumb to having a bookkeeper or general accountant do it for us, for a fee.
At the end of the day, we’re trying to get our money back here not paying someone to do so.
If instead of the lessons on fitness and diet in Life Orientation we were given a crash course on how to file tax returns, a majority of us would be quite better off.
Finance management.
The time spent learning about dividing our 100 Rand notes into coins should have been taken a step further.
Financial management is something people don’t get a firm grip of until later on in life and to be honest, it usually happens when learning from our mistakes.
Does this really need to be the case?
I’m not really asking for a whole subject dedicated to how a bank account works or how to properly invest our money, but including this into the syllabus somewhere just seems right you know?
In the long run, learning how to properly manage our finances, move things around, how to invest, and even how to properly apply for a loan are all things we face as adults. It would help avoid the awkward situation of us nodding our heads when the banker just seems to be talking Greek.
Luckily for us, some guys out there like uApply are willing to help.
Mental Health.
This is a big one in today’s world.
Mental health is taking the world by storm. People value the maintenance and sustainability of our mental well-being and overall, it allows us to function better as human beings.
Having a crash course on how to deal with anxiety, depression, and addiction sound great but also what about dealing with those around us who face these issues?
Not to sound preachy, but as kids, we don’t really comprehend the impact this has on us until later on in life often when it may be a little too late.
Basic Maintenance and Handiwork.
Here’s one I personally wish I came into contact with.
Being able to fix things around the house is something that not everyone knows how to handle. I don’t mean things like changing a lightbulb (that does speak for itself). I’m talking about installing a sink, how to rewire a plug, or even how to properly use a drill (I would have avoided many misplaced holes around my house if I learned this in high school).
Sure, you can always pay someone to do it and that’s great, keep that in place, but sometimes it’s a Friday night and my sink is leaking everywhere, and I don’t have the time to call a plumber when all I need to do is twist thingy here and it’s done.
Why doesn’t this happen?
Of course, the argument can always be made “What is taught is crucial for specializing in your studies and career one day,” but isn’t school all about equipping us for adulthood?
I’m not asking to change the system, but I do think we’ll all be better off with some handy knowledge dumps that help us in the day-to-day.
Some Honorable mentions:
- Survival skills.
- Vehicle maintenance.
- Basic legal knowledge.
- Time management.
- Food preparation in daily life.
