Preparing for the real world

Students preparing to graduate and head off to college, a vocational school, or the workforce are quickly confronted with the realization that they need to grow up and become more of an “adult.” Whether that means managing money, having common sense, or being able to change a tire, it still puts a heavy expectation on students’ shoulders.

In fact, many students believe that they aren’t ready. Whether it be because of school, their parents, or a combination of both, they don’t feel that they are well-prepared to deal with the realities of post-high school life.

According to SunDevil Times survey of 73 current seniors, some of the most common things students wish they knew include car maintenance, money management, cooking, conversational skills, paying bills and taxes, how to register to vote, how to make a doctor’s appointment, or how to pay rent. Additional skills students highlighted in the survey comments were how to change a diaper, deep clean, travel independently, make appointments, choose insurance plans, apply for a credit card, use public transportation, speak to a manager, and basic home maintenance and first aid skills.

“I wish I knew how to drive better, and how to manage my money,” said senior Kayla Pineda.

The same survey showed students are most comfortable with life skills such as knowing the basic shelf life of foods (93.2%), how to change light bulbs and batteries (93.2%), how to use a phone for making phone calls (94.5%), and the basics of how to laundry (90.4%). These skills are useful for adult life, however knowing these skills does not fulfill the expectations put on students after high school.

The skills students are least comfortable with include knowing how to register to vote or find their polling place (27.4%), how to do taxes, (39.7%), and how to fill a prescription (35.6%).

“I wish I knew how to cook, how to sew, and how to pay bills and do other financial things,” said senior Danielle Miller.

2019 alumni Simone Freeman is currently attending George Mason University studying neuroscience.

“The biggest piece of advice I have for current seniors is to make sure that you’re not taking life too seriously, but at the same time to learn to be independent,” said Freeman. “Once you graduate high school you have to start making decisions for yourself that actually matter, and its overwhelming if you don’t have experience doing things on your own.”