The "Crash Course" You Need Before You Graduate

By Francine Fluetsch on April 28, 2015

If there was a crash course class for entering the real world before you graduate, what would be covered in the class?

College is that lovely middle point between “kind of” adult to actual adult, and if you are a senior who is about to graduate, you might be a little nervous if you don’t fully know how to do “real life” yet.

image via www.pinterest.com

Here is a list of things that should be offered in a crash course life class, because they are essential for graduates to know how to do now that they will have to be fully functioning adults (yikes).

Taxes

So, we all hear about them, we kind of know when they are due, but do any of us really know how to do them? Taxes are complicated, so many people get a family member or professional to help them, which is totally fine, but if I was writing this crash course for life, Taxes 101 would be in the curriculum.

I think it is important to know how to do things on your own, and since taxes are guaranteed in life, it might be a good idea to know how to do them.

This class, if it were real, would show you how to use a site like TurboTax to get your taxes all sorted out. It would teach you about all the forms you should receive from your places of work (most commonly known as a W2), the fastest way to file taxes, and possibly how to fill out tax forms before you take a job so you know the best way to get the most money back at the end of the year (do you click 1 or 0–who knows?).

If you don’t know how to do them yet, don’t freak! Just have it be something that you look into.

Organizing important files

I’m sure your parents have your birth certificate, social security number, passport, medial records, and other such important paperwork tucked safely away somewhere.

Now that you are about to become an adult, they will hand these over to you and it will be your job NOT to lose them. Create a filing system that works for you. Now that you are an adult, you’ll have to know which things are important to keep track of, and for how long you should keep them.

You always want proof that you paid your bills, and want your credit card statements printed out in a hard copy so you can review them and make sure that everything on there was purchased by you and not someone who stole your card.

The class would help you find out what you should track, and how you should store it (online or hard copy).

You might even want to invest in a safe to keep everything in order and well, safe. You’ll need these documents to stick around for a while, so some peace of mind might be helpful.

Cooking 101

Some of us know how to make cereal, and if we want to show off we can whip up some spaghetti, but most college students haven’t had the time to really learn how to cook.

With homework, classes, and a budget, it might have been hard to figure out how to produce adult worthy meals. Your metabolism isn’t what it used to be, and if you want to be active as you age, you’ll probably have to lay off popcorn for dinner and start figuring out how to produce well-balanced meals.

A small crash course on how to make simple and healthy meals is something every college student should take, in my opinion.

Connections

As you are about to embark on your life, you know that the job market is not very forgiving. It’s going to be hard, and in the world we live in, connections are going to get you far. Sure, you need your degree, but without your connections, your degree can only get you so far.

You want to make sure that you keep up with your networking throughout school and jobs (if any), so when you enter the real world, you’ll have an edge that you can use.

Big picture: Don’t burn any bridges because you never know when you’ll need them later. The course would help you build connections and show you how to use them and keep them up.

Basic first-aid

A crash course on life would also teach you CPR. It’s a basic skill that could really save someone’s life, and it’s important to know especially if you are planning on having a family.

The classes usually aren’t expensive, and you only have to go back once every few years to brush up on your skills and see if anything has been improved. They even teach you how to help yourself if you are choking and no one is around, and I think that is a wonderful skill to know.

How to change a tire

AAA will be able to save you if you are in a bind, but what if you don’t have cell service or your phone died? Knowing how to change a tire is something everyone should know how to do.

Always keep a spare with you, some jumper cables (might want to learn how to do that too), and a few tools so you’ll be able to get the job done. Being self-sufficient will be really helpful in scary situations.

image via jordanadoeshealthystuff.com

These are just a few things that you should know before you graduate, and that someone should definitely teach a class on ASAP. The great thing is, you can totally learn as you go, but the sooner you get some adult skills under your belt, the more you’ll feel like one (possibly … we might just feel like big kids forever).

You’re on to the next chapter of your life: good luck out there!

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