Growing up, you would have thought algebra was the key to adulthood — but chances are, you’ve never used it once since leaving school.
Education is incredibly important, and school gives us the foundation for a life-long love of learning. What it doesn’t do is teach us many real-world skills that would actually come in handy in our adult lives. Here are some things it would have been helpful to have done our GCSEs or A-Levels in.
1. How to do your taxes without having a meltdown
Seriously, why didn’t anyone warn us about this? Taxes are a yearly ordeal that can leave even the most composed adults scratching their heads. A crash course in filling out HMRC’s sometimes incredibly confusing forms, understanding deductions, and not panicking when you see all those numbers would have been incredibly helpful. (Of course, this applies only to those who do self-assessments since otherwise, your employer should do the hard work for you. Nevertheless, it’s a skill everyone should have!)
2. The ins and outs of managing your mental health
School taught us how to keep our bodies healthy, but what about our minds? Understanding stress management, recognising signs of burnout, and knowing when to seek help are crucial skills. A little education on mental health could go a long way in preparing us for life’s ups and downs.
3. How to cook meals that don’t come from a box or a drive-thru
Source: Unsplash Sure, we learned about food pyramids, but practical cooking skills? Not so much. Basic cooking techniques, meal planning, and how to whip up quick, healthy meals would have saved us from many sad dinners of cereal or takeaway in our early adult years.
4. The art of budgeting and managing your finances
Remember when we thought we’d be rich adults? Reality check: managing money is tough. Learning how to create a budget, save for the future, and avoid debt traps would have given us a much better start in the financial world.
5. How to maintain healthy relationships, romantic and otherwise
Relationships are a huge part of life, yet we’re often left to figure them out on our own. Communication skills, conflict resolution, and understanding boundaries are all crucial. A few lessons on these could have saved us from a lot of heartache and drama.
6. The basics of car maintenance and home repairs
Ever felt completely clueless when your car makes a weird noise or when something breaks in your house? Basic skills like changing a tyre, understanding what different car noises mean, or fixing a leaky tap could save us time, money, and stress. Instead, many of us feel like we’re single-handedly keeping our local Halford’s in business.
7. How to write a CV that doesn’t end up in the bin
Job hunting is a skill in itself, and crafting a good CV is a big part of that. Tips on how to highlight your strengths, tailor your CV to different jobs, and make yourself stand out would have been incredibly useful when entering the job market.
8. The importance of sleep and how to actually get enough of it
Remember when we thought pulling all-nighters was cool? If only we’d learned earlier about the importance of sleep for our health, productivity, and overall well-being. Not to mention some tips on how to establish good sleep habits — that would have been a game-changer.
9. How to spot and avoid scams and fraud
The world can be a tricky place, and scammers are getting cleverer by the day. Learning how to recognise red flags, protect our personal information, and navigate the digital world safely would have saved many of us from some costly mistakes. Many of us are onto these tactics, but there’s always that little question mark…
10. The basics of investing and planning for retirement
Retirement might seem far off when you’re young, but it creeps up faster than you’d think. Understanding different investment options, the power of compound interest, and how to start planning for the future early on could make a massive difference in our financial futures. Can you survive on the ever-dwindling state pension? Do you need a private pension to supplement your workplace pension? You may have a lot of questions, but not a lot of answers.
11. How to have difficult conversations without losing your cool
Life is full of tough talks, whether it’s with a boss, a partner, or a friend. Learning how to express ourselves clearly, listen well, and handle disagreements respectfully would have made these situations a lot less daunting.
12. How to manage your time effectively
Source: Unsplash Remember when we thought we’d have so much free time as adults? Ha! Learning how to prioritise tasks, avoid procrastination, and balance work and personal life effectively would have been incredibly useful in getting through adulthood.
13. How to read and understand contracts before signing them
Source: Unsplash From rental agreements to job contracts, we’re constantly faced with important documents to sign. Some lessons on understanding legal jargon, knowing what to look out for, and feeling confident enough to ask questions could have saved us from some sticky situations. Not everyone has the budget or the know-how to hire a solicitor for this!
14. The importance of self-care and how to actually do it
Self-care isn’t just about bubble baths and face masks. Understanding the importance of setting boundaries, saying no when necessary, and taking time for ourselves without feeling guilty are all vital skills for maintaining our mental, emotional, and physical health.
15. How to fact-check and think critically about information
Thanks to information overload and fake news, being able to distinguish fact from fiction is more important than ever. Learning how to verify sources, recognise bias, and think critically about the information we consume would have been an invaluable life skill. So many people lack it, and it’s creating a culture of conspiracy theorists who distrust science. It’s very sad, actually.
16. The basics of first aid and how to handle emergencies
While we hope to never need it, knowing how to perform basic first aid or handle common emergencies could literally be a lifesaver. From CPR to what to do in case of a fire, these practical skills could make all the difference in an emergency situation.
