skills

There are a great many things people learn through conventional education; going to school teaches us how to count, add and subtract, cross our t’s and dot our i’s.

However, even the highest forms of education don’t teach you everything there is you might need to know to survive out in the real world; there is a wide variety of skills and knowledge that simply can’t be taught from within the confines of a classroom.

Below are some of the most essential things every adult really needs to have to make their way in the world after graduation:

Budgeting and money management –

Yes, you can take classes on finance and accounting, but traditional schools often fail to educate students on the very practical merits of saving up, creating a budget, and managing their expenses— arguably some of the most important household skills to have. While it may no longer be necessary to learn how to balance a checkbook in the digital age where credit cards and online banking is prevalent, it’s still wise to know how to live within one’s means, saving up for the long term, and how to pay taxes. It could also be good to try looking into how to invest in one’s future and maintain personal wealth.

Basic first aid –

It’s always useful to know what to do in the event of an emergency. There are many available first aid training courses in Perth that can teach you the skills needed to preserve your own life or save someone else’s. There’s really no reason not to enrol in the most basic of first aid training programs, as accidents can happen to anyone at any time. Beyond saving lives, administering proper first aid can spell the difference between a short term disability and a long one, as well as significantly reduce the recovery time it takes for a patient to heal up from an injury.

Survival skills –

While it’s highly unlikely for you to find yourself alone in the wilderness without any access to modern comforts, it still would help to know what to do and how to procure basic necessities in the event of a natural disaster or something similar that may force you to be in an area where help would not be immediately forthcoming. Knowing how to gather resources like water, shelter, and food as well as how to build a fire to keep yourself warm could be the difference in a life or death situation, especially during these times of troubling climate change. Classes in survival are not typically available at your local college, but there are centres that offer practical courses and there is also a wealth of information on the subject online.

Mental health –

Arguably just as important as physical health, there’s often little emphasis put into teaching people how to care for one’s mental health. The stigma involved often means that people, especially young adults, are discouraged from seeking help, which leads to undiagnosed mental illnesses that could be detrimental to them in the future. Educating yourself on techniques to battle stress and anxiety, as well as other holistic approaches to ease mental and emotional pressures, can go a long way towards a happier, more balanced lifestyle.

Household maintenance –

Knowing how to keep your fixtures and appliances from breaking down can save you piles of money, as you can do the work yourself instead of hiring a repairman. Learning how to fix the roof, keep the gutters clean, and even change a doorknob are all things you can easily look up on the internet now, so there’s no excuse to send out for someone else to do the job. In addition to these, knowing what to look out for when buying a home as well as what needs to be done before selling it off are all skills they don’t typically offer as a college course, but essential to living as an adult.

Cooking –

Yes, knowing how to fry an egg or make rice is a skill every adult should know; knowing how to feed yourself is vital! Even if you only learn a couple of staple recipes, it pays to know how to do them well. Cooking basics such as seasoning as you go, how much heat to use, and understanding the relationship between food and chemistry can set you on your way to making some tasty stuff indeed, and you won’t even have to pay for it.

Those are our 6 essential skills every adult should learn, preferably before they graduate from school. What other skills do you think are essential in daily life?