BY ALYSSA KHAN
For students at CCHS, there’s a limited amount of classes available that teach real life skills. To help prepare students for life after high school, CCHS has introduced a two-part class: Adulting 101 and Financial Literacy/Money Matters. Each part of the course can be taken in one semester, with both parts taking up one full school year.
The entire class is designed to open discussions regarding the real world and to teach basic life skills. For example, the class answers questions like: “Which fork is used for what?” “What do we do when we really disagree with someone?” “Why do adults act the way they do?” These are all things that people will confront in life as an adult and will be discussed in the class as a result.
“My hope is that the students that take this class feel it is an open and safe space to ask questions they feel they ‘should know’ but don’t,” Adulting 101 teacher Michelle Diamond said. “My hope is that the students will leave my class with a working resume, a good idea for an interview outfit and an open mind for their next step.”
Some topics addressed in this class overall are discovering oneself, being with others, how to live independently, how to get a job and using social media. It addresses some areas that would be covered in a home economics class, which is not offered at CCHS.
“My hope is that the students that take this class feel it is an open and safe space to ask questions they feel they ‘should know’ but don’t.”
Adulting 101 teacher Michelle Diamond
Specifically, the Adulting 101 portion of the class teaches social skills, how to handle stress and how to work with people. Students can also learn how to present themselves in an interview and improve their public speaking. All of these are the types of crucial life skills students will be able to learn not only for the class, but for their upcoming adult lifestyles.
“I think this class will really benefit me because I’ll learn skills that I wouldn’t be able to learn in any other class,” junior Lauren Dupoux said. “The things I would be learning in this course would truly benefit me not only in high school, but throughout my whole life.”
“I think this class will really benefit me because I’ll learn skills that I wouldn’t be able to learn in any other class.”
Junior Lauren Dupoux
The other half of the class–Financial Literacy/Money Matters– teaches budgeting, credit card scores and other various financial components. It teaches students how to handle their taxes in an efficient way and how to balance money in general. It also prepares students in handling their student loans as well as managing their income.
“It was important for me to give kids an option to have a course that was completely focused on what the students would need after school,” Diamond said. “We do such a good job at Cooper [with] preparing them for college and for the next academic steps, but what about the rest of it?”
Adulting 101 and Financial Literacy/Money Matters are important additions to the school’s curriculum because they cover topics beyond academics that can be used in everyday life, both now and in the future. Students should consider this class if they are looking to feel a sense of confidence in themselves and their skills as they transition out of high school and into the real world.
Photo by The Lariat Photography
