In just a few short months I'll be a college graduate, all done with my studies and ready to enter the "real world."
But while I could tell you about the great romantic poets and recite Piaget's stages of cognitive development, I don't have a clue how to file a tax return, and I'm still not sure how 401K works.
The purpose of college is to learn, but do we really learn enough practical skills to help us succeed in life?
Penn State requires students to fulfill a certain number of credits in areas such as arts, humanities, natural sciences and quantification. While these fields foster our critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are no doubt important, they tend not to teach us basic knowledge needed for life after college.
So, why not add a "life skills" requirement to the list?
I know what you're thinking -- not another requirement! But what if we rearranged things so that the total number of required general education credits didn't change? If we lowered two of the pre-existing requirements by 3.0 credits each, then we could devote 6.0 credits to learning skills for life.
Which classes would fulfill this strange new requirement, you might ask?
To start, the university could include a class that helps students handle their money.
How about Finance 108 (Personal Finance), a class that teaches students how to manage their budgets, bank accounts and loans? Finance 108 does not currently fulfill any general education requirements, making it difficult for some students to fit it into their schedules. However, if the class was counted toward the "life skills" requirement, students from all different colleges and majors could learn the very important art of money management.
Whether you're studying to become a writer, psychologist, scientist or businessperson, you probably want to know how to handle your dough and make it grow.
Another course that teaches an important life skill is Kinesiology 083 (Exercise for Stress Management). With heart disease the leading cause of death for Americans and an ever-growing number of people taking antidepressants, we must learn how to control our stress before it controls us.
Kinesiology 083 explores the physical and emotional tolls of stress and provides students with strategies to deal with life's stressors. College students are already under a tremendous amount of stress, and it will only increase as we begin to enter the workforce and take on more responsibilities.
While Kinesiology 083 currently counts toward the health and physical activity (GHA) requirement, cross-referencing it as "life skills" would give students another incentive to take the class. If young people are given the tools for stress management now, they could live happier, healthier lives.
Another "life skills" course could be one that helps students survive in the professional world. I'm currently on the job hunt and I really wish there were a class that taught me how to make business phone calls, negotiate my salary, talk to my boss, network and set career goals. While certain majors already offer classes that cover career topics, I think many students would find it beneficial if Penn State offered a basic job skills course that was open to all majors.
These are just a few examples of classes that help teach us practical skills for the future. If they could be used toward my proposed "life skills" requirement, I'm certain Penn State students would be better prepared for life after college.
They say the real world is tough -- why not make it a little easier?
