I am proud of where I come from and of all I can achieve with my abilities in school. But at the end of the day, what are we learning in school? I may never understand the importance of learning parabolas before we learn practical lessons such as how to put together a professional resume.

In a year, when I leave FHC behind, my biggest loss from high school will be not learning life lessons and having real-life experiences. We fill up our time sitting in pencil-marked desks with green chairs, staring into the white brick walls. The skills I learn from school are great, but I thrive off of the lessons we learn from experience and the tools that set us up for success in the “real world.” Additionally, the excessive use of technology and the label of “lazy’ that’s tagged on our generation hinders our experiences even more as we develop into adults.

The inevitable is that post-high school, the benefit of learning how to file taxes will surpass the need to find the tangent of a circle. High school should provide a class that gives life lessons and gives you experiences to prepare you for life beyond high school education.

In this class, you could learn how to cook meals, how to change your tire, and how to prepare for interviews. There are so many essential lessons that one needs to set themselves up for peak preparation. This class would be such a small addition to our schedule but such a drastic outcome for the students in the long run. 

I think that most people can conclude that we sit in classrooms learning irrelevant materials that will not be used later on anymore. We need to adjust the curriculum to make modifications for our generation. Maybe many years ago, it was more important to know the tangent of a shape; but in today’s society, social skills and practical life lessons are highly important.

Real world. Real experiences. Real lessons to be learned. Soon we will all part our separate ways. We will have to learn these lessons by our self. To have schools set us up to succeed is just what is missing from the school system.