Writer's Blog: School Doesn't Prepare You For Life

Recently I've come to realise that school fails in some important areas. I'm now living in a full sized house. The house is in a bit of a mess. I'm finding it a little difficult to organising my too many positions, deal with bills, cleaning, calling a plumber or electrician and the general upkeep that a house requires.

I'm going to blame some of my lack of organisation on school. I know this may seem like an odd segue, and a bit of a leap, but hear me out. At its most basic school is supposed to prepare us for life. Primary school prepares us quite nicely. At the end of Primary School most of us know reading, writing, basic arithmetic and some science. This is a good start. When we go onto High School...

(Just to try and be clear High School is different in the UK to the US. In the UK High School is five years from the ages of 12-16)

...these subjects are expanded upon. Of course these skills are important but I would argue that we should also learn skills for everyday life. We should learn, organising of finances, house work, laundry, finding a workman (how to make sure they are reputable) cooking and so on. These are things that everyone will need to do. I'm 24 and I'm still struggling a little to fit all the stuff I need to do, alongside what I want to do, into my daily life.

Perhaps I'm just being a little pathetic but I still think I have a point. My parents gave me a degree of autonomy before I left home. In the last year or so (I can't remember exactly how long.) of living at home I was responsible for getting my own dinner and doing my own laundry. I don't mean to cast aspersions but I imagine that many people don't do this. It explains why there is this perception that young people, particularly students, don't know you to cook ad are unclean.

School does have Home Economics but its not treated as important. I understand the need to teach biology, physics and chemistry but the average person probably won't use it much. Every one will have to deal with bills, work/life balance, cooking and cleaning.

Since I've got a job I've been at work for at least twenty hours a week. There is good (Money!) side to this but with uni and house work it can be difficult to fit everything it.

As I write this I realise I would probably have more time if I watched fewer you tube videos. Anyway that's beside the point. To be clear I'm not talking about procrastination, though there is a fair amount of that, its just finding the time.

So to round off this ramble... Is this something school could teach? Could there be a lesson where a teacher explains methods of balancing ones life? Most people will probably work for forty hours a week, they'll need to vacuum and clean the house, do the cooking and then try to have a life. My life is writing and I don't do it as often as I would like to but that's a topic for another blog.