4 Things We Wish We Learned In School

While school provides us with many useful opportunities and theoretical knowledge, classroom learning can sometimes fall short when it comes to the real world.

Is it really more important to practice cursive than learn about personal finance? Or spend time preparing for government-standardized tests than learn how to build interpersonal skills? Schooling is an important part of our lives and society, don’t get us wrong, but there are a few things you may want to learn if you didn’t in school.

Here are some of the things we wish we’d learned in the classroom: 

How to fail

In school we’re always taught to strive for nothing but success, right? Sometimes, however, life’s harsh realities kick in and you realize that the sunshine and rainbows aren’t exactly helping. 

To fail successfully, make sure you’re asking “what” and not “who,” in any given scenario.

 “What” seeks to learn through example and gain a better understanding of the situation and any potential mistakes, while “who” appears to be offloading the blame onto another person. Additionally, explore what didn’t happen instead of endlessly going over what did. This is and another way to learn and grow as a person, and can be important in work AND relationships, too…

How to financial plan

With niche classes like home economics being obsolete, we aren’t taught much about managing personal finances. Anyone else feel like tax szn is stressful? Unfortunately, it’s often when we are finally confronted with difficult situations that we are forced to seek out information on our own. 

Believe it or not, a financial plan is more than just investing and saving! Rather, it is an all-encompassing approach to your financial future that helps you navigate short, medium, and long-term financial goals.  

Things like reviewing your financial situation, investing, budgeting, major purchase planning, and retirement planning are all useful avenues to consider. Goodbye Civics and Careers and hello financial education, please!  

How to work with different personality types

Now, “personality types” doesn’t refer to the cookie-cutter descriptions you might read at the end of magazine quizzes. Working with other personality types simply means the ability to connect with those from diverse backgrounds. 

These people will have life experiences that allows them to develop different perspectives and values from your own.

To effectively engage with people who have varied personality types, recognize cultural differences, try to see people objectively and not personally, look for the common agenda or goal, and be flexible with your communication style. 

How to be resourceful 

In work, school, or life in general, resourcefulness can get you a long way, and is usually a telltale sign of a good leader. If you’re an entrepreneur running a business, developing a resourcefulness mindset is a great way to keep your business growing. 

And for some of you, showing that you can be resourceful may just get you the job over some of your peers. 

Individuals who are truly resourceful are always looking for creative ways to leverage their current situation in order to achieve maximum benefit, beyond the quick and easy fixes. 

They’re problem solvers at heart – for any old souls reading this, they’re true MacGyvers. 

Here is how you can build a resourcefulness mindset: 

• Amass all the knowledge you can – ask questions and be curious to trying new things
• Look for out-of-the-box solutions to problems. 
• Be honest and self-aware about your weaknesses, but bet on your strengths 
• Prioritize getting the hard things done first 
• Optimize your time and systems to make yourself more efficient