Classes in school on subjects that are useful in real life were once only a wish, but recently, classes on how to be an adult have begun to be offered at some schools. While this class does exist, there’s a catch: it’s only offered at select colleges.

This class should be offered at WCHS as well. While school does a good job of teaching students basic knowledge of the world, it leaves something to be desired in the life skills department. Being a fully self-sufficient adult is a daunting thing for many soon to be high school or college graduates, which is why UC Berkley is offering a class on just that: being an adult.

The popularity and obvious practicality of this class begs the questions of not only whether this class should be offered at WCHS, but also of how the secondary school system could incorporate aspects of this class into the daily curriculum. 

A Dec. 2019 Los Angeles Times article first wrote about the class, referencing the thoughts of a senior at UC Berkeley. The soon to be graduate struggled with mentally preparing himself for the real world and began to look for an outlet to help learn how to be an adult.

This is how the adulting class was initiated; more than 30 students signed up for the class in its first semester with the syllabus mentioning topics that included budgeting, job applications and romantic relationships.

A class on adulting at WCHS could include these same topics and be helpful for many students who are still trying to figure out who they are. High school students are often encouraged to take time to explore, but there are some real dangers that they could encounter. This is one reason a class in high school on how to make safe decisions in every aspect of life can be valuable to students.

As with all subjects, learning to be good at being an adult takes practice. In order to ensure enough time for students to prepare for adult life, adulting classes could be offered in high school so that students learn about these basic life skills that can matter just as much, if not more, than addition and subtraction.

Having an entire class on adulting offered at WCHS may be a good opportunity that many students can enjoy. Beyond just offering a new elective, parts of the adulting curriculum could be incorporated into the school day for all students. This could be similar to how Wellness Wednesday has been included in the weekly schedule.

The aspects of adulting classes that might be beneficial for all students at WCHS to experience could be 90-minute sessions similar to TedTalks. Experts on subjects such as relationships and time management could be invited to talk to students about how to use these skills in their daily lives. 

These sessions might also be helpful in bridging the gap between the information learned in school and how this is applied to solve real-life problems. According to many high school graduates, much of the information learned throughout high school is never used again.

Information offered in adulting classes not only teaches how to live well as an adult but also explains the psychology behind why people want what they want. Having a basic understanding of the human brain can provide insight to make more logical decisions.

By focusing on more general skills and expanding school to teach not only what is considered part of the basic realm of intelligence but also emotional and life skills, school could become a place of mutual respect where students feel they are gaining an education that will help them succeed in all aspects of their future.

In summary, having adulting classes similar to the ones offered at UC Berkeley offered in highschool could allow students to gain these skills and practice them throughout high school and college. The concepts from these classes may also educate all students at WCHS and improve the school system as a whole.