Students question if school prepares them for real world

By Kemari Thomas

Opinions Reporter

As high school seniors approach graduation, many can question whether school prepares them for adulthood's challenges. With a strong emphasis on college admissions and standardized testing, some argue that real-world skills like financial literacy, mental health, and career readiness often take a step back.

Graphic courtesy of xqsuperschool.org

Surveys by YouScience and BusinessWire indicated that 75% of high school graduates feel moderately, slightly, or not at all ready for college and career decisions. Another survey by XQ Institute found that only 30% of students rated their preparedness for the "real world" at a 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale.

Guidance Counselor Timothy Wilson believes that while schools do help prepare students academically, there is still room for improvement in teaching life skills.

"Yes, I believe that school does prepare students for life," Wilson said. "Probably not enough time is given to topics like financial literacy or mental health, however, I think it is great that a stronger emphasis has been placed on those topics post-pandemic."

While schools have made strides in offering more resources in these areas, many students still feel unprepared for the real world. Senior Joshua Hill, for instance, says that while the school has helped him with college applications, it hasn't provided the tools he needs to handle adulthood.

"It's helping with college applications and stuff," Hill said. "But I don't feel totally ready for real-world stuff."

Hill pointed out that despite the importance of learning how to manage money and handle basic tasks like taxes, these topics aren't covered in school. He feels more confident in his athletic abilities than in his knowledge of how to manage real-life responsibilities.

"I feel more confident on the track than I do about dealing with bills or job interviews," Hill said.

Experts argue that the current education system often focuses more on memorization and test-taking skills than on teaching practical knowledge. A survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that nearly 60% of high school students felt unprepared to manage their finances after graduation. Many feel they are simply trained to take tests rather than be prepared for life.

Wilson acknowledges that testing pressure remains an undeniable part of the education system but believes it shouldn't define a student's potential for success.

"Any given test does not and should not define a student," Wilson said. "Which is evident in many colleges and universities adopting test-optional admissions policies in recent years."

A report from the Brookings Institution noted that success in entrepreneurship, creativity, and leadership often correlates with skills that aren't measured by a test. Wilson believes that learning how to navigate setbacks and adapt is the most important lesson students can take with them.

"To me, "prepared for life" means having the capacity to navigate through the ups and downs, successes and failures, and any curveballs life might throw at you.

As students move to the next phase of life, the challenge for schools to better equip students for the real world remains. The answer may be prioritizing life skills over test scores and focusing on the most important lessons beyond graduation.