By Caroline Cho
For most students at Granada Hills Charter High School (GHC), academics dominate school life. “I do not know how to pay taxes, but I guess it is handy to know how to calculate the growing population of bacteria,” freshman Hayley Song said.
Not only do students have the privilege of enrolling in academically challenging courses, but they are provided with Chromebooks and the opportunity to meet with college counselors, a privilege students in many other schools do not have.
However, while focusing on academic growth is a necessity, it is crucial to realize that many students lack the bare essentials to succeed in the adult world. Many high school students bury themselves in their textbooks, but lack knowledge or experience regarding the everyday responsibilities of the adult world.
Home economics, or the study of the personal resource management, is essential to giving students life skills because it sews together the individual, family, environment, and larger community. Every generation begins to lose knowledge of home economics as children spend more time studying and memorizing terms than learning basic skills.
“Having taken woodshop in my high school years, I find that these classes are a good way to learn to be more independent and hands on with life. Home economics classes are an opportunity to expand your list of handy talents or tool,” California State University Northridge and Cleveland Charter High School alumnus Saher Nazir said.
Now, of course, there are those who do believe that schools prepare students for the adult life through morals and scholarly traits. In order to excel in school, time management and self-control is key.
“Granada students have a unique privilege in that they have so many opportunities at their disposal. We often take advantage of these privileges, but we must remember that school is as much as you put into it. And as for our school, there is a lot to appreciate,” senior Oli Lee said.
However, these students are overlooking one more important detail. Life skills also include fending for oneself when no one is there to lean on for support. In the adult world, beyond senior year, there will be many obstacles and difficulties that will prevent one from achieving goals.
Usually, we are surrounded by loved ones who have experience and who act as support systems or guides. But our loved ones, who have surrounded us and guided us through our whole life, will not be around for ever. There will be times when loved ones, colleagues, or acquaintances are not there to help or give advice. And it will be during those times when people must rely on their own knowledge. And that is when life skills become necessary.
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