With graduation coming at a rapid pace, nostalgia has begun to set in and reminiscing about these past four years has become a daily occurrence. Looking back and realizing how much I’ve grown and changed in these short four years astonishes me. You really do learn a lot in college, but as a student months away from being thrown into the real world I have realized that there are a few things that not everyone is taught in college, but ought to be. I mean, you’re trying to tell me that…
1. 401k has to do with retirement funds… Right?
Ok I’ve been hearing everyone talk about this 401k thing, but WHAT IS IT?! Yes, I know you need one. I think everyone has expressed that enough, but no one wants to explain what exactly it is and how to go about setting one up. Whatever, I’ll go ask one of my finance major friends to help me set one up.
2. Bill, taxes, insurance… Oh My!
Am I the only one who is freaking out because they know nothing about paying bills, taxes and obtaining insurance? I cannot be the only one out there. These are basic life facts. How did they not go over this in school? I think this might have been a bit more helpful to learn than what Paul McCartney played on the song ‘All You Need is Love’.
3. Resumes are very detailed… It all makes sense now. Yes, I took my WPC 101 class and they taught us how to make a resume and yes, many of my other teachers made us write resumes, but not a single one of them taught me how to do it right. On a resume, you do not just list the places you worked and skills from each job you have attained. A resume is a detailed description of exactly what you did at each job and specific on the tasks you worked on there. Listing names of programs you worked with and what you learned from each one is also important. Next time your WPC 101 teacher shows you an “example” resume with only the company and a few words to describe the company below it, run. Run far away.
4. Cars, cars and cars.
This one is on me; I know that. I should have taken an automobile class to educate myself on what to do if my oil needs to be changed or what to do when my tire pressure is low. Many people know a lot about cars, but unfortunately I am not one of those people. Maybe they can take a day in WPC 101 and teach us these things. That could be helpful, right? Whatever, I’ll just Google it.
So, is anyone else starting to freak out with me?