I’ve heard a lot of people say that if they could go back to being in their late teens or early 20’s, there are many skills they wished they had learnt. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that there are things that would’ve helped them in their transition to adulthood, like learning how to cook. The second is that around this age, your body is usually healthy and your brain finds it easy to learn new things. Here are some important skills to learn as a teen and insight from people over the age of 21 reflecting on what they wished they had known or learnt.
After consulting a few people, I have created a list of the 21 most important skills to learn. They are as follows:
- Money management/budgeting
This was the one that got mentioned the most, which makes sense because everything from saving, investing, and budgeting is an important skill to know. Once you move out of home, it’s pretty hard to be successful without knowledge about money.
- Cooking easy, healthy meals.
Cooking healthy meals is definitely important, but these often take time and money to prepare. Unfortunately, this is why a lot of people choose to eat takeaways, and although it makes your life a lot easier, they usually are not healthy. I think everyone should take the time to learn to cook healthy meals that are easy to make, and don’t take too much time. There are many useful websites and videos online that can help you learn.
- How to move out of home.
This one goes without saying. At some point, you’ll almost definitely want to move out of home.
- How to make appointments.
It’s important to know how to make doctors appointments, or other appointments. It’s part of keeping yourself safe and healthy.
- Basic first-aid.
You never know when this skill could be useful. Learn more about first-aid here: First aid | New Zealand Red Cross
- How to fix things.
It’s worth knowing some basic skills around how to fix things yourself!
- How to problem-solve.
Coming up with creative solutions to problems is a skill that is useful anywhere, especially in workplace situations.
- How to set goals.
Setting goals is a great way to grow as a person and move forward. Knowing how to set goals that are ambitious but still realistic is important, whether it’s daily goals, yearly goals, or even life goals.
- How to make decisions.
Another one that goes without saying! Making smart decisions, big or small, is a good skill to have.
- How to be employable.
Learn how to write a CV, how to ace a job interview, and how to be employable in general.
- How to drive.
This definitely gives you more independence, and it’s pretty important to know for a number of reasons.
- How to prepare for a natural disaster.
Especially if you live in an earthquake or tsunami prone area (and New Zealand is extremely)! You should have an evacuation plan, and store emergency supplies. Here is a great website with more information: Home — Get Ready — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand
- How to pay bills.
This one’s pretty obvious, but yes, you should know how to pay bills.
- How to register to vote.
Having a say in the government of your country is super important! Everyone should vote, so make sure you know how to.
- How to make a phone call.
Whether you like it or not, you will have to make many phone calls in your life. You should learn how to be respectful on calls, as this is very important when calling places like the bank or when making an appointment for example.
- Communication skills.
Good communication is one of the most important things you will ever learn. This is important at work, in public, at meetings, everywhere.
- Time management.
Learning how to work with deadlines and due dates is very important.
- How to cope with stress.
As a human being, it’s inevitable that you will have to deal with some stressful situations. Learn healthy ways to cope with stress, and how to get help or talk to someone about it if it’s harming your mental health or causing you to be really overwhelmed.
- Emotional intelligence.
Useful everywhere, in relationships and at work for example. Learning how to manage and express your emotions, as well as empathising with other peoples, is key to being successful. Find more information here: How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence - Professional & Executive Development | Harvard DCE.
- Adaptability.
Change is constant. Learning how to adapt to new situations, such as a new job or a new house, will make your life smoother and more enjoyable.
- Confidence.
Fake it til you make it! Confidence will help your self esteem, as well as making you seem admirable and more employable.