Five Classes Every High Schooler Should Take

Nowadays it seems students aren’t being taught essential life skills in school. We believe there are five very important classes that high school students should take to prepare them for a successful future.

Number one would be a speech class.

The number one fear people have is public speaking. Communicating effectively in front of other people is an essential skill. The better you’re prepared to speak effectively in front of others the more success you will have in your life. Speech class is a fabulous foundation for every high school student to have success in their own life.

Number two would be personal finance.

You need to understand how money works, how to write a check, how to Zelle money, how to do basic personal accounting. Not every child needs to get ready to go to a university or college but if they have a good basic understanding of personal finance, it will set them up for success. In this class they will cover the difference between an asset and a liability and how credit cards work. If you charge $1000 on a credit card and pay the minimum monthly balance, it can take almost 30 years to pay off your debt. This class will teach you how to make your money work for you, so you don’t work for it.

The third class that is extremely important and that lots of people avoid is history.

History repeats itself, look at the world as we live in now. After World War II we thought we would never have the situations we are dealing with now. History will also introduce you to different world economic orders, the difference between capitalism and communism, the difference between free enterprise and socialism.

Number four is extremely important as well, and that would be computer applications.

Learning to do a balance sheet and spreadsheet analysis, how to create a ledger, how to build a profit and loss statement, etc., are all extremely important for any young adult and going into any aspect of the real world. Also, things like PowerPoint, Google Suites, as well as skills like writing a professional email are beneficial.

Lastly, and not necessarily a class taught in school, but more of a parental responsibility would be to acquire a green light debit card for your high school student.

This will teach them financial responsibility. When they get paid for making good grades, or babysitting, or mowing the lawn, they can deposit it in their greenlight account. It will teach them responsibility and good financial habits. The parents will also have the ability to oversee what they’re spending their money on and can ask questions like, “Was that a good decision?” And when they earn money and see it being spent it teaches really strong life lessons. A lot of college graduates get out of school, get credit cards, and start spending money that they can’t pay for. This will prevent bad habits from being created early.

Setting your child up for success in this life is what every parent wants but it’s hard to teach what you don’t know or what you were not taught.

A few terrific books to encourage your child to read or to read as a family are

Think and Grown Rich by Napoleon Hill
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J Stanley

Those are just a few basic reads and if you haven’t read them, we would highly recommend them. Educate yourself, so we can pass it on to this next generation.

Areas of Review

Takeaway

Big picture takeaway points

School does not teach enough life skills.
Children graduate knowing very little about finances and how to manage them.

Reflection

Self-reflection questions to think more about the content

Was I taught about credit cards, mortgages, debt, leveraging, assets, liabilities, etc. in school?
If we don’t learn it in school, where are we going to learn it?
I want to learn to leave a legacy for those after me.

Legacy’s Building Wealth Club offers you the financial education needed to pursue your goals. Let our education and experience lead the way!