How to do the things you encounter after high school that you are not told about
I am an alumnus of Artesia High School in California. When I was a senior, I had this class called “SOS”, “Survival of the Singles”. Some schools call this class “Adult Survival.” This is a class that teaches about bank accounts, writing checks, investing money, finding a job, what the job will be like, children, and more. This class helped prepare me a bit for the real world. I learned a lot from this class and had a very good teacher. Her name was Mrs. Stonebreaker. Maybe one day she will come across this article online and see this sentence,
“Mrs. Stonebraker, thank you for everything you taught me at school. You and your husband were the best teachers I ever had in high school.”
I’ve noticed that high schools aren’t really about creating a smooth transition from high school to the big wide world. I would like to present this article to those of you who have dropped out, are not going to college and want to work, and those of you who are out of high school and don’t know what the hell they want to do.
No matter what you do, there are certain things you must do to survive. You may have supportive parents, but they won’t be there forever. The sooner you can survive on your own in today’s world, the better off you and your parents will be. Below is a list of basic things you should try to establish right away:
E-mail address
Log in online and create two email addresses. One will be for business and the other for personal. The two main companies that provide free email are MSN (Hotmail) and Yahoo. Click “sign up” and follow the instructions to get an email address. The reason you need two email addresses is that you want to separate your personal email from your work email.
Use your work email to sign up for online programs and offers and apply for jobs. Use your personal email to talk to your friends and family. Always try to get the email addresses of all your family members and friends and keep in touch with all of them. They are an invaluable resource in your life.
If you’re brand new to email, you can always google for instructions. Don’t be afraid to read the help files that are provided by most email providers. They are there to do just that, to “HELP” you. Remember that Google is your friend. You can always Google for answers to most questions. Get really good at using email. Most companies use email as their primary source of communication these days.
Bank account
Go to your local bank and open a free checking and savings account. Create this account and its online services so you can keep track of your money online. Get a debit card with a visa or mastercard logo so you can buy things anywhere. Grab a wallet and keep your cards and wallet safe. Get into the habit of placing it on top of or in a dresser drawer or something similar. Get into the habit of balancing your checkbook often and keep all your receipts.
Credit card
Apply for one major visa or mastercard. Listen to me very carefully, just one. You will only use this card for 2 specific purposes! One is renting a car and the other is establishing credit. A credit card is not real money and you should only spend on what you do. You most likely won’t have a credit history, so you’ll need it to start establishing credit to buy a house someday. Try to find a card with the lowest possible interest rate, no annual fee and returns on purchases. Buy small things with it and pay it off each month to build credit.
Create a resume
Your resume is your key document that tells potential employers what skills and experience you have. You need to learn how to create at least one basic one. There are many online resources on how to write a resume. Just search and read. If you don’t know how to use Microsoft Word, learn! Go to Microsoft.com and find out how to use Word. This is very useful and practically necessary these days. If your computer doesn’t have it or you can’t afford it, download Open Office and use it. Word has resume templates where you basically just fill in the fields. If not, you can always search for a free professional template on Google.
Learn about public transport
If you’re lucky and your parents buy you a car, then you really don’t need to worry about public transport; but you will need to learn about car maintenance. Why not just avoid all that for now and learn about the buses and trains in your area and how to use them. It’s a cost-effective way to get around town.
Get a job
Try to find a job through one of your family members. This way you will have more chances to get a decent job. Since you just graduated from high school, it will be difficult for you to prove that you have work experience or skills. Try to avoid working in fast food restaurants if possible. Apply anywhere. Go out for a day with your mom, dad, or someone else and have them drive you around, collecting applications from different places. Fill them all out and return them on the same day. This way, it appears that you are motivated. About.com has some good resources to help you find your first job.
When you’re in interviews, be yourself and be honest. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. This is a potential place where you can work many hours a day. You want to know what you’re getting into. Prepare to be rejected. Not every place hires staff, just be polite and thank them for their time. Go to work every day and try not to miss a beat.
I save money
Once you get a stable salary, you should start saving money. You will have the resources to start working on your future. With a steady decent paying job you will be able to survive on your own. Saving is important because one day you will have to afford your own home and pay bills. If you are one of those who prefer to stay with your parents, then you are only hurting yourself. People will say that it is good to stay with your parents as long as possible. I only agree with this if you go to college. Remember, it’s nice to give your parents a break. Of course they love you, but it’s just out of respect to give them some leeway because they’ve sacrificed a lot and worked really hard to get you where you are.
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Find your passion
The key to happiness is finding your passion in life. You’ll know when you find it because you won’t stop doing it. You won’t let anything stop you from doing so. It’s even easier if you take care of yourself and work hard. You will feel that you deserve it and deserve it! Realize that your passion can change depending on who you are. I thought my passion was computers forever, but now I feel like I’ve learned as much as I wanted to and I’m moving on to new things. Currently my passion is blogging! Who would have thought!
Never stop learning
You can never, ever know too much. Higher education doesn’t always have to be in college. You can take free courses online, read books or even read this blog etc. If you’re like me and don’t really care about the classroom environment, then don’t be afraid to find other ways to educate yourself. Although I graduated from DeVry University, I now realize that I probably won’t be back in the classroom again. You just have to read and do! Try things! Don’t be afraid to fail because that’s how you really learn.
Conclusion
Okay, so you’re on your own now. Now it’s time to go out into the world because you have all the answers from this simple little document, right? Okay, maybe that’s not true, but if you take the steps I’ve laid out in this document seriously, I think you’ll be surprised where you’ll be in a few weeks.
If you have any questions, you can always contact me. I’d be glad to help! Beware.
#encounter #high #school #told