Things you didn't learn in high school*

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

Grit

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by ericloz

I do believe you are mistaken about this generation, ask any parent and they will reply the same way you just did. If you don’t believe me, just read the comments and you have triplets.
So if we all raised our children right, then who raised them wrong? The other guy? Your neighbor? Your relatives? The folk on the other side of the railroad tracks?
It’s never “our kids” right?

I don't know who is the "You" you are referring to, but if you think the current generation is being raised right, then maybe you should look at them a little harder.

Back in previous generations the schools taught and the parents reinforced. Many households had 2 parents, and maybe one of them stayed home to help raise the kids.

Today, there are many single parent households and even if there IS a mother and father, they both work and the kids are latchkey.

Add to that a totally screwed up school system and that's part of the problem as well.

No more being responsible for your actions.

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by 22Seneca

Who balances a checkbook anymore? I’ve written less than 50 checks in the last 20 years. Anyone can Google how to balance a checkbook…it takes about 20 minutes to learn if you read slowly.

I’ve seen comments about checkbooks at least twice, maybe three times. Folks, it’s not rocket-science…

Some of us still do. While the rebates on a credit card are an awesome savings, writing a check is a more cost effective alternative if the vendor charges a CC premium.

Regardless, balancing a checkbook involves 5th grade math. If you can't do it your life will probably be stocking shelves at Wally.

[Murff]

Taft Coach-

Going back to my school days, I think Home Economics (Cooking, washing clothes, vacuuming, etc.) and any shop classes be reinstated. I took metal & woodshop. Also had Mechanical Drawing. Taking those classes and art (mandatory then) confirmed I did not have the mechanical aptitude or talent to do any of them well. I excelled at other parts of my life to make a decent salary and retire in financial security.

The other opinion I have is not every person in the world need or wants to go to college. Grooming all students to prepare them for college is a waste of time and money. Vocational Technical Schools are a better choice for many. Apprenticeships are another.

Unlike myself, my son can do anything with his hands. He spent most of his high school days at the school district's Occupational Skill Center. He was suppose to be there for half days, but skipped the academic half of the day and stayed at the OSC. In his 30s today, he owns his own bath tub resurfacing business. Couldn't be more proud of him.

Murff

[Lake Huron]

Murff,
You and I are the total opposite, but we are the same. If God put you and I together as one, that one would be and American unicorn. Lol! I walked out of high school with a 2.29GPA. In high school there were the advanced classes for the smart kids, regular classes for the normal kids, and then there was the "basic" classes for dumba**es like me. Only thing I got good, passing grades in was the classes you weren't very good at,.. wood, metal, machine/welding shop, drafting/mech drawing, and Voc Tech school.
30+ years ago is when they started to tell kids to stay out of those classes I excelled in and go to college, go to the cube farms, thats where the money is at. They tried "grooming" me for college but didnt waste much time with me due to my test scores on various tests that were done to see what typenofneork you would be good at for "career placement" in life. Hundreds of jobs tested for and I qualified for NONE. They made me go back and change some of my answers so they could put me in some category and send me down the road.
Nothing against college educated people, they and we (non college people) have our place in the world. When I graduated I knew my place was going to be a ditch digger, but I made darn sure I was gonna be a welk paid ditch digger. And I am. There's very little that I pay someone to do. Three more years and I'll have my 30 in and I have the potential of retirement at 52.5yrs old. I'll prolly go another 1.5 yrs after and that'll be all folks. One thing NOBODY can do and money can't buy, is time. Unfortunately that last sentence is one they dont teach in schools.

[rodpod]

Originally Posted by TaftCoach

* but wish you had.

I teach a course for college bound high school seniors. The fall semester is filled with applications, scholarships, and general college info. As we get to April and May we move towards life after college. I'm always looking for new ideas.

Teach them wealth management. I don't mean basic finances, of course they need these. I am talking about how to build wealth so that they have investments to grow their personal wealth, stocks, bonds, property, tangible assets. It's never too early to start even it means $10 a week. As a manger to many entry level employees, i would sit the new hires down an council them on investing into a 401k, or just putting some money into growth instruments that were not as liquid as a checking account. I like to think i helped many people over the years build personal wealth, and ultimately financial independence. Some actually listened.

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by rodpod

Teach them wealth management. I don't mean basic finances, of course they need these. I am talking about how to build wealth so that they have investments to grow their personal wealth, stocks, bonds, property, tangible assets. It's never too early to start even it means $10 a week. As a manger to many entry level employees, i would sit the new hires down an council them on investing into a 401k, or just putting some money into growth instruments that were not as liquid as a checking account. I like to think i helped many people over the years build personal wealth, and ultimately financial independence. Some actually listened.

Easy to talk about, but very hard for some.

Any person that works hard at their career (whether college educated or not) has the ability for advancement, and thus can make enough money to be ABLE to invest. Those satisfied with earning minimum wage don't have enough money every month for ANY luxuries, let alone pay their car expenses and rent.

Its nice to know how to manage, but first you need some wealth.

[rodpod]

Originally Posted by gypsmjim

Easy to talk about, but very hard for some.

Any person that works hard at their career (whether college educated or not) has the ability for advancement, and thus can make enough money to be ABLE to invest. Those satisfied with earning minimum wage don't have enough money every month for ANY luxuries, let alone pay their car expenses and rent.

Its nice to know how to manage, but first you need some wealth.

Well for those who want to use that rationale, they'll be stuck at the bottom of the economic heap for life. Everyone who has the motivation has to start somewhere. I did and I am doing ok. Look it's not for everyone, but if you do a search on the net, E.G.. "low income investing" ,you'll find numerous options.

It's not a matter of can do, It's a matter of want to.

[t18skyguy]

Originally Posted by THE MEEKER

I think I finally found my long lost twin brother!

Me too!! and now were triplets !!

[16WhiteColly]

Originally Posted by RPR

All the above and one thing we went by. Live within your means. We did and retired very comfortable.

That’s the best advice. We have lived by that and have also retired comfortably. Save for a rainy day! It’s not if, it’s when you will have one! It will happen.

[TaftCoach]

Originally Posted by ericloz

I do believe you are mistaken about this generation, ask any parent and they will reply the same way you just did. If you don’t believe me, just read the comments and you have triplets.
So if we all raised our children right, then who raised them wrong? The other guy? Your neighbor? Your relatives? The folk on the other side of the railroad tracks?
It’s never “our kids” right?

True. But that hasn't really changed much.

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

Socrates.

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by TaftCoach

True. But that hasn't really changed much.

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

Socrates.

Thanks for posting that. I read that many years ago, which just shows to go you that every generation has problems with the next one.

The thing is that after most all of the "problem" kids grew up, they eventually turned out right. I say "most". There are factors today that maybe are different from the days of Socrates. Such as:

* Drugs
* The breakdown of the family unit
* Gangs
* Illegal guns on the streets
* Lack of discipline even after growing up
* Liberal attitudes
* A broken judicial system

[norty1]

The best course I took in HS was typing. This was in 1959. Analog computers were just getting up and running. I have used the knowledge in that little course every day of my adult life.

[JFlightRisk]

Originally Posted by norty1

The best course I took in HS was typing. This was in 1959. Analog computers were just getting up and running. I have used the knowledge in that little course every day of my adult life.

I took that course too. Got up to almost 30 words a minute. Now I'm all the way up to 10!

My final test was on an ancient Royal manual, with blank keys.

[hoppers4]

Originally Posted by norty1

The best course I took in HS was typing. This was in 1959. Analog computers were just getting up and running. I have used the knowledge in that little course every day of my adult life.

Amen Norty! One of the most useful classes I took. And so useful these days with everything that needs to be typed. I was the only guy in the class .

[Midnightmoon]

I learned from a program called Mavis Beacon in the late '80's. There was a typing class at my HS. But, I didn't take it at the time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mavis_...Teaches_Typing

[Ricky555]

Buy stuff when you can afford it. Don't go deep into credit card debt . Save some money for "rainy" days. enjoy your life.

[RPR]

Everything they teach about history in school is not correct.

[THE MEEKER]

Originally Posted by RPR

Everything they teach about history in school is not correct.

Growing up, the best history lessons I received was from "Grampapedia".

[22Seneca]

One more. I'm remind of a song that came out shortly before my high school graduation.

It's worth a listen. Should be requisite for high school seniors. They just might remember it. And there are some great remixes.

Everybody's Free
by Baz Luhrmann