High School Graduation: Ten Basic Skills You Will Need for Adulthood

Getting Ready for Real Life

Looking forward to high school graduation?

As you complete your required credits and courses, you may suspect you are ready for the world. Perhaps you plan to attend a college or university. Maybe you are heading right for a career.

Are you ready? In addition to your high school's graduation requirements, do you possess the basic skills you will need for the next step?

Here are ten basic skills you will need for adult life.

Before You Graduate: Learn How to Speak.

Certainly, high schoolers speak a language of their own. Chat-rooms and instant messaging have created new dialects, filled with acronyms and ever-changing popular phrasings. As a young adult, before you graduate from high school, you really need to possess a working knowledge of proper language.

This does not mean you must speak in flowery formal terms, but you will need to be able to express yourself clearly and confidently.

As a bonus, you should have the ability to speak aloud in group conversations and even to communicate in front of an audience. Teachers grade students for class participation for a purpose! Public speaking skills will serve you well in adult life, from job interviews to social gatherings.

Before You Graduate: Learn How to Read.

Basic literacy is a given. At least, it ought to be. A shocking number of students graduate from secondary school without developing competence in reading comprehension. Even if you know how to read, are you able to understand what it means?

Furthermore, to flourish as an adult, you will need to develop a love of learning. Whatever professional pursuit you choose, you will continually be faced with new issues and developments. Keeping current in your field will require reading and constant updating.

Are you up-to-date on current events? Do you read newspapers and magazines? Do you read for pleasure? Do you enjoy learning? Such passions will serve you well in higher education and in the workplace.

Plus, if you ever plan to become a parent, you will find yourself faced with countless opportunities to practice your reading skills and pass along your love of learning!

Before You Graduate: Learn How to Write.