As high school students inch closer and closer to moving out, it becomes essential to master fundamental skills of independent living.  From learning how to do your own laundry to understanding how to budget your individual finances, the ability to live on your own and support yourself comfortably becomes an urgent necessity much earlier than some may expect.  For many adults, the jump from being provided for to caring for themselves  comes as fast and as hard as a slap to the face.  This pleads the question: what can we, as teenagers, do to prepare ourselves better?

As a teenager and being unwilling to accept the inevitable fact that you soon will be responsible for folding your own laundry and picking up your own prescriptions, you undoubtedly will think, “Why do I care?”  But in reality, we all know that this is just an excuse we tell ourselves to kick the can down the road.  Soon enough, we’ll all be moved out and wishing we had learned these things earlier on.

Recently, my dad taught me how to change a car tire.  I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say this is one of many things that everyone in their late teens should know how to or at least learn to do.  Even if there is AAA to call, or your dad on speed dial, what happens when your dad doesn’t pick up or you don’t have service?

Some things, like doing your own laundry or cooking your own meals, are simple, and honestly, if you are a high school student, there is no question that you should absolutely know how to handle yourself with the washing machine and the assortment of buttons on a microwave.  Most students probably do know how to do their own laundry, but even so, still have their mom do it.

However, things like writing a check, conducting yourself in a professional manner, or knowing how to handle your own bank account can be a much more complex process to fully understand for us adolescents.  As young adults, it is our responsibility to prepare ourselves for the “real world.”

More importantly, the obligation of teaching us these skills lies almost fully on the shoulders of parents.  Along with teaching us manners, how to share, and how to differentiate between right and wrong, our parents are accountable for showing us the ropes of adult life.  So I encourage you, if you do not already know, to ask your parents to instill in you the fundamental necessities of living without them.

As much as we hate to admit it, none of us can honestly believe that we are entirely prepared for living on our own.  We think we can live off of microwave meals and unwashed clothing in college, when in reality, after we wake up from this fantasy we call childhood, excuses won’t matter anymore, and the only things that will keep us on our feet are the skills that we were taught early on.