OT Things You Think Every Young Adult Should Know?

[caitlyn_the_camille]

Heyy Fierce Board! I know I don't come around often any more, but I need your expertise.
So I was recently elected VP of Chapter Development for my sorority, and that means I have to plan enriching weekly events/discussions on subjects I think young women need to be educated about.
For example, I'm bringing in a professional to lead a personal finance/loans workshop for one week, we're doing an anxiety coping mechanisms/self-care thing another, and there will be a few times I show cool TED talks or other videos I've found online that can spark important conversations.
They don't all have to be serious stuff like that though, in the past we've done a couponing class, had a dietician come in and teach us how to meal-prep, etc.
So I'm here because I know there are lots of moms on the boards, and moms always know best! (In addition to moms though, there are just a lot of people here whose opinions I value)
Can you think of any subjects you feel not enough young people are aware of? Do you have any cool videos or talks you think everyone needs to see? I'm open to anything! Thank you in advance!

 

[emo_wifey]

Heyy Fierce Board! I know I don't come around often any more, but I need your expertise.
So I was recently elected VP of Chapter Development for my sorority, and that means I have to plan enriching weekly events/discussions on subjects I think young women need to be educated about.
For example, I'm bringing in a professional to lead a personal finance/loans workshop for one week, we're doing an anxiety coping mechanisms/self-care thing another, and there will be a few times I show cool TED talks or other videos I've found online that can spark important conversations.
They don't all have to be serious stuff like that though, in the past we've done a couponing class, had a dietician come in and teach us how to meal-prep, etc.
So I'm here because I know there are lots of moms on the boards, and moms always know best! (In addition to moms though, there are just a lot of people here whose opinions I value)
Can you think of any subjects you feel not enough young people are aware of? Do you have any cool videos or talks you think everyone needs to see? I'm open to anything! Thank you in advance!

Idk if the person talking on personal finance will already be including this, but building credit. How there are different scores depending on what type of credit you're trying to get, even though credit cards are the worst to some people you need some revolving credit, etc. It is not as simple as paying a loan on time and not getting collections. I had the worst examples growing up and didn't learn this until recently.

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[Eyes On The Prize]

I wanted to use my laptop to post my response to include links but Fierceboard doesnt seem to be working on any web browser (Ill add links when it starts working again.) Also its long.

Im not a mom but Ive lived with 12 or so other girls over the past few years, each their own kind of crazy. Heres what I suggest for some important topics from my experiences.

1. How and why you should prioritize saving money rather than spending it all - especially right out of school but also for forever. Check out "The Finacial Diet" on youtube. Its a really great, relatable, and imformative channel mostly based around money tips for young adults. They have some other videos about career stuff and self improvement but its mostly about money things. I cant emphasize how important it is that you save money. I see a lot of people my age with tons of consumer debt. They are really doing themselves a huge diservice because they dont think that having a legitimate emergency fund is a necessity. If you move away from home (every college grads dream) its even more important.

2. Learn to actually cook. Food is probably going to be one of the biggest expense month to month that you can control. Cooking your own food is how you keep that expense down. All of my after college room mates eat out ALL THE TIME. Then they stress out about how they cant save money... I love that you had someone come in to meal prep. I do that and its not only a great time saver but a great money saver. You only end up buying what you need and you waste little food and little money. One of my favorite Youtube channels for cooking is "The Brothers Green". Theyre great for beginners and experts. They show you how to cook a bunch of different types of food. Totally recommend it.

3. Find your local library and learn about what it can offer you. You pay for it with your taxes and then its mostly free for you to use. Free books, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, magazines, music, etc. Entertainment will be the other biggest expense you can control month to month. Libraries have very up to date collections and most of them can get you media from other libraries within their system. They even have TV shows from subscription based channels like HBO and Showtime and some even have video games! They also offer a variety if other services. Theyre there to serve the community and have programs to do so. They can reference you to places. Some have free passes to local places like aquariums, zoos, and museums, where youd typically need to purchase a ticket for entry. I learned recently that mine can get me free access to Lynda.com (a subscription based training website that is popular within my field.) Super helpful and can really help you save money.

4. I say this as a girl to other girls: Learn how to use tools. My parents taught me how to use tools, just like they taught my brother how to use a sewing machine. Helpless people arent cute. A lot of my room mates couldnt even do something as simple as hang a shelf or a picture frame on the wall without command strips. Being able to fix things will save you money. It will also let you customize things to fit your needs/space/style and offer you a more comfortable environment to help you relax. Learn how to hang curtains, learn how a level works, learn how to install shelves, learn to use a power drill. There are millions of tutorials on youtube on how to (safely) do this stuff. Theres also community programs around to learn this stuff.


5. Learn the art of arguing and negotiation. You need to know how to do this. Not just to negotiate a higher salary but when you have to buy a car, reduce your rent increase, or when youre in a pickle with your landlord or work. Learn how arguements work to help you learn to sift through BS - it's everywhere. It will help you find clear reasoning amidst chaos and avoid drama and hassle that you dont have time or energy for. It will also make you more confident in high-stake situations that WILL arise in your personal and professional life.

Bonus topic: Death. Learn how to set up a will, prepare for the worst, the importance of Life Insurance (yes, even at 20), who gets to be your power of attorney when you cant make decisions for yourself, what you want done with your body, etc. Not to be morbid but you can die at anytime and these are important things to have discussed with your loved ones. And its important for them to tell you their plans as well. Theres a lot of stresses when someone dies for the people left behind. My grandmother and aunt passed away this year two weeks apart and my family was left to handle both deaths back to back. My grandmother had everything planned out and payed for. It was such an easy proccess and let everyone focus on more important things. My aunts passing was very sudden. She had nothing set up, nothing paid for. They had to search through her house to find deeds and other legal papers. No life insurance policy, no plans for her body, nothing. The two proccesses for final areangements were black and white. Its uncomfortable to think and talk about but its probably one of the most grown up things you can do. Theres a few things on youtube about where to start but Caitlin Doughty has a cahnnel called "Ask a Mortician" all about death and how to start some of those proccesses and conversations. I also recommend taking a look at that.

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[UCFKnights07]

Anything to do with finances once you get out of college is SO important, same with building credit, job benefits, 401K, etc.
College taught me a lot, but there were some things i wish it would have taught me that it didnt, and most of my life challenges ive faced after graduating had nothing to do with what i learned in school or working.

 

[JerseyGirl112]

The best thing my chapter ever did was bring in someone to give us a workshop about sexual assault. I don't know if that was the angle you were going for, but to this day Im thankful my sisters decided to prioritize an event like that.

 

[SL&AM]

Auto care---how to check your fluids, how to check your tires, how to change bulbs...etc.

To add to the finance---taxes, taxes, taxes. Most people have no idea how taxes work unless they're in the field.

 

[AnotherCheerMom]

Avoiding debt
Basic car care
Safe and Defensive driving — how to avoid accidents
Sexual Harassment prevention and advice
How to read a rental lease

 

[OnceUponACheerleader]

I second @Eyes On The Prize on every.single.one. Including the 'death talk'. Not easy, but so important.

 

[XtremeWpg]

Job interview skills. The number of people I've interviewed with no concept on how to speak professionally is horrifying.

 

[UCFKnights07]

Another idea. Learning the basics about car maintenance, etc... How to change you oil, windshield wiper fluid, car battery, etc. How to change a tire wasn't something I learned till my husband showed me...

 

[catlady]

Another idea. Learning the basics about car maintenance, etc... How to change you oil, windshield wiper fluid, car battery, etc. How to change a tire wasn't something I learned till my husband showed me...

The first and only time I had a flat I was all "I got this" and got out the tire and tools, jacked up the car, said "no thank you" to anyone that pulled over and asked if I needed help....and proceeded to spend the next hour trying to get the first lug nut off.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

The first and only time I had a flat I was all "I got this" and got out the tire and tools, jacked up the car, said "no thank you" to anyone that pulled over and asked if I needed help....and proceeded to spend the next hour trying to get the first lug nut off.

LOL this is why I have AAA. I accept that I can't, and just pay someone to take care of it for me. I'm lazy.

 

[cheerKT]

Finance basics (filing taxes, different types of savings plans), basic cooking skills and basic car maintenance.

Also, resume workshops would be incredibly valuable to graduating seniors!

 

[cheerKT]

Oh this is a little more broad but maybe even a First Aid course where they can get CPR certified and learn some other life saving techniques, like the Heimlich maneuver for babies and adults. And sadly, self defense courses active shooter trainings are becoming increasingly necessary in this day and age.

When I was closing in on graduation we also had a presentation from our local sorority alumni chapter. They gave us a quick intro on what they did and how to stay involved with the organization beyond college. We could also go ahead and pay dues and join up that day, which was neat.

 

[a_cheer_leaderxo]

Not a mum but 21 and in my final year of university. It's probably been drummed into them a lot but the importance of how you conduct yourself on social media, ie, language and photos and how this may look if a potential employer was to search for you.

I am entering into a career next year where professionalism is highly important and it's now something that's on my mind every time I post on social media.