It is often said that this generation is lazy, selfish, and many other negatives. I would like to argue that it is not our lack of desire or drive to do something it is our inability to do ordinary “grown-up” things. It is not our fault that fresh-out of high school we are cast out into the world with nothing but the quadratic formula and How to write a personal narrative to guide us. How are we expected to become the future of America if we don’t even know how to vote?

One way to give teenagers the power to be independent and control their own lives after high school is to give them a class on “real-life.” To educate them on how to balance a bank account, morgage a house or pay our taxes.

“I HATE High school!” These words have escaped every high-schooler at some point in their journey from English 9 to Senior project whether it was the night before a big test or sitting in a “boring” lecture. Many high schoolers are frustrated that they are wasting their time and that they are learning skills that will prove next to worthless as soon as they graduate. With a class about the ordinary, yet challenging, skills needed to survive independence, high schoolers might feel as if their education is giving them something useful.

At the early age of 18, many teenagers are cast out by their financially unstable parents and forced into independence. Without the right tools and mindset to survive the real world, teenagers find themselves at the bottom of the social and economic pyramid. To drowm their misfortune many teenagers turn to drugs or alcohol. This not only ruins their lives but can lead to crime and further social injustice.

Not only are teenagers unprepared for living on their own, they are unprepared for a phase later in their life, parenthood. First off, if teenagers are unable to take care of themselves, their inability to take care of another human being is no surprise. When they can no longer support their family they will cast their unprepared child(ren) out into the world just like their parents did, leaving them to fall into the viscious cycle of inadequate education.

We can stop this cycle of emotional, physical, and financial disrepair if we simply educate teens on the things they want and need to learn most. They will be able to become successful and financially stable citizens of america who exercise their right to vote. Teens will have the opportunity to become Amerca’s next engineers, doctors, and political leaders without the fear of falling through the cracks because they simply didn’t know how to pay their taxes.