School is really wonderful. You go, you learn and you start to develop passions, interests and a deeper knowledge of the world. But while we love to expand our English, Maths and Modern History knowledge, there are a few key life lessons that the educational system seems to skip over.

Sure, you probably learnt pythagorean theorem, but did you learn how to file taxes? Maybe you learnt studying techniques, but did you learn time management and productivity?

Wander into any bookstore and you’ll notice a section titled ‘self-help’ filled with novels covering all of the below topics. That’s no coincidence. Here are a few of the life lessons you’ll likely be forced to learn as an adult, so why not get ahead of the game now and level up.

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1. How to do your taxes 💸

Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. It might sound like a cliche, but it’s true. If you have a casual or part-time job, you’ll be familiar with the annual ritual of filing your taxes and maybe it’s something your parents help you with. The older you get, the more complicated it gets. Not to mention if you start a business of your own.

2. How to deal with money 🤑

Sorry to say, but your maths or accounting class isn’t going to teach you what you need to know about money. From a personal finance perspective, know how to save money or invest wisely, use credit cards with caution and create a budget (no matter how much you earn) will serve you for life.

3. Being self aware 😌

Do you know how you like to learn? What working environment do you thrive in? Being self aware is learning how to answer questions like these in order to put yourself on the path for success. Someone who is bad at school isn’t a failure. Perhaps it’s the way school is structured that doesn’t work for them. Do personality tests. Learn about emotional intelligence. Reflect on yourself and your journey when you try new things.

4. Time management and productivity 🕐

There are only 24 hours in a day. You can’t increase the number of hours, but you can become more productive. Teaching yourself time management tricks and productivity hacks will help you work smarter, not harder and give you more leisure time to explore hobbies, read books and enjoy life.

5. Power of being a good listener and conversationalist 🤓

Good communication can change your life. Knowing how to hold a conversation, actively listen and clearly express your ideas will make your work life easier and help you advance your career. As the world moves online, being a brilliant listener and conversationalist is becoming a rare skill. It’s why we dedicated our first microprogram to the art of communication. It’s totally free and takes just 40-minutes of your time to work through the topics.

6. The value of failing 😬

There’s a big, bad world out there and A+ report cards alone won’t help you survive. There is value in learning from failing. If you decide to start a business, launch a product or try something new there is a good chance that it will fail. All you can do is get back up and try again. Failing will teach you tenacity, build your character and teach you resilience in navigating the ups and downs of life.

7. Negotiation skills ✍️

How do you make or save money? You negotiate. This critical people skill is something you’ll use frequently throughout your life. From negotiating a new job contract to buying a new car or house, know how to negotiate in your favour will create wealth or leave money in the bank.

8. Publishing on social media 💻

Our best advice is think before you post - would you send that picture, video or caption to your grandmother? If the answer is no, then you probably don’t want a future employer or landlord to see it either. Social media is a brilliant tool to connect with friends, share happy snaps, promote your business, raise your profile and build a brand. But remember it is more often than not just a highlight reel, so don’t compare your bad day to someone’s amazing day. 

9. Mental health and stress management 🧠

The 2017-18 National Health Survey estimated that one in five Australians reported a mental or behavioural condition. Learning how to recognise the signs of depression, showing compassion for others, learning mindfulness and meditation techniques and removing the taboo label are a few ways to self educate. Knowledge is power.

10. Entrepreneurship 💡

Entrepreneurial thinking and problem solving are useful skills for everyone to learn, regardless of whether you intend to launch a start-up or not. Using initiative, chasing opportunity, learning self-reliance, having agility, adapting to change and remaining optimistic and motivated when facing challenges are all useful lessons to learn for life. After that, there’s the more practical things like setting up a business, setting contracts, understanding laws and more.

Pssst. Did you see our new, totally free post-school ready microprograms? We’re releasing the first course all about communication foundations in May. You’ll learn how to be a better listener, mastering your first impression, the art of persuasion, how to control the flow of the conversation and more. It’s going to be GRAND. Hit the sign-up button to get notified when we release it.