Yes, we love the quadratic formula and Newton’s laws of motion, but do we know how to file our taxes once we turn 18? Do we know what a credit score is and how to maintain a good one? Many people, myself included, believe that our schools should also be teaching us these real-life skills that are equally as important as math or science.

A lot of people, seniors mostly, are already 18 and have jobs. This means that every April they will have to prioritize their taxes and a lot of them don’t even know what the different tax forms are. 

Throughout high school, we’re taught mitosis and meiosis in biology but we’re never taught about the male and female reproductive system.

 There are always conversations between adults and teens about teen pregnancy and STDs but our school administration and the board of education don’t put a sex-ed class in place so our questions are answered and so these issues can decline. 

I graduate high school next year and I feel nervous to do so. And I know I’m not the only one. 

“I would feel more confident leaving high school if I knew how to file my taxes or manage my income,” said Juan Garcia, a junior at Agua Fria. “I feel like it would value many students and their lifestyle after high school.” 

Yes, we do have a financial literacy class, but what most students want to learn doesn’t have to involve the mathematical aspect of it and just focus on formulas. We want to learn where to handle these situations, how to handle them best, and the negative impacts it will have on us if we don’t do it right. 

“Insurance, mortgages, taxes are some of the things I would like to learn about,” said Alex Flores, a senior here at Agua Fria as well. 

People also want to see more variety in their choice of elective classes. 

“I wish we had an automotive class to teach us about cars, like how to change oil, tires… a basic class to start people that want to have a mechanic career,” said Daniel Cruz, a junior at Agua Fria.

Many classes at our school like theatre, law and public safety and creative writing are just a few that are beginning to fall apart due to a lack of students wanting to take them. 

A way to fix this would be by expanding the selection and asking the students what they REALLY want to learn about. 

This could also improve the grades of students since they’re learning about something that they truly enjoy. 

“You would actually pay attention and it’s not something forced on you and your grades will reflect it,” said Alex Flores.

Most students at Agua Fria I asked these questions said similar things, all agreeing with my stance on the situation.

We shouldn’t have to leave high school with doubts and worries about our future. Schools never fail to teach us things like mitosis or make us read Shakespeare. Don’t get me wrong, those things are great. But when will I use it after high school, unless I go into a specific career field?

Things I talked about in this will have a much greater impact and are things that should be prioritized by high schools for the well-being of the students and their futures.