“Adulting” sounds like a nonsensical course for young people. But it has become apparent that many college students are having difficulties managing living on their own.
According to an article from United Press International (UPI) asking parents about their children, “Just 8 percent were confident their teen could make an appointment with a doctor on their own. In the same study, “Only 25 percent thought their teen could dole out the correct dose of an over-the-counter medication.”
This is why Pierce should offer adulting classes to help students navigate the new challenges they are facing.
Adulting is not just a verb. It is a behavior associated with responsibilities a typical adult would need to master, such as laundry, paying bills and cooking a meal. More complex issues such as financial planning and budgeting, preparing tax documents and health care are necessary to become self-sufficient.
Many colleges and universities such as UC Berkeley have begun to offer classes that teach these basic responsibilities. A UC Berkeley enrollment website describes that “some classes may be out-of-the-classroom, as you will be actively engaging in the adulting skills as you learn them. However, a majority of the time, the class is structured around discussions on the articles read at home, guest speakers, and lectures.”
There are several reasons why younger generations such as Generation Z are less capable of performing some of the basic life skills. Factors such as busier schedules, work and extracurricular activities combined with the lack of high school classes offering home economics and shop classes contribute to this dilemma. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue.
According to a piece by Tina Donvito in Parade Magazine, “millennials are the highest-educated generation—they too often neglected to teach the youngsters common sense skills needed to live in the real world.” The piece further describes what adulting classes offer. “Adulting classes aim to teach both practical life skills, like how to change a tire, as well as ‘soft skills’ that help people effectively communicate personally and professionally. At Portland’s Adulting School, in-person and online classes include how to get out of debt and how to budget, nutrition and cooking, basic home repair and car maintenance, public speaking and interviewing, sewing, and whatever else they find a demand for.”
Pierce College can develop adulting classes based on the needs of its students and offer the classes through the Career Center. The classes should be designed to accommodate students’ schedules and not further overwhelm the participants.
With adulting classes, students can be better prepared to take on life.