Life Skills

sunshine and showers

Bored_lad wrote: »

This already exists its just a combination of a number of different subjects. You learn all this stuff except the tyre and more in home ec, guidance counselling, science and business.

Yes, but not all schools have compulsory science and business for the Junior Cert. Home Ec isn't compulsory either. And from some of the cover letters I've read over the last few years, guidance counselling did not go well for a lot of people out there!

Aidric

sunshine and showers wrote: »

I think there should be a class in secondary school to teach basic life skills. For example: how to cook a few healthy meals, how to sew a button, how to change a tyre, how to write a decent cover letter, how to change a plug, how to do a basic household budget... Things that are ever so slightly more practical than Honours Maths. :P

And everyone should know how to swim. Very important, I think.

Ashamed to admit I have failed miserably on every attempt to sow a button. :pac:

TwoGuysDublin

Cool quote. Hadn't seen it before but Branson is someone I'd have respect for. I think he might mean it in the overall worldly sense of the word. This is a guy who used not look at CVs when interviewing for a job. That doesn't work for everything obviously.

I know it's nice to be able to cook, sew, read and write but if I could only have one life skill it would be adaptability. The ability to be something different to different men/women while still being something worthy of respect is life's greatest skill IMO.

It takes time and effort but being able to converse and interact with the guy on 15k per year as fluently(not literal language) as you would with the guy on 150k per year is life's greatest skill and door opener.

And I think that's where Branson is coming from. He could talk you in and out of a paper bag I'm sure. I can relate to him and so can many millionaires. We're different ends of the spectrum but he's relatable to all.

Mark of a great man, and possibly one of the most pertinent reasons he's a millionaire.

Pawwed Rig

Aidric wrote: »

Ashamed to admit I have failed miserably on every attempt to sow a button. :pac:

Me too. The pig never fits in through the hole :pac:


Sorry

Basic budgeting and long term financial planning
Basic maintenance and repairs
Cleaning and housekeeping, cooking, basic sewing
Personal care and hygiene
Continuous personal development - never stop learning in some way
Manners and basic etiquette
Driving
Basic nutrition and regular exercise
How to present oneself appropriately in various situations such as interviews etc.
Ease in social situations and appropriate social skills


All good lifeskills to have.

johndaman66

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

The knowledge that just because someone is junior to you in a work sense does not make you smarter than them. Be able to identify good advice/ideas regardless of the source. I have found this to be a very uncommon trait.

I do like that...well said. Also to add to that don't get too complacent with ones self and assume your irreplaceable in your workplace because you very much are wherever you work. Don't assume that having a bachelors or masters degree will mean you'll never be replaced by someone who can do the job cheaper and just as well if not better in one of the BRICK countries for example. Don't fool yourself thinking foreign companies are here exclusively because we are the knowledge based economy....its moreso because of our low corporation tax rates more than anything else.

sunshine and showers wrote: »

I just think it's important, ubless you intend to avoid water for your whole life. It's useful for leisure purposes as well as safety ones.

One of the best things my parents did was get me into the water from a relatively young age, tbh.

My mother being too over bearing and having phobias about a lot of these kind of things never let me go swimming as a nipper. If I had to hate her for one thing that would be it. Tried a few years back and just couldn't get the hang of it.

I'll add a few of my own to the list: -

Ability to read and write to at least a moderate level irrespective of what you do in life.

Ability to do basic household budgeting and planning.

Ability to read and understand a basic legal document such as an insurance policy for example.

If you drive a car the ability to change a wheel (assuming you aren't infirm or have a disability that would automatically prevent you doing so). This one goes for man and woman....Can't be sexist anymore so thats a 2 way street....

DoYouEvenLift

Realising when you're wrong and admitting it. Nothing worse than someone who is 100% wrong and you can tell when they eventually realise it yet continue just to delay 'defeat', if you could even call it that.

Sheldons Brain

johndaman66 wrote: »

If you drive a car the ability to change a wheel (assuming you aren't infirm or have a disability that would automatically prevent you doing so). This one goes for man and woman....Can't be sexist anymore so thats a 2 way street....

Changing wheels. But also things like fuses, bulbs and the like.
Read maps.

johndaman66

Sheldons Brain wrote: »

Changing wheels. But also things like fuses, bulbs and the like.
Read maps.

Yep agree there. The one thing I will mention is that changing headlight bulbs in modern cars can be a nightmare. It took a garage (granted non main dealer) almost 2 hours to change a headlight bulb in my brothers 09' Accord. Maybe that was bad on their part but all the same wouldn't expect a non Garage person to do such a job. It involved putting car up on ramp, severe amount of ripping etc.

Moral of the story - drive an oul basic rough and ready banger like me!!

Pawwed Rig

johndaman66 wrote: »

Yep agree there. The one thing I will mention is that changing headlight bulbs in modern cars can be a nightmare. It took a garage (granted non main dealer) almost 2 hours to change a headlight bulb in my brothers 09' Accord. Maybe that was bad on their part but all the same wouldn't expect a non Garage person to do such a job. It involved putting car up on ramp, severe amount of ripping etc.

Moral of the story - drive an oul basic rough and ready banger like me!!

Agreed. To change a bulb in my last car required hands no more than 2 cm in diameter and fingers at least 6 inches long with multiple joints

Brussels Sprout

Learn to listen and not just wait to talk.

ILikeBananas

One of my favourite quotes:

"We judge ourselves on our intentions, others judge us on our actions"

I think a lot of people in Ireland talk a good game about what they're going to do but quite often don't follow it up. I lived for a year in New Zealand and one difference that I noticed is that the kiwis were the polar opposite in that they just got on with it without talking much about all their plans and intentions beforehand.