Sunday, January 30, 2011

They should have a class for this

Lately, certain things have come up in life that I really wish I had learned in a class. In college, I remember hearing people discuss how there should be a "Life Skills" class. Certainly could have been more useful than some of the other classes I took!

Here are a few examples I've come across that there should be a class for:
  • Filling out forms when starting a new job
    This always makes me feel so dumb. At high school jobs, it wasn't so embarrassing to ask for help from my supervisor. But now I feel ridiculous asking for help. Do I claim myself, do I not? What does that mean come April?
  • Filing taxes
    So far I've received my two W2s from 2010. I've also been doing some freelance work (read: not paying taxes), so I have no idea how I'm going to go about filing my 2010 tax returns. Here's hoping I get some cash back this year, or at least break even!
  • Insurance plans
    At my old job, I had two choices for insurance plans. When I changed jobs, I had to get an individual plan, and I was completely lost. It took me forever to understand what a "deductible" is. Seems like the descriptions of plans are more cryptic than they need to be. I just want to know what is covered!
    On a related note: I'm so thankful to be back on my dad's insurance plan thanks to Healthcare Reform!
  • Negotiating pay/benefits
    I'm still not good at this and don't know if I'll ever be. Not a fan.
  • Credit: what your score means, and what is good and bad for it
    Currently, my credit is frozen because I experienced identity fraud a couple years ago. However, I think I have good credit — enough to be approved for the apartment anyway. I do know that having a credit card or two is good. My car is also now in my name, so I'm sure that helps. Thanks to my parents for looking out for me and making sure I was building some credit. Just wish I knew more about it.
Did I miss anything? What else should have been covered before entering the "real world?"

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