Ben Stallings

Professor McCampbell
English 101
December 6, 2015
Generation Z: Are they Ready?
Are the young adults of today prepared for the real world? Schooling and the educational
system have had requirements for what goals and lessons need to be met in order for the students
to pass and move on to higher education. A reform needs to happen in order to help with
transitions into the working force. With the skills that are being used in the real world, the
education system needs to adapt to transition students into the world.
When students are in their senior year of high school, Fewer than half of high school
students across the country feel theyre ready for college and careers (Leal). This study
conducted by a group in California to survey and improve the education system, shows how the
schools are not giving proper attention to preparing for the real world. Students are not being
educated to use the resources or even find them. Along with other studies on students One goal
for the survey is to prompt some questions for schools themselves (Leal). What this quote is
saying is that the schools acknowledge there is a problem and they want to find ways in order to
fix it. One of the fixes that people are looking to is Common core standards. This New way to
teach focuses on specific course skills. However most of the skills are related to education
courses and not things such as computers or self-economics. This isn't a bad thing for the future
but these other skills should have some light shed onto them. STEM is a large part of the
education system and Kelsey Sheehy, a writer for US News and World Report, states that Only
31 percent of students demonstrated the level of science expertise needed to succeed in entrylevel. This shows that attention should be given to other tasks and students need help with other
subjects and skills. College have general education courses often not related to the major, a

general consensus from student is I wish I had taken the initiative to enroll in a basic personal
finance course (Boisjolie). This writer states how courses that aren't part of general education
should become a part of general education so that people will be more prepared to enter the
working world.
This is where students, parents, teachers, and the heads of education can help. Marie
Hartwell-Walker, a psychologist that specializes in parent education, notes that the students
have uneven skills in managing time, money, and responsibilities. From this a schools can see
that certain skills need to be honed in order for the students to be successful. A proposal for this
problem is to implement classes into the current education system that will teach the important
skills needed for people to succeed in the real world. The first main skill to teach would be
general preparation for college. This would range from how to find the right college to how to to
pay for college. This would be implemented through school counselors. The counselors would
call the students in and discuss future plans, show them resources and ways to apply successfully
to college. Schools should have events to show the parents how to use these skills so they can
help their children with the process. Other items that need to be taught are economic skills. Most
schools have some a program but it needs to be extended to help students understand basic skills.
This would be done through trial schools. The curriculum would be placed and if it works and
shows positive feedback. Other skills that should be added would basic repair skills and
computer skills. Often simple skills like how to change a tire are overlooked. Open office is a
large requirement for any office job in today's settings. These skills would be harder to teach but
would require a short time to do this. A trial school would have to be used and have preexisting
classes modified to show these skills. However Adora Svitak from TEDEd states Do schools
have a responsibility to fill in the gaps when parents dont educate their children about basics?

This brings up are the parents taught the skills required to help their children. Schools should
step up and solidify these skills.
Funding for the project will be very minimal but will require great support from the
government. With modifying the curriculum and adding classes new teachers and requirements
would have to be modified. This will take time but will provide great things for the working
force of the future. With students being more prepared less issues would occur and the transition
to the real world will be smooth. This plan has been one that every student and parent has
thought of and now the opportunity is available to implement it.

Works Cited
Boisjolie, Melinda. " Preparing for the Real World: What They Don't Teach You in College."
National Association for College Admission Counseling. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.

Hartwell-Walker, Marie. "Ready or Not: Immature But Headed to College."Psych Central.

11 Aug. 2009. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.

Leal, Fermin. "Survey: Most High School Students Feel Unprepared for College, Careers."
EdSource. 30 July 2015. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.

Sheehy, Kelsey. "High School Students Not Prepared for College, Career." US News and
World Report. 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.

Svitak, Adora. "Does School Prepare Students for the Real World? This Teen Speaker
Says No." TEDEd Blog RSS. 25 Aug. 2015. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.