Do you ever wonder if you’ve taught your teens enough life skills to go out into the real world and succeed? School fills them with facts and numbers, history, math, writing skills, and the sciences. But for a generation brought up on their cell phones, below are some of the essential life skills teenagers and young adults need as they move into adult life.
Here are 100 of the most common life skills teens and college students need but don’t always posses. While they are still home, we can help them by teaching them the following life skills.
100 life skills to teach teens and college students
1. How to say “no” to peers
While it might seem that saying “no” was something our children learned early, learning comfortable ways to refuse something, and not just go along with a group, becomes a health and safety issue in adolescence. We can best teach our teens how to do this by role playing and modeling situations where peer pressure might come to bear. By offering words and scripts teens can use in tough situations, we will make it easier for them to say “no.”
2. How to set and manage a goal, with a timetable and milestones
In high school deadlines were short and a year-end grade depended on many small assignments. All that changes in college when students need to plan and execute semester long projects of a much greater complexity. Using paper planners or electronic calendars, students need to create goals and milestones they can monitor. Developing systems for managing a longer term assignment is a required skill that will be invaluable in the workforce as well. We can help our teens by showing them how we manage deadlines at work with family and other demands on our time.
3. How to communicate with and get to know professors and teaching assistants
Large lectures can be impersonal but most professors and teaching assistants are available in office hours. Meeting with them is a chance to improve communication skills and learn to speak to those in authority and it will be useful with any potential employers. Research shows that those students who get to know their instructors have greater success in college.
4. How to manage time with a calendar
Time management is one of the essential life skills in college and the workplace. The high school setting with its highly structured day does not always teach teens this skill. In college, with fewer classroom hours, young adults will need to learn to manage their own time with tools of their choosing. Time management experts, Laura Vanderkam and Sarah Hart-Unger, MD, offer some effective solutions for young adults.
5. How to read a bank statement and monitor an account balance
Getting overdrawn at the bank is an expensive mistake and learning to understand and monitor your bank accounts is a crucial money management skill. With banking or budgeting apps, this is an essential step in financial literacy. These are some useful ways parents can teach their teens about managing money.
6. How to create a lifelong habit and plan for saving money
Saving money from the start, even in very small amounts, is one of the most important life skills. The magic of compound interest rewards this lifelong habit as young people can watch their money grow. We can show teens how to put aside small amounts of money from a summer job and how it adds up by the time fall comes.
7. How to use ride-sharing services safely
Ride sharing apps are now full of safety features, like having another person follow your trip, and it is essential that teens learn and use ride sharing safety features from the start.
8. How to make a phone call rather than texting (some things require a real conversation)
Even a generation that was raised on texting needs to learn to make an occasional phone call. Not every conversation can or will happen electronically and it’s important to be as comfortable on the phone as in person for a job interview or chat with a grandparent. It is one of the effective communication skills that every young person needs to have.
9. How to understand, improve, and maintain your credit score
From their first credit card to their first car loan or mortgage a young person needs to know their credit score and the factors that impact it.
10. Mail a package
Email has replaced most mail but packages still need to be sent.
11. Address an envelope
Email hasn’t replaced all mail. Thank you notes, invitations, and announcements are still often posted and need to be addressed correctly.
12. Figure out postage/buy stamps
It all starts with buying a stamp and it’s surprising how many young people have no idea where/how to get and use stamps.
13. Make, change, or cancel an appointment
Doctors, hairdressers, therapists and lots of other professional services require making and sometimes canceling appointments. See phone calls above.
14. Deposit, withdraw, or move funds in an account (either by ATM, phone app, or teller)
Another area that many teens have no experience with is how to make a deposit or withdraw cash, although many of these functions can now be done from a phone. Learn how to maintain an account and how to move money within a banking app.
15. Find medical care in an emergency and how and when to call an ambulance
From the time teens leave home it is important that they understand how to access medical care in an urgent situation and what type of care to choose. Understanding when an emergency room is the right option versus an urgent care center or a doctor’s office is important for themselves and others who may be around them.
16. Memorize their social security, credit card, and student ID numbers
There are a litany of numbers we are asked for in everyday adult life and calling and texting parents each time is not a long term solution.
17. Turn off and plunge a toilet
Better to be learn this one before it is needed.
18. Learning to turn off all plumbing
Most plumbing has a shutoff valve so whether it is a kitchen sink, washing machine or overflowing toilet, this is a good skill to have in a crisis.
19. How to wisely borrow and lend money
The magic of compound interest works in the reverse when borrowing. Young adults should understand what a schedule of payments will look like on a loan and how that will fit into their monthly budget.
20. Manage peer pressure
Developing the ability to think independently, whether it is forming your own views about current events or walking away from a risky situation, has always been a challenge but, in the age of social media, has only become more difficult. Developing confidence and critical thinking skills will allow young adults to think of themselves and truly make decisions that are right for them.
21. How to utilize a meal plan and not waste money
College meal plans are expensive and often paid for a semester in advance. It can be very tempting to skip the cafeteria and get pizza delivered or go into town for tacos. But part of growing up is learning how to save money, see above, and that means using things that have already been paid for, rather than buying more.
22. Do laundry
A fundamental skill of adult life and one everyone should learn before they leave home.
23. How to shop for groceries (lists, budget, coupons)
Buying groceries is a great opportunity to learn more about saving money with lists, recipes, budgets, coupons and money saving offers. Learning to plan and save money buying food is a great lesson for learning to save money in other aspects of life.
24. How to read nutrition labels
There is the cost of food and then there is the nutrition. Learning to ignore the claims on the package, and read the fine print is an important life-long skill in order to stay healthy. It’s important to be able to separate food fads from science-based nutrition information and not be swept up in the latest TikTok fad.
25. How to tip
Tipping has only become more confusing. Buy a coffee and you are offered a range of options for tipping, all of which seem expensive to a young person on a budget. The important lesson is to be generous when good service is offered and to take account of tipping when figuring the final cost of an item.
26. Make a list of favorite recipes
Find a place where you can keep all your favorite recipes or old family favorites.
27. Write a check
Ask any young person to write a check and you’ll be surprised. It’s a learned “skill” not something that is self-explanatory.
28. Understand the terms when applying for a credit card
Hidden fees, APR, fines…applying for a credit card means learning to read the fine print. Anyone old enough to have a credit card needs to know what happens when the balance is not fully paid off monthly. See compound interest above.
30. Use any form of transportation, including navigating and ticketing
31. How to choose a doctor
Finding a new doctor in a new city can be confusing but young people need to understand their options, what medical services they will need regularly and how their insurance will cover those services.
32. Fill and refill a prescription
33. Manage subscription services
It’s so easy to subscribe, and then forget that you are paying a monthly fee for something you barely use. This problem can be avoided by learning to check your credit card and bank statement regularly.
34. Correctly use over-the-counter medications
Explain to your kids what analgesics are and how they differ from one another. In addition sometimes cold remedies, for instance, have an analgesic and something for cold symptoms. They need to learn to read the active ingredients on labels and do not accidentally double up on medications.
35. Maintain scholarships and financial aid
Many of these financial offers come with stipulations around GPA or other matters. It is crucial that students understand their role in maintaining their college funding.
36. Eat healthily and resist unhealthy food choices
Fast cheap food can seem like a great option when hungry but it is rarely the healthy option. Learning to make wise choices in a college cafeteria or restaurant setting is all part of taking care of your own health.
37. Fill out health insurance forms
Adulthood means insurance, whether for apartments, cars, or medical care. And insurance means claims. Young adults need to understand what is covered by a policy, when and how to make a claim and what would invalidate their insurance.
38. Do their taxes
39. Clean anything and everything
Wood floors, bathroom tiles, glass and carpet, having your own dorm/apartment means knowing the methods for keeping it clean.
40. Administer basic first aid
41. React and what to do in an emergency lockdown
42. Be prepared for a weather/power emergency
43. Find and work with a study group
44. Find academic help/tutors/mentors on a college campus
Colleges want their students to succeed and even teens who thrived in high school might need some academic help in college. These services are usually provided either free or at a very low cost to students who seek them out.
45. Cope with feelings of stress or being overwhelmed
46. Write a resume
47. Dress for an interview
First impressions can be the make or break in a job interview and dressing appropriately is part of the process.
48. Complete a LinkedIn profile
This is a crucial first career step and can be started in high school
50. Stay in touch with friends and family
51. Consume alcohol, safely
No one encourages drinking but students need to be versed on the dangers and ill-health effects of alcohol early and often.
52. Get and use birth control
Whether it is a family doctor or the student health center, students need to know where to turn for every heath need.
53. Live with a group of strangers
54. Get the right amount of sleep and exercise
Sleep and health are inextricably intertwined and there are many ways teens can learn to get all the sleep they need to stay healthy.
55. Know when to seek professional mental health services
56. Prepare if you are pulled over when driving
57. Store and prepare food safely
58. Read and understand a credit card statement
59. Use basic tools for minor repairs
60. Create and stick to a budget
61. Deal with unexpected expenses
Where can you turn for a small loan, what are the risks of borrowing money, is there a way to defer unexpected expenses?
62. Turn off a smoke alarm
63. Stay healthy, including hand washing
Hand washing is often overlooked as a health saving measure. The recent focus on public health will remind young people how important it is to prevent illness.
64. Use a fire extinguisher
How do you put out a small kitchen fire, where are the tools and what is the procedure.
65. Recognize fraud in emails, phishing, and phone calls
Online fraud is growing and more dangerous. Students need to recognize the signs and know what actions to take.
66. Write a professional email
67. Stay current with the local and national news
68. VOTE, because it matters
It is never too early for young adults to begin their civic responsibility.
69. Advocate with and ask questions of medical professionals
70. Apply for jobs, internships, and on-campus positions
71. Locate routing and account numbers on checks
72. Remember and recognize important dates in other’s lives
73. Complete important forms like HIPAA, FERPA, Power of Attorney
There are legal forms your teen should complete when they turn 18 for HIPAA, FERPA and Power of Attorney.
74. Get renter’s insurance
75. Take care of a friend who has had too much to drink
Sadly this situation arises and your young adult should know how to take care of a friend in such a situation.
76. Deal with a car accident
License, insurance, registration, cell phone photos. In a fender-bender adults know what to do. Any teen old enough to drive needs to be versed on what to do if something goes wrong.
77. Be clear about consent
78. Be your own strongest advocate in a positive way
79. Manage a lost or stolen credit card
If you own a credit card it is crucial to know who to call to stop that card should anything happen. Teens need to understand that it is important to act quickly once it’s clear the card is missing.
80. Write and send a handwritten thank-you note
Expressing gratitude for those who have helped you is essential and research shows expressing gratitude makes both the letter writer and receiver feel better.
81. Pay bills on time and set up automatic payment
82. Understand the expense and responsibility of owning a pet
83. Follow an auto maintenance schedule
84. Understand auto insurance and coverage
85. Save money on textbooks
86. Change bed sheets
87. How to manage a social media presence
Most young adults have been doing this all their life, but doing it well means making sure the public posting won’t impact future employment.
88. Change a flat tire
89. Sew a button
So simple, but so important.
90. Iron, or at a minimum, steam an item of clothing
91. Cope with loneliness
This can be a tough for teens who have grown us surrounded by family and friends they have known all their lives. They need to understand ways to reach out, by joining organizations, sports teams, religious group, in new situations where they may know very few people. It can be uncomfortable at first, but ultimately rewarding. Over time most adults need to learn to be content with their own company.
92. Greet someone respectfully, with eye contact and a handshake
93. Use jumper cables
Everyone should know how to jump start a car.
94. Research potential career paths
Career guidance centers are wonderful resources but students need to explore internship options and career paths on their own as well. This might include reaching out to adults who are in a job you find interesting, researching companies using AI or looking for information on places like LinkedIn or Handshake.
95. Put yourself out there and make friends
Friends are a source of so much of life’s joy and they help us through our roughest moments. Learning to make new friends in a new college, or city, among people whose backgrounds and life experiences may be very different is an essential skill as we move into new settings in adult life.
96. How to move homes
It is a complex process with changing addresses, utilities, boxing, transporting and cleaning. But the reality is that most young people will move a number of times so learning to shut off the utilities in one location and turn them on in another becomes a necessary skill.
97. Learn to swim
98. Learn how to control social media and internet usage
For some young people putting their phone down is almost impossible. It can get in the way of healthy relationships and a good nights sleep. Parents can help teens limit their usage by emphasizing the real world activities that bring so much more joy.
99. Learn how to admit that you’ve made a mistake
We made mistakes, lots of them, and they will too. What is important to learn how to admit their mistake, regardless if it is in a social setting or on a work assignment. Step one is reaching out to a friend or a boss to discuss the mistake and offer a solution. Remind your teen they can come to us for advice, counsel, or just an ear; we will not judge them, nor will we grow weary of answering their questions. That’s our job.
100. Adulting is a process
But the most important thing we want to teach our teens is that this is a process, and we are here to support and guide them as they move toward their independence. Some of these lessons are quickly taught. Some life skills teens need take years to absorb. Many involve asking questions, getting it wrong, trying again, and learning.
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