Top 5 Skills Students Want to Learn in High School to Fuel Future Success
We recently huddled up with The Social Institute’s Student Ambassadors about what they want to learn in high school and found five common focus areas among middle and high schoolers. We found that students want help navigating everyday topics that impact their future.
The bottom line? Students want to build skills that will help them be successful both in their current education and beyond. Let’s take a deeper look at what students want to learn in high school:
Artificial Intelligence
A trending topic for students and teachers alike made it to the top of the list. While 50% of students are worried about AI taking future jobs, companies are revealing that AI taking over is not as big of a concern as people may think. In fact, these companies are looking for students with strong AI skills, as the technology is making its way into everyday business practices. As a result, students want to know not only how AI can support them academically, but in future careers as well.
According to a study of over 1,000 students from the Center for Democracy and Technology, 72% percent of students said they would find it helpful to learn how to use generative AI responsibly. Between companies looking for AI experts, and students’ desire to learn more about the technology, integrating time to empower students to navigate AI in the class schedule is a great opportunity for teaching students a new skill.
Financial Literacy
Between investing, taxes, and savings, TSI’s Student Ambassadors in grades 9-12 shared that they want to know how to manage money when they leave high school. And they are not alone in this. 88% of all Americans said high school did not leave them “fully prepared” for handling money in the real world.
Not only is personal finance a topic of interest for students, but financial literacy is an important skill for everyone wanting to save and manage their earnings. According to Forbes, approximately 87% of teenagers in the U.S. admit not understanding their finances. The California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond talked about the benefits of financial literacy and personal finance courses with a local high school, stating how “students with higher financial literacy are more likely to invest in a savings account, prepare for retirement, and manage their debt.” These skills are essential for fiscally responsible adults, and important for students who want to be financially successful.
College Prep
Several of our Student Ambassadors shared an interest in wanting to take a class or have lessons that provide advice on applying to college. From SAT tips to how to write the best admissions essays, students are interested in anything that can give them a leg-up in applying to their dream schools.
While writing a great admissions essay is important for getting into college, having excellent writing and communication skills is important to help you think better, more clearly, and more logically. When students can get their thoughts across to others effectively, they will work better with others, especially in teams. These are all important skills for students to have in school and beyond.
Career Prep
As of January 2024, many of the students stated they do not feel prepared to make career decisions after high school. According to a YouScience survey, 75% of more than 500 high school graduates said they were moderately, slightly, or not at all prepared to make college or career decisions after graduation. So it is unsurprising that TSI’s Student Ambassadors all showed a clear interest in wanting to be prepared to start thinking about careers.
This same survey also found that 62% of students felt that high school should prepare them for future careers, but 57% reported five or fewer conversations with teachers or counselors about opportunities following graduation. Additionally, 80% of the recent graduates felt they “would have been more engaged in their learning if they better understood their own aptitudes and potential career opportunities.”
Huddling with students on career opportunities and their potential can empower them to learn and engage more in studies that will help them become successful. By providing career lessons or resources, students can feel confident and motivated to work and pursue a potential career.
Time Management
Learning how to responsibly manage your time can be a struggle at almost any age. Struggling to balance school work, at-home responsibilities, and social media highlights the need for effective time management skills, essential for maximizing productivity each day. Plus, good time management has other benefits for students, like reduced stress, stronger self-discipline, and even improved academic performance.
One of TSI’s middle school Student Ambassadors told us that she “wants to learn time management skills in high school” to help with procrastination. Procrastination is not just a challenge for middle schoolers, but for high school and college students as well. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), anywhere from “80 percent to 95 percent of college students procrastinate, particularly when it comes to doing their coursework.” Empowering students to strike a balance between school and social media is a great first step toward helping them develop strong time management skills and overcome procrastination.
How Educators Can Integrate These Topics in High School
Guiding students to success starts with supporting the whole student – outside of traditional academics. Students are finding new challenges to overcome from navigating AI and balancing school and social media to preparing for life after high school. The need for lessons that empower students to make healthy, high-character decisions is more important than ever.
At The Social Institute, we provide interactive lessons that are co-created with students to address topics like AI ethics, time management, career and college readiness, and so much more. With our proven, turnkey approach, called #WinAtSocial, 9th-12th graders prepare for life beyond high school, addressing topics like social media use and college and career prep. If you’re interested in empowering your students with the skills they want to learn, check out our #WinAtSocial High School lesson calendar that addresses these topics and more.
For the complete overview of #WinAtSocial for students, families and educators spanning grades 3rd to 12th, contact us.
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.