Another day passed, and I didn't get to use Algebra and Calculus once. Phew! 😂

Why did I take them up again? Oh, right. It's required to get my degree. 

I wish they'd allowed us to choose what we want to learn. Or change the curriculum and teach us the essential things in life.

Do you also wish that sometimes? 

I mean, do you even remember what the Pythagorean theorem is and its purpose?

Here are 10 things I wish they had taught us in school.

10 Things I Wish They Taught Us in School

1. Filing taxes and how we can save or pay less

I remember taxes being explained in school. Briefly.

I don't remember our school teaching us how to lessen the amount we need to pay. 

I know some wealthy people find a loophole in taxes. They're so rich because they can get around it. 

I wish they had taught us an easier way to file taxes. The basic ones. 

So we don't dread tax season and do not have to hire a bookkeeper or accountant as much as possible.

Thankfully, there are YouTube channels now explaining how certain taxes should be filed.

2. Mental Health Care 

There's a stigma about people suffering from mental health problems.

I wish they taught us how to deal with anxiety, for example, not only when taking up psychology, psychiatry, or the like.

Taking care of our mental health should be taught early on to avoid making it worse. And for the person suffering from it to not be scared to open up and seek help.

Let young people know what they feel is expected or if it's time for them to get professional help. 

What can they do when they feel paralyzed by fear?

How should we talk to someone who is going through depression?

If mental health had been given the focus and importance it deserves, maybe more suicides and self-harm could've been avoided.

More people wouldn't feel bad, lost, or guilty for feeling their feelings.

People would be more sensitive and empathetic towards others.

3. The truth about animal agriculture or how our food is made.

This is not to force people to go vegan (though it would be nice if you would). This is to give you the option. 

To know what you're choosing and the consequences of your choice.

When I learned about what they do to animals and how unpleasant and dreadful the situation is, I felt duped. 

Why didn't anyone tell me how horrible the process was for my cheeseburger to be made?

Thank goodness for plant-based alternatives now.

Show your kids actual footage and not staged videos of animals killed for food. Then let them decide for themselves.

4. How to live more sustainably. 

Rich people are trying to discover how we can thrive on other planets, but...

Shouldn't we spend more time and money to save what we have instead of looking for another planet to abuse and corrupt live on?

There's nothing wrong with progress. I'm here for a future with flying cars and all the high-tech fun.

But it shouldn't mean we should trash our planet while working our way to a better future, right?

May we learn to live sustainably even when schools don't focus on teaching us how.

5. Laws and rights

More than 30,000 statutes have been enacted in the US since 1789.

We studied the basics of law and those necessary in your field. For example, we have a subject on Ethics and Jurisprudence in Pharmacy.

But some people are unaware of their fundamental rights, like the right to fair wages. Unfortunately, that's especially true in my country.

Side note: Do you know that it's illegal to fly a kite in Victoria, Australia, and Buenos Aires, Argentina?

What other crazy laws do you know of?

6. How to invest or the different kinds of investment

Is there a conspiracy theory that keeps the poor poor and helps the rich become richer? 

Because why aren't they teaching us how to grow our money properly in school?

I learned all about investing and growing your money exponentially from financial gurus.

If I could learn simple investment through a one-day seminar and follow it up with YouTube videos, imagine what we could do if we discover it in all our years spent in school. 

I'm sure you've heard stories of Chinese families talking about money at the dining table, even with their young kids, as naturally and casually as talking about their favorite Disney characters.

No wonder they're good at businesses and investments.

7. How to start and grow a business

Speaking of business, not everyone's good at it.

But maybe because we just don't know what we can sell or how to sell. 

Our every day involves marketing. 

We use marketing to convince our parents to give us money. 

Why did you add that product to your cart even if you don't really need it? Effective marketing.

We recommend products to our friends. We are natural salespersons. 

Might as well use that skill to start a business and help us grow our money.

In Robert Kiyosaki's book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, his rich dad taught him about selling and business while he was young. 

Imagine if he waited for school to teach him what he knows now.

8. The power of the law of attraction or having the right mindset

Why don't they teach us the importance of having the right attitude? The winning mentality? Or that we have the power to make things happen?

We see it in movies and in other people we know. We read it in self-help books. 

Some of the people we met are generous enough to share this with us.

Why not start this in school?

9. Self-defense

Self-defense should be mandated to be taught in schools. It's vital for survival. 

Not every parent has the time and resources to bring their kids to a martial arts class.

Since we're already going to school every day, we might as well teach ourselves how to deal with a possible assault. 

ROTC was a requirement when I was in school. So what did we get out of it, really?

Here are 27 basic self-defense tricks for women.

10. The importance of marriage. 

I used to think that marriage was only a contract between two people. A piece of paper you sign for legal purposes.

Maybe that's why people jump into it and walk out just as quickly.

Marriage is a covenant. 

After the beautiful wedding ceremony is the actual relationship test, and it's not always easy.

The enemy doesn't need to destroy a nation. He just needs to target the family, the basic unit of our society. 

And it's easy to destroy a family when the husband and wife are at war.

Final thoughts 

Education should give us a solid foundation before going into the world.

But how many of those lessons taught in the classroom can we use daily?

I've not looked for the value of X since I graduated.

If life is a battle, we must be equipped with the right weapon.

Sometimes when I do "adult" things that are pretty challenging, like filing my taxes or struggling with stress, I can't help but wish they taught us how to properly handle these things in school. 

Instead of wasting our time memorizing formulas we'll never use or terminologies we forget the moment we step out of school, why not learn things that are more life- and sanity-saving.

What are the things you wish they had taught us in school?