With the newest wave of high school graduates preparing for a life in college, both students and their parents continue their pursuit of a successful transition into the real world. However, in recent years, expectant high school grads have felt much less prepared for the demanding course load that college requires and the unprecedented life away from home.

As the price tag of a college education continues to skyrocket, many students now find themselves entering a whirlwind of adult expenses. In the past, a job was enough to put a college student through school, while also covering other necessary expenses; now, more than ever, young adults are taking on vast amounts of student loans, later subjecting themselves to crippling amounts of debt. Often, these students are unaware of the long-term damages these loans can cause later in life, as many high schools fail to advise students on such a monumental investment.

As a result of the increasing academic and extracurricular demands on high school students, a large amount of college freshmen venture into life on their own having never held down a real job. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the number of employed high schoolers is among the lowest rates in the last twenty years. This lack of experience has proved incredibly detrimental to those students who have never had to fend for themselves.

Additionally, while various high schools in the past required students to take at least one year of home economics, in which they were taught many basic necessities – how to cook, budget, and manage a home, among other skills – modern high schools have begun to make such classes optional for students. Without that requirement, many find themselves taking the more appealing electives, thus sacrificing important knowledge that would greatly aid them in the real world.

Clearly, while our rapidly changing world has benefited prospective students in previously unimaginable ways, there are more than a few gaps that are leaving high school graduates struggling in a college environment. It is important that high schools keep the needs of the students in mind in order to best prepare them for the hard work that lies ahead of them.