The Necessity for a Life Skills Class at the University of South Carolina

Olivia Albanese
Introduction and Thesis Statement
With the rise of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, a new
way of communicating has come along: the meme. According to Google, a meme is a
humorous image, video, piece of text, etc., that has been copied (often with slight variation) and
spread rapidly by internet users (Google, 2016). One such meme that has gained popularity
amongst college-aged millennials is the Im a college graduate, but meme. These memes
express the sentiment of many college students who have spent their education learning about
topics that do not transfer well into the real world, or that certain vital topics were simply never
taught. A few of the following images adequately express this sentiment:

At the University of South Carolina, students receive a high quality education in their
selected field of study preparing them for a career post-graduation in a related field. However,
students are not currently explicitly educated on the life skills and transition steps required to
navigate post-graduate life. As a university that believes it has a responsibility to state and
society to promote the dissemination of knowledge, cultural enrichment, and an enhanced quality
of life, it is critical that the University offer students an easily accessible way to learn these life
skills such as how to do their taxes, how to navigate the healthcare system, and what to look for

when buying a new car. Some would argue that it is not the responsibility of the university, but
rather the parents responsibility to educate their children on these topics. Alexa von Tobel,
founder of financial planning provider LearnVest and author of Financially Fearless, challenges
this belief by saying that We didnt learn about money high schools, colleges across the
country. So if you think about it, we didnt learn about money and our parents also werent
formally educated about money (Sharf, 2014). It is unrealistic to assume that parents can teach
their children all there is to know about financial planning when they themselves were not
educated on it to begin with, save those who may have majored in finance in college. This idea
extends beyond the field of finance to other important topics such as how to change a tire, how to
evaluate a contract, and how to interpret a credit statement. The responsibility falls on the
education system, specifically the university, to ensure that graduates entering the world are
prepared to deal with these responsibilities.
Several universities have already embraced and implemented the idea of a life skills-type
class including Williams College, Boston College, High Point University, University of
Memphis, American University and perhaps most notably, Harvard University. The reactions to
these courses have been unanimously positive with many students expressing their gratitude for
such programs (Bradt, 2007).
The University of South Carolina has proven its commitment to the transition from high
school to college with the University 101 program. University 101, housed in the Division of
Student Affairs and Academic Support, offers a first year seminar that has been shown to
significantly improve first year retention rates and 5-year graduation rates (University 101
Programs). The University 101 program also offers three other courses intended to improve the
student experience and aid in their college experience. While one of these courses is University

401, a course designed to help juniors and seniors with the transition from undergrad into
graduate school or their career, the program does not offer a course focused on specific skills
necessary for post-graduates independent of their career path. I propose that the University of
South Carolina implement a course that would teach students skills that are not traditionally
taught in the classroom setting on college campuses but are just as important to future success as
typical classroom learning.
Approach
In order to help students at the University of South Carolina learn valuable life skills for
the transition to post-graduate life I propose that the University implement a 1-credit hour course
offered to graduating seniors which would prepare them for life after college. This class would
teach students skills that they have not necessarily been taught in a classroom setting before so
that they can achieve their fullest potential after graduation and fulfill the mission of the
University. In addition to helping students with the transition into the post-graduate world, it
will help graduates be the most prepared and competitive in their future job endeavors.
In order to demonstrate the necessity for this course at the University I will conduct a
review of related literature from peer reviewed sources, newspapers, and books about the success
of similar programs in other universities and students feelings toward the programs. I will also
survey the USC student population to assess the specific need of the University for this course.
Survey method is still under development. An online survey may be used in combination with in
person surveys.
After this research is completed I will create a sample curriculum for easy
implementation of the class into the University class schedule, including information on the
overall layout of the class as well as specific lesson plans.

Expected Results and Significance

Based on the research that I have found from other universities who have implemented
such programs I expect that the implementation of such a course at the University of South
Carolina would be met with gratitude and success.
Timeline
October

Conduct literature review on life skills courses at other universities, the importance of
transitioning from college to work, student expectations from their university.

November

Collect data from 100 USC students on whether they view a life skills class as necessary
and which skills they would like to learn about in the course

December

Identify skills and lessons that will be taught in the glass

January

Research curriculums from similar programs at other universities

Develop sample curriculum

February

Identify campus partners willing to help with delivery of class

March

Prepare final thesis presentation

April

Continue working on final thesis presentation

Works Cited

Bradt, S. (2007, March 22). College adds Life Skills to its menu. Retrieved October 11, 2016,
from http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/03/college-adds-life-skills-to-its-menu/
Google. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2016, from
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant
[Image 1]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2016, from
http://whisper.sh/whisper/0519b48e3e9026825766052a0c24bb427a282f/Yeah-like-howto-pay-taxes-get-a-mortgage-or-how-to-claim-earnings-w
[Image 2]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2016, from https://ifunny.co/tags/taxes/1460735711
[Image 3]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2016, from
http://whisper.sh/whisper/050e31cfc40df5471989e7285bb841592ff59c/I-dont-knowhow-to-pay-my-taxes-but-thank-god-I-know-how-to-do-stoichi
[Image 4]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2016, from http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3uvxgw
Sharf, S. (2014, February 11). Blame the Boomers? What our parents didn't teach us about
money and why. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthasharf/2014/02/11/blame-the-boomers-what-ourparents-didnt-teach-us-about-money-and-why/#4733fab96c25
University 101 Programs - About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2016, from
http://www.sc.edu/univ101/aboutus/index.html