After high school, and even after college, there is still more learning that needs to take place. It is real life, and a lot of the time, people are not prepared.

Real Life is a day for Carlisle High School juniors to experience things that they will need to be successful in the future. The day consists of a series of games and activities that are meant to teach the reality of being an adult. Real Life is a valuable opportunity that Carlisle High School offers, but it would be much more constructive if it was spread out over the last two years of high school.

The program is run by Junior Achievement, an organization concentrated in South Central PA. It comes to high schools for a day with a series of activities for the students to participate in. This gives them an experience that they will value for the rest of their lives.

It is a program to assure that students are prepared for life after high school. It shares the difficulties and necessary skills to take on adult life. It is a very beneficial program for teens to realize what is in store for them.

These skills should be ingrained in students over a long period of time.

A study done by the director of the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center, Annamaria Lusardi, showed that personal finance lessons were very important for students in their futures: “The student debt rate has risen to an alarming $1.48 trillion.”

Debt and finance are crucial parts of adult life. From banking to income, adults need skills in handling money. If they are not taught how to deal with money, everyone suffers. They go into jobs where they must deal with their own financial situation. This is a big responsibility that they need to be prepared for, and Real Life is a good way to start.

Preparation for life should be integrated through the time that young people spend in school. It is information that everyone should have access to and be able to take advantage of.  A series of the day-long seminars and activities to prepare students would be very helpful throughout the year.

On the Real Life home page, the company describes the goal of Real Life is to give students vital tools to succeed in life in regards to their economic situation. They want to inspire students and give them good advice.

Real Life has been a great attribution to the programs here at CHS. With some room for improvement, it has the potential to change many lives for the better.

Disclaimer: Articles designated as “Editorial” represent the views and opinions of the author, not the 2018-2019 Periscope staff, CHS/CASD administration, or the CHS student body.