Schools around the country increasingly are offering “real world” and “life after college” programs aimed at young people who often flunk out when it comes to managing their credit cards or making a plate of pasta. Just how many programs in adult survival skills exist isn’t known, but the topics covered include etiquette, paying taxes, preventing identity theft and even how to choose a bottle of chardonnay at a restaurant.
– Alfred University in upstate New York offers a cooking program that includes fundamentals such as boiling water. One of the motivations: reducing the number of fire alarms set off by students who burn their microwave popcorn and bacon.
– The University of Oklahoma’s “Life After OU: A Survival Guide” covers personal finance along with manners and civic involvement. To be admitted to the final exam, students are required to show that they have registered to vote and written living wills.
– At Scripps College, a women’s institution in Claremont, Calif., students learn about the merits of buying versus leasing a car as well as owning versus renting a home, along with investment options and retirement savings plans. It’s all in a for-credit course that is a key part of the school’s “Money Wise Women” program.
