Schools are one of the most important parts of our life while growing up. They leave a lasting impact on us, shaping not only our knowledge but also influencing our decisions, self-worth, and even the careers we pursue.
Yet, when I reflect on my school years, one question often comes to mind: “What did I really learn about life?”
Too often, schools are more focused on reputation than on real education. They promise world-class facilities and high-tech classrooms, but the reality is usually an obsession with academic results — marks, ranks, and board percentages.
What about life skills, self-awareness, or emotional intelligence?
These are often missing from the curriculum. We pay hefty fees for a certificate, but does that certificate teach us how to live a meaningful, confident, and independent life?
What I feel …
For most of us, what sticks from school is the memory of our 10th or 12th board results — not the values, not real-world skills, and certainly not how to navigate adult life.
Personally, I was never taught how to develop strong social skills or how to deal with society. I took science in high school because I scored well, not because I loved it. When I decided to pursue arts in college, everyone — including teachers and relatives — questioned it:
“Why not engineering?”
“Why waste your marks on humanities?”
This mindset was deeply rooted in our school system. If you were “bright,” you took science; if “average,” commerce; and if you were “weak,” only then did you choose humanities. This didn’t just influence students — it shaped the thinking of parents too.
I wish our schools had taught us to explore different career paths based on interest, not marks. That one decision — made at 15 or 16 — defines the rest of our academic and professional lives. I was fortunate that my parents supported my decision to pursue humanities in college, but not everyone is so lucky.
Ironically, I was only allowed to take arts because I became “average” in science — a subject I never had an interest in. I think back and wonder: If I had studied humanities from the beginning, would I have flourished more?
A relative of mine, a successful software engineer, once admitted:
“I wish I was allowed to study humanities. I love history and politics more than coding.”
And he’s not alone. Many of us are trapped in this rat race, doing jobs that offer financial comfort but no emotional satisfaction — just because school never let us explore who we really were.
What Schools Don’t Teach Us?
Beyond career choices, I wish schools had taught us about the real world — about finances, social behavior, stress, and emotional health.
So many young adults today struggle with things like:
Financial Literacy
Managing money, budgeting, saving — none of this is taught in school, yet we’re expected to be financially independent the moment we graduate.
Stress and Mental Health
From a young age, students face immense pressure to perform, yet no one teaches us how to handle failure, anxiety, or peer pressure.
Social and Emotional Skills
Being kind, understanding boundaries, communicating well — these are critical in relationships and in the
workplace.
Anger Management and Self-Control
Many adults face relationship breakdowns and work conflicts simply because they were never taught how to manage their emotions. Instead of just preparing students for exams, schools should be preparing them for life.
That includes teaching empathy, cooperation over competition, and encouraging students to follow their passion, not just the “safe” or “prestigious” career paths.
School is supposed to be a foundation for life, but too often, it’s just preparation for exams. We need a system that values human development as much as academic achievement. A system that teaches us how to live, not just how to score.
This Article is written by Ashish (TalentGro Global Intern).
TalentGro Global is a premier provider of Career Counseling services, catering to Students, Parents, Job seekers, Schools, Educators, and Individuals experiencing mid-career crisis. 
