It’s no secret that Singapore’s educational outcomes consistently rank among the best in the world. But just in science and mathematics (and reading). However, we all know that these test findings are almost meaningless when it comes to dealing with adult issues such as relationships. Financial literacy is now required in Singapore’s tertiary education, and it’s a terrific place to start. However, to thrive in this new environment, we need to be more well-rounded than merely knowing how to handle money. Here are some soft talents that could help all students — regardless of their grades – when they become ‘adults.’
Relationships: An Overview
We, humans, are social beings; for example, when you’re with people you enjoy, whether it’s your girlfriend/boyfriend, your bestie, or your family, you usually feel better. While there are many things that might make you happy, few have the same impact as a relationship. This means that being able to communicate with another person is critical – you must be able to readily express your feelings without blaming or judging others, you must understand your own boundaries, and you must be able to have open and honest conversations about nearly everything. These things should come naturally to us, but as more of us engage online – through apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, or Messenger – the majority of us have lost our communication skills. Relationships are about more than just girl/boy romances; they’re also about how to be a good friend, talk to your family, cope with problems at school, and communicate with complete strangers. It’s also crucial to understand how to recognize manipulative conduct and the disparities in how men and women interact (which could save a lot of issues, especially ones to do with consent). This leads us to…
Learning sexual ideals that are healthy
Anyone of marriageable age has thought about sex at some point, and having excellent sexual morals is a crucial life lesson here. This is because our parents and schools have instilled in us the importance of having decent manners, a strong work ethic, and a feeling of responsibility throughout our lives. Nobody ever brings up the subject of how to behave in bed — it’s about empathy, kindness, generosity, and honesty, not just the act of sex. Consider how our behavior in bed with our significant other will change if we only learn about sex from social media or the internet because it’s ‘taboo’ elsewhere. If empathy and honesty are principles we should live by every day, then they should apply to all facets of our lives. These small gestures can go a long way toward establishing healthier, stronger relationships and, potentially, putting an end to the rape culture.
Mental health awareness is important.
Promoting mental health should be a major component of what schools teach, especially since it’s a place where stress and despair may lead to serious difficulties. It is critical for students to understand how to recognize and cope with mental health difficulties in themselves and their peers, as well as to be aware of the importance of good mental health. Schools should be rewarded for taking a holistic approach to mental health. We also need to train our brains in other ways, which is related to mental wellness…
Awareness of Oneself
You already know the value of self-awareness if you’re a Philosophy student. Many of us would benefit from relearning how to think; it begins with a high level of self-awareness, which allows you to think about how you think. This allows us to understand our emotions, form views, and acquire meta-cognitive talents that go beyond logic and reasoning. This means we’ll be better planners and decision-makers because we’ll be more focused and in tune with our emotions. Self-awareness is a great soft skill to have whether you’re a student or a working adult because it gives you the basis for the next two skills:
Skepticism and Logic
With better meta-cognitive skills, we’ll also be able to have a healthy dose of skepticism and a good grasp of logic – very useful skills in an age of fake news and clever scam artists. Everything we believe is most likely wrong to some degree – even in the world of science and maths, ‘facts’ seem to change with every new discovery. It’s this thirst for discovery – fueled by uncertainty – that makes us humble, as we accept whatever comes along without unfair judgment.No one should be too certain about some things because it’s the root of many ‘bad’ things like complacency, arrogance, hypocrisy, and unfair prejudice.
Which of these soft skills do you wish you have?
