14 Things People Wish They'd Been Taught At School

"The importance of self-care and just mental health in general. My health classes NEVER touched on things like anxiety, depression, or eating disorders. These things are increasingly prevalent and a lot of high schoolers could really benefit from learning about them, even if it's just basic 'This is what's happening chemically in your brain, and if you're experiencing it, you're not the only one.'"

– Maria Elizabeth, via Facebook

"I wish I had been told to take mental health days when I really needed them. Sometimes I felt overwhelmed with anxiety and stress and really could have done with one day to rest and feel mentally well again."

– bethc4a441a932

For information and support on mental health, visit Mind. If you're looking for self-care tips, here are 10 straight from therapists themselves.

"My partner and I are in the process of buying a house at the moment and we have literally no idea wtf we are doing. We've done lots of research but it's so complicated it really would have helped us a lot if we had some basic knowledge of the process."

– beffers92

"What the hell is a mortgage? Why do I have to tax a stamp?"

– victoriat400e4b3f0

"Mortgages! I come from a family that has been renting through social housing since the 1920s, so my family has no idea how to help me understand owning my own home. I have no idea where to start or half the lingo... That was a lesson I really needed!"

– katieg4a39e845a

If you're lucky enough to have the money to buy your own home, here are some tips on the process – including what on earth stamp duty is.

"We were made to feel like periods weren't okay to openly talk about with people of the opposite sex, or even our female classmates for that matter. "

– ArcticMonkey1975

Here are 35 things most women have done on their period but don't talk about, to give you some ideas.

"I wish someone taught me how to recognise depression and how to deal with it. When I was in school, everything only went in one direction: I knew I had to be there and I had to get food grades, everything else was taken care of.

"Then when I finished school at the age of 17, I was supposed to know in which direction to go next, but I didn’t. I fell into a deep hole and it took me more than a year to find out what it was and to find the right therapist to help me."

– helenew4730f56f5

To learn more about depression or take a self-assessment test, see the NHS website. If you think you might be depressed, speak to your GP.

"Mindfulness, or how to deal with a panic attack and anxiety. The first time I had a panic attack I was alone and terrified and I am still learning how to better deal with them."

– alessandradig

Here's 31 actually helpful tips for dealing with panic attacks. For more about the signs of a panic attack, see the NHS.

"Sex ed that actually addressed different forms of sexuality and didn't make women feel like the only reason you should be having sex is to make babies.

"To be quite honest, I wish that the students had been taught everything at the same time – in my school we were separated by gender, which only added to the awkwardness. It was strictly hetero, which didn't help me figure out my bisexuality any sooner."

– ArcticMonkey1975

Here are 37 things people wish they'd learned in sex ed.

"You are told to just keep pushing yourself in PE as though that is the

answer. We are never taught limits. What is a 'good, fitness-enhancing' pain vs a 'bad warning sign of upcoming injury' pain? (Five significant post-high school injuries later, I'm getting the hang of it.)"

– Kelly Johnson, via Facebook

Here are 34 workout tips for anyone who has no idea what they're doing.

"We were taught what science says, not how or why it was true. We just

memorised facts and numbers. Without understanding why things were true (blindness, control groups, peer review, sample size, replication...) anything can be considered a fact."

– Kelly Johnson, via Facebook

Here are 8 ways to be a more savvy science reader.

"I was in sixth form at a grammar school and all they focused on was sending their pupils off to universities. I ended up in a "special" class where we had to do research on job prospects and kept being sent on trips to the local teaching university, as if that's all they could think of to encourage us to do something as close to university as possible. It brought to mind the ridiculous phrase 'Those who can't do, teach' and was very demoralising."

– victoriatorsg

"If uni isn’t the right path for you, what other options are there?"

– sammih4a2e3123a

The National Careers Service has information about different jobs, including what qualifications they tend to require. You can search for apprenticeships here.