Six essential life skills you need – and how to nail them

Get started in developing your core skills Beyond academic merit, there are numerous other skills that prospective universities, colleges and employers will be looking for from your application – often referred to as ‘soft skills’ or ‘life skills’. Because once you get to uni or start a career, things change fast. You’re not a pupil anymore. You’re mixing with new people – as equals – and handling fresh challenges under your own steam.  So what exactly are these skills? And why do they matter so much? Let’s break it down… Confidence Building your confidence helps in all aspects of life: from settling in at uni through to handling job interviews. It’s great for improving your self-esteem in general and if you're a natural worrier, it can help you shut out negative thoughts and doubts. Taking on life with confidence can completely change the outcome in everything you do, and you’ll probably find yourself accomplishing things you once deemed impossible.   IndependenceChances are, you’re not going to live at home forever. Someday soon you’ll be striking out on your own. Whether that’s an exciting prospect or seems completely daunting, knowing what it means to look after yourself is something you can only really do by experiencing it. But once you’ve had a taster, we bet you’ll struggle to go back.  Communication and people skills School and college – they’re kind of a bubble. You’re surrounded by the same people day in, day out, which you might find either comforting or suffocating. So come uni or the world of work (and all the new people that come with it), it’s no wonder this next stage in life can feel a bit daunting – even for the most confident of people.  Communication skills are key for meeting others and building relationships that might determine your future – and it’s something that gets easier as you do more of it. Teamwork Being a team player is an important part of life. Whether you’re sharing a house with friends or working on a business project with colleagues, your future is going to have plenty of moments where you need to think about more than just yourself.  Learning how to work well with others will help you to thrive in all sorts of group environments. And the best bit? You might even make a few friends along the way. To do Rice Purity Test Resilience Your next step after finishing school is a big one. There will be challenges to face, obstacles to tackle and countless life lessons to learn along the way.  No one is exempt from these situations. But building resilience early on means you’ll be able to rise to these occasions – and become stronger as a result.  You’ll also learn to bounce back quickly when things don’t go exactly to plan. Public speaking Let’s face it, there aren’t many students who love giving a presentation, but building your public speaking skills is important way beyond the classroom. Successful job interviews – for one – are dependent on you projecting a confident image when you’re speaking to the room.  It’s not a skill everyone finds easy to learn, but practice is key. As an added bonus, the more practical side of a presentation will also help you develop your research, planning and time management skills, too.   So get working on those six life skills early and you’ll be well on your way to smashing adulthood.