Classes In School That Should Be Mandatory – Riggs’ Top Five

This is something that anyone who has or is currently working in retail can tell you. If you work in retail, you, yourself, will be a better customer because you can relate with any issues or problems you may have. Being a better customer in any situation like shopping at a grocery store; respecting the products and not just putting anything back anywhere or not putting the shopping carts back in their place because "it's someone's job to take care of it." I think everyone should work in retail for at least one year before doing most other jobs. I used to work at Rite-Aid and Video Update and wouldn't trade that experience for anything. Learning what it's like on the other side of the shopping counter will make you a better person.

I honestly think they should teach driver's ed as an unpaid class in high schools. At least in this area. I can understand not having it on the curriculum in bigger cities like New York, but in Yakima you need to know how to drive if you ever plan on getting out of here. Not just driving a car, either - that's the easy part. They need to teach things, like, what to do when you get in an accident and how not to freak out when you run over a cat. It's Driver's education with a touch of driver's etiquette.

The late comedian Mitch Hedburg said "If I had nine of my fingers missing I wouldn't type any slower." If you're not taught properly at an early enough age, you get used to typing with your index finger or index fingers. It's so much more comfortable and easier to type with all fingers once you get in the habit of it. Being that computers are everything in today's society, you gotta know how to type in almost any job.

Of course I'd have this on the list, it's because I love cooking so much. But there's more to it than that. If you don't know how to cook there's a great chance that you'll be eating soul-less tv dinners and other convenient foods. Sure, it'll keep you alive, but it can't be good for your body. There are cooking classes in high school that you can take as an elective which means it's not mandatory. I think a cooking class is more valuable in life than learning how to divide fractions.

I am a firm believer of schmoozing. The people around me know that, for sure. The definition of schmoozing means 'to make small talk', but some misconstrue it as 'brown-nosing' which it isn't - although it can appear to be. Schmoozing is more about scratching someone else's back without expecting anything in return. If you happen to get something in return, then that's great. If not, it's no problem, you were happy to help. I do believe in karma so any amount of schmoozing you can do for others, the better. Not just bosses, either. You can schmooze your way in to a better job, a promotion, schmooze for love, schmooze for friendship - the possibilities are limitless. My favorite book is The Golden Art of Schmoozing - this would be my instructional book if I taught this class.