What I Didn't Learn in College

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A four-year veteran of Ottawa University writing my last of countless number of articles for The Campus, many would expect a recap of all the great things I’ve seen, done or learned over my tenure at OU. I have had a great experience at OU, which has opened my eyes to numerous avenues and opportunities. However, this article serves the purpose to tell a few things I didn’t learn while at college:

1. Professionalism: As a finance and communication double major, I see in my future a number of professional meetings or gathering events that will involve food, drink and specific dress ware. However, I lack the knowledge of what’s in a martini or how to match a striped shirt with a plaid tie.
2. Negotiation: Doesn’t matter if I’m looking to purchase a car, house or something at the neighborhood garage sale, negotiation is a tactic that can be beneficial in nearly all transactions. Some say it’s an art, yet is underutilized and definitely undertaught at the college level.
3. Taxes: Being a finance major, I can run circles around most people about the behavioral tactics that cause people to move investments. However, I’m not sure how to file my taxes, which seems silly because each and every year in the middle of April I’ll scramble to learn the right way to file.
4. Cooking: I would consider myself a wizard at “making” a bowl of cereal, peanut butter sandwich or frozen pizza, but that won’t satisfy me for the long term. A class or two that taught the fundamentals of cooking and meal prepping without enrolling into Le Cordon Bleu would have been nice to see.