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Concerned that they are entering adulthood without critical life knowledge, Gen Z is increasingly enrolling in so-called “adulting” classes to master tasks once considered basic.
From sewing to car maintenance and personal finance, today’s teens and young adults are actively seeking out practical skills once learned at home or through hands-on experience.
At Canada’s University of Waterloo, students can enroll in “Adulting 101,” a course designed to help them transition into college life. The class teaches how to “prioritize your mental and physical self,” “learn new responsibilities” like healthy eating and household maintenance, and “explore personal growth” through available campus resources.
Institutions in the U.S. have followed suit. Michigan State University, the University of California, Riverside, and JCI Santa Clarita are among those offering similar classes aimed at helping Gen Z develop day-to-day competencies.
Basic skills gap
Student interest in these courses reflects a broader gap in preparedness. Aldhen Garcia, a freshman at Toronto Metropolitan University, shared she does not know how to change a tire or sew, and her case is far from isolated. A survey by dating app FindingTheOne found that 42% of 18- to 28-year-olds couldn’t cook a basic stir-fry, and 27% had difficulty preparing soup.
Vehicle maintenance is another area where knowledge is lacking. Gulf Oil research found that only 61.64% of Gen Z respondents knew how to check engine oil, and just 57.69% could recognize signs that brake service was needed.
Elias Coop-Gonzalez, a Gen Z member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, believes the education system is partly to blame. He argues schools should teach holistic skills, such as how to perform basic car upkeep, file taxes, and manage household finances. “A lot of people in our generation are going into the real world and not really able to get a good swing, because they don't have a lot of these really basic skills,” he said.
Convenience culture blamed for decline
For some Gen Z influencers, the root cause of the problem lies in a culture of convenience and a politicized school system, argue some conservative voices.
Right-wing commentator, Christian Hodges, criticized universities for fostering dependency. “Now colleges have taught young people to be dependent on the government, to be dependent on the university itself and also dependent on their parents to make ends meet,” he said.
He pointed to services like Uber Eats and on-campus dining as further reducing the need to learn to cook. “Why would you learn these basic skills when the convenience is far easier than the hard work to learn the skills?” he added.
Hodges also argued that secondary education has shifted away from teaching functional skills. “It’s a sad truth” that many Gen Zers would benefit from “Adulting 101,” he said.
As more young adults look for real-world knowledge, demand for courses that teach these fundamentals is expected to grow. Whether universities and school systems respond with structured programs remains to be seen, but for now, Gen Z is looking beyond traditional education to get ready for the real world.
While many Gen Z employees might welcome learning such skills in the workplace, employers may feel that it lies beyond the remit of their duty of care to provide tutorials on frying an egg.
