Finally, a class worth going to. Last semester of his senior year, Jacob had a class called IRL Prep: Survival Skills for Life After Graduation. It covered a lot of topics about how to do things for yourself and become independent, instead of expecting parents or teachers to do everything for you. Jacob thought that most kids would rather do things themselves, anyway.
The final project was all about getting a job. They created portfolios and practiced telling the class about them. They watched videos of mock interviews. The teacher even brought back a former student who talked about how she got her first job.
Mock Interviews Made a Difference
Finally, they held mock interviews. Jacob had a love-hate relationship with them. He hated getting in front of the class and answering questions; it made him sweat and forget how to words put together. But the more he did it, the easier it got. Eventually he could do the interview without feeling sick, his mouth as dry as the Sahara. He just did it. He answered the questions without losing his train of thought. He made eye contact and smiled, but not too much. He shook hands without squeezing too hard or holding on too long. With repetition and feedback, the process was becoming natural to him. That’s when he started loving mock interviews.
Unlike algebra, this was one class he’d use.