However, high school students should be treated with equal competence in making decisions regarding their education and should be given the opportunity to apply and master basic skills through exploration of life skills and personal interest courses. Also, at this time, students should gain knowledge that will be useful when they graduate from high school. Certainly, in a nation governed by law, students should become familiar with the laws of the country, state, and country in which they reside and the penalties imposed if they violate those laws. Additionally, students should be educated about banking practices, credit practices, mortgages and homebuying, college options and financing, and any other areas that could harm them financially if they are left in the dark about their functioning and possibly impede their progress to adulthood. Thus, eliminating as many pitfalls as possible. Right now, I believe we rely on parental guidance in these areas that is not available to all students or is simply unreliable and inaccurate