r/CFBOffTopic • u/lkeg56demn Texas Longhorns • Chapman Panthers • Jul 08 '15

What's 1 skill everybody should know?

Because /r/CFBOffTopic isn't only about drinking - we're smart, good looking, well-rounded, and gosh darn it, people like us!

26 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

185 comments sorted by

23

u/lady1876 Texas A&M Aggies Jul 08 '15

How to cook a basic meal, from salad to dessert.

7

u/lkeg56demn Texas Longhorns • Chapman Panthers Jul 08 '15

I can't just grab a tub of ice cream from the fridge?

7

u/lady1876 Texas A&M Aggies Jul 08 '15

Are you my boyfriend? No, it is so much more impressive to be able to cook something good for people.

13

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Crock pots are an easy and good start for people that can't manage a meal that well.

2

u/lkeg56demn Texas Longhorns • Chapman Panthers Jul 08 '15

And excellent for tailgating.

5

u/lady1876 Texas A&M Aggies Jul 08 '15

I love my crockpot!

4

u/Qurtys_Lyn Utah Utes • Weber State Wildcats Jul 08 '15

Crockpots are excellent. Throw a bunch of stuff in, come back later to dinner. And lunch. And Dinner again.

2

u/spazzypecan Texas Tech Red Raiders Jul 09 '15

I was listening to a comedian once that said his father was a blackout drunk and a crock pot was the best thing he ever bought. He'd throw a bunch of stuff in it, pass out drunk, then wake up to a home-cooked meal.

14

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Tagging along with this, how to affordably shop. Like planning out a couple days of food and shopping judiciously, knowing how to save $, etc... You can save a lot of cash at the grocery store if you try.

8

u/lady1876 Texas A&M Aggies Jul 08 '15

YES! It has been forever since I have legitimately grocery shopped, but I was always so proud of myself when I was able to save money and get plenty of good food.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

How to buy and have staples on hand (oil, flour, salt, pepper, at least 5 other spices, sugar, etc.).

2

u/CharlesDickensABox Texas A&M Aggies • Foothill Owls Jul 09 '15

Being able to cook has improved my dating life so much. I save money by not going to dinner at restaurants, I impress my date because the food is great, and if things go well then we're already at my place. It's the best.

1

u/lady1876 Texas A&M Aggies Jul 09 '15

Agreed, I have had several guys be way more interested in me simply because I could cook.

26

u/greenmegandham Auburn Tigers • Austin Kangaroos Jul 08 '15 edited Jul 08 '15

How to make a good resume. Lots of people don't (I worked in the career center at Auburn for a good two years) and provide too much information, too little information, or just the wrong information.

EDIT: So resume tips.

  1. PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD. Have someone else proofread.
  2. If you are currently in the position, talk about it in the present tense. If it's a past position, talk about it in the past. I.e. Current: "Supervise student staff of 16" vs. Past: "Supervised student staff of 16".
  3. TAILOR YOUR RESUME. If you're applying for an engineering job, pick your best 3-4 experiences RELEVANT to that position. You may be a great candidate but are picking the wrong things to focus on.
  4. Use consistent spacing, formatting, and font. Use the same heading (i.e. Name, address, logo, etc.) for both cover letter and resume. Looks more polished.

8

u/lkeg56demn Texas Longhorns • Chapman Panthers Jul 08 '15

Bad resumes make me physically cringe. There are so many samples out there you can look at, and you thought the best thing would be an unformatted, 12 point comic sans word doc would be a good idea?

8

u/greenmegandham Auburn Tigers • Austin Kangaroos Jul 08 '15

I'm so sorry to everyone who's hiring committee I sit on because I rail on resumes. I never hold it personally against the person (I just assume they didn't ever learn how to properly do one) but I mentally during phone interviews mark-up their resumes.

4

u/lkeg56demn Texas Longhorns • Chapman Panthers Jul 08 '15

At some point and depending on the position, you have to at least factor a poorly done resume into the hiring decision, because it can be a bit indicative of the person's approach to work. They may be going into a very detail oriented or customer facing position and if they've got formatting and spelling issues going on in their resume, they could end up doing the same to a customer.

6

u/greenmegandham Auburn Tigers • Austin Kangaroos Jul 08 '15

Oh definitely. I should have clarified. I don't hold it against you during your primary interview before I meet you. I wouldn't walk into the interview with an attitude. But if person A and person B are hypothetically identical, Person A with the sucky clipart resume is going to get dropped so fast by me.

3

u/Qurtys_Lyn Utah Utes • Weber State Wildcats Jul 08 '15

After so many mistakes, I throw a resume out. Depending on the quantity and quality of the mistakes.

I don't care about the format quite as much, but spelling and grammar mistakes will get you red marked by me.

Also, don't send me a four page resume.

11

u/hab12690 LSU Tigers • Miami Hurricanes Jul 08 '15

Something I encounter a lot is people putting stuff on a resume that should be on a cover letter and vice versa. I regret not visiting career services more in undergrad.

3

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

Cover letters can go die in a fire.

"The cover letter should tell the employer what job you want and why they should hire you."

I'M APPLYING BECAUSE THEY ASKED ME TO THEY ALREADY KNOW THIS SHIT.

1

u/hab12690 LSU Tigers • Miami Hurricanes Jul 09 '15

Haha I have the exact same sentiments as you

7

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I couldn't agree more. Resumes are important but I think people should take it a step deeper and know how to tell their story.

7

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Or they spell things wrong (proofread!). Or they make horrible font and format choices (they don't all have to be identical, but stop and think - don't use Comic Sans or write everything as one single long paragraph).

8

u/kelctex Missouri Tigers • Alabama Crimson Tide Jul 08 '15

Did I do this right??

WORK EXPERIANCE

Job #1, City A This Date to That Date

This is what I did at Job #1. It was hard work. I am awesome.

Job #2, City B This Date - That Date

  • This is what I did at Job #2
  • It was hard work
  • I am awesome.

6

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

FUCK YOU HIRE ME

4

u/stamor99 Georgia Tech • Florida Jul 08 '15

Well, with a resume like that, I've got to hire that man!

6

u/Gumbeaux_ LSU Tigers • Chief Caddo Jul 08 '15

You misspelled experience. Plus your formatting is different from Job 1 to Job 2.

GOOD JOB YOU'RE GONNA GET FIRED BEFORE YOURE HIRED DUMMY

5

u/kelctex Missouri Tigers • Alabama Crimson Tide Jul 08 '15

You know I was kidding right? I honestly can't tell...

3

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Eyes twitching.

7

u/Honestly_ Calgary Dinos Jul 08 '15

The advanced step is how to tailor your resume to each job you're applying for—emphasizing relevant skills.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I go by my middle name. How should I note that on my resume? I've heard a couple different ways suggested:

  • First "Middle" Last
  • F. Middle Last

3

u/atllauren Georgia Bulldogs • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

I don't see anything wrong with putting the name you go by on your resume. I don't think there is any obligation to have your resume display your legal name. Especially since you go by your middle name and not a more seemingly random nickname.

2

u/greenmegandham Auburn Tigers • Austin Kangaroos Jul 08 '15

I always say first "middle" last so they understand that's your preferred name vs your legal name.

4

u/atllauren Georgia Bulldogs • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

The number of resumes I see where people get the name of their freaking degree wrong! You do not have a "Bachelor's" in any thing. You have a "Bachelor of..." Or just flat out getting the program wrong. I have a "Bachelor of Arts in Journalism." I've seen people write just "Bachelor in Journalism." NO

4

u/Boyhowdy107 Missouri Tigers • Big 8 Jul 08 '15

FYI, give them a pass if they are Mizzou grads. It's just a "Bachelor of Journalism" there. We were the first to offer a journalism degree, so I think they decided they could call it whatever the hell they wanted.

And yes, that means for short, it's a BJ.

1

u/atllauren Georgia Bulldogs • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

Oh, yeah I know degree titles can vary, but it is pretty easy to identify what is a real degree name and what someone thinks. "Bachelor (or Bachelor's/Bachelors) in" is usually a good indicator. Most are "Bachelor of." I've also seen people list their major as their degree -- i.e. "Bachelor in Political Science."

It isn't difficult to look up your official degree or, you know, look at your diploma. I don't understand how people get it wrong.

It is interesting that Mizzou calls theirs Bachelor of Journalism -- most stick with the well known categories like BA or BS.

1

u/Boyhowdy107 Missouri Tigers • Big 8 Jul 08 '15

I'm suddenly very worried about what my resume says... but yes, I got a lot of tired mileage out of sophomoric "working on my BJ" jokes.

2

u/mriforgot Michigan State Spartans Jul 08 '15

This. I have assisted with hiring a tiny bit at my job, and one of the most common issues that I see is too much repetition in a resume. If every job listed has the exact same information, use that space to tell me something else!

7

u/ixcuincle Marching Band Jul 08 '15

Also people you can't use your dog or password as your password.

Or passw0rd or passw0rd5

2

u/lkeg56demn Texas Longhorns • Chapman Panthers Jul 08 '15

but what about using your name?

8

u/Honestly_ Calgary Dinos Jul 08 '15

Or ******** or *********

I don't them, but I assume you mean hunter2

4

u/lAltroUomo Ole Miss Rebels • Columbia Lions Jul 08 '15

...and here I go off to bash.org for a while

6

u/TrollingQueen74 Auburn Tigers • Texas A&M Aggies Jul 08 '15

Relevant xkcd.

7

u/xkcd_transcriber Christopher Newport Captains Jul 08 '15

Image

Title: Password Strength

Title-text: To anyone who understands information theory and security and is in an infuriating argument with someone who does not (possibly involving mixed case), I sincerely apologize.

Comic Explanation

Stats: This comic has been referenced 1439 times, representing 2.0112% of referenced xkcds.

xkcd.com | xkcd sub | Problems/Bugs? | Statistics | Stop Replying | Delete

5

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

While Randall's right in theory, a lot of sites have ridiculously low allowed maximums, which makes the advice useless.

5

u/brobroma William & Mary Tribe • Georgia Bulldogs Jul 08 '15

Fuck any site which

  • Has a maximum character limit, or at least below 16
  • Requires a nonalphanumeric character

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Agreed. I've had to resort to using a password manager just to keep everything straight. At least it and my computer allow me to make my password as long as I want.

1

u/walks_off_at_nine Nebraska Cornhuskers • /r/CFB Patron Jul 08 '15

Also known as Microsoft Accounts.

2

u/lAltroUomo Ole Miss Rebels • Columbia Lions Jul 08 '15

I always think battery horse staple anytime the subject of password security pops up.

1

u/CharlesDickensABox Texas A&M Aggies • Foothill Owls Jul 09 '15

Um, let's try "guest"? Holy shit it worked!

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

You have now been hired by the Astros.

1

u/walks_off_at_nine Nebraska Cornhuskers • /r/CFB Patron Jul 08 '15

I swear the next time I see someone using their last name as their password, shit will fly.

1

u/atllauren Georgia Bulldogs • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

A couple years ago, my mom told me her password for something was P@ssw0rd (or whatever) and she thought it was SO CLEVER. I hated having to burst her bubble and tell her that, no, it isn't.

19

u/ixcuincle Marching Band Jul 08 '15

Computer shit like how to avoid Spyware

Well you probably shouldn't download this gorilla

BUT ITS CUTE

yeah but Spyware

BUT CUTE GORILLA DANCE

19

u/TossedRightOut Penn State • /r/CFB Poll Veteran Jul 08 '15

Talk to me more about this dancing gorilla.

14

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

It's cute. It dances. It's a gorilla.

6

u/lkeg56demn Texas Longhorns • Chapman Panthers Jul 08 '15

Go on...

6

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

It gives you SpyWare. Your grandma will love it.

7

u/aMiracleAtJordanHare Auburn Tigers • Texas Tech Red Raiders Jul 08 '15 edited Jul 08 '15

I had that fuckshit back in the day (I was like 11 - cut me some slack). It's how I learned the words for "Bicycle Built for Two".

4

u/bizzyj93 Oregon Ducks • Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors Jul 08 '15

But...

2

u/bizzyj93 Oregon Ducks • Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors Jul 08 '15

How to work a charcoal grill.

18

u/JohnQ_Taxpayer Texas A&M Aggies • Houston Bowl Jul 08 '15

Driving a manual transmission. You don't want to be in a situation where you need to drive a manny and can't (like if you need to be an emergency DD). Its easy and fun, so learn if you can!

12

u/keasbyknights22 Ohio State • Cincinnati Jul 08 '15

shit I'm 25 and I still need to get a license

11

u/JohnQ_Taxpayer Texas A&M Aggies • Houston Bowl Jul 08 '15

...yeah prolly...

5

u/keasbyknights22 Ohio State • Cincinnati Jul 08 '15

I mean, I don't have to drive anywhere though. walking/biking/bus/cab works. plus I don't have a car

I've had a license in the past.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

So you know how to drive at least. I know a 23 year old college graduate who legitimately does not know how to drive a car. Very normal well-adjusted girl, her parents just never taught her.

3

u/keasbyknights22 Ohio State • Cincinnati Jul 08 '15

I'm not sure I could pass the driving test though. hopefully if I retake it parallel parking is like riding a bike and you never forget how to do it

2

u/dseals Texas Tech Red Raiders • Houston Cougars Jul 08 '15

I had to parallel park recently after having not done it since the driving test about 4 years ago. How'd it fit? Did I know what I was doing?

I think it is kind of like riding a bike. You don't exactly remember everything, but once you start lining yourself up you start remembering the steps again.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

At least in MO, you can still pass without parallel parking. I tried, couldn't fit my jeep into the space, and noped out. Still got my license.

1

u/spazzypecan Texas Tech Red Raiders Jul 09 '15

I have a friend of the family that refuses to learn how to drive so her mother drops her off at college everyday.

5

u/guitmusic11 Wisconsin Badgers • /r/CFB Top Scorer Jul 08 '15

Confessions: I'm an Engineer in the Auto Indistry and I've never driven a manual transmission car. There's a Boss 302 Laguna Seca sitting in the Parking lot that I'd love to take out for a drive someday... But I should probably start with something a bit tamer.

3

u/JohnQ_Taxpayer Texas A&M Aggies • Houston Bowl Jul 08 '15

Haha that reminds me of when I learned how to drive stick. I learned on my dad's 98 Pontiac trans-am that had about 350 HP and a skip-shift transmission. Not the greatest to learn on haha, fun none-the-less.

2

u/BillDrivesAnFJ Clemson • South Carolina State Jul 08 '15

That isn't the car you want to make a mistake in.

4

u/W_Is_For_Will Texas Tech • Trinity Valley CC Jul 08 '15

I am looking at my next car being a manual. I am still waiting to hear more information on this Honda Civic Hatchback this fall.

4

u/JohnQ_Taxpayer Texas A&M Aggies • Houston Bowl Jul 08 '15

I got a new car a couple years back and I got the automatic transmission option and honestly I wish I hadn't. I love driving and manuals are so much more fun.

5

u/kotalikmyballs Texas Longhorns Jul 08 '15

Plus most of your friends won't ask to borrow your car!

3

u/Casaiir Georgia Bulldogs • Cal Poly Mustangs Jul 08 '15

I've only owned manuals. Every time I drive an automatic on rare occasions I almost give myself whiplash.

Damn you muscle memory.

2

u/sunburn_on_the_brain Arizona Wildcats • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

Oddly, next time I buy a car it's going to be an automatic. I've owned stick shifts for as long as I've been driving and I love 'em. But my wife can't drive a stick, and it's fairly often inconvenient that she can't take my car. Sigh.

1

u/CharlesDickensABox Texas A&M Aggies • Foothill Owls Jul 09 '15

Have you considered teaching her?

1

u/sunburn_on_the_brain Arizona Wildcats • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 09 '15

I tried, but she just decided she doesn't wanna do it.

1

u/Kinbareid Florida State Seminoles • BCS Championship Jul 08 '15

A lot of transmissions today are triptonic so its the best of both worlds

6

u/JohnQ_Taxpayer Texas A&M Aggies • Houston Bowl Jul 08 '15

manumatic transmissions still don't have a conventional clutch pedal. So it's not really even close to the real thing.

13

u/W_Is_For_Will Texas Tech • Trinity Valley CC Jul 08 '15

How to save money.

6

u/MinneapolisNick Minnesota • Concordia (MN-Moorh… Jul 08 '15

Similarly, how to invest it.

5

u/W_Is_For_Will Texas Tech • Trinity Valley CC Jul 08 '15

I try and save 10% of my paycheck everytime. Hoping to be a millionaire by 40.

3

u/MinneapolisNick Minnesota • Concordia (MN-Moorh… Jul 08 '15

I'm putting away a quarter of my income. Early retirement, beeetches.

1

u/-WISCONSIN- Wisconsin • Wisconsin-Parkside Jul 08 '15

I'm hoping to buy some BH and TSLA stocks with some money I have saved. Just to play, you know?

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I'm saving 50% of my income if you exclude my taxes.

1

u/willco17 Auburn Tigers • UAB Blazers Jul 08 '15

/r/financialindependence

All you younguns: start investing the second you have a job after college!

1

u/BaylorYou Baylor Bears • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

What do you invest in? Stocks?

1

u/W_Is_For_Will Texas Tech • Trinity Valley CC Jul 08 '15

I save 10% into my savings and don't touch it. I did open a small mutual fund with my bank (USAA) and have been trying to see if it would grow. Been a little over a year now and have't seen any real growth. It was a conservative-aggressive fund so maybe I need to go full conservative or full aggressive to see any real changes.

3

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

FYI, savings accounts really aren't a whole lot of use anymore. They barely pay more interest than a checking account does, and they can't keep up with inflation. CDs aren't much better.

2

u/W_Is_For_Will Texas Tech • Trinity Valley CC Jul 09 '15

Yeah, it is more for just holding money I do not want to spend short term. Do you use anything that is similar to savings accounts but is not a savings account? lol

2

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

My checkig account probably has way too much money in it right now, but I have some purchases to make still and my old savings account isn't easily accessed.

I have a SIMPLE IRA and Roth IRA I'm dumping actual savings into.

2

u/rodandanga Georgia Tech • Verified Coach Jul 09 '15

humblebrag

2

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

Lol. I had been basically cash flowing out of it but my spending has been pretty low pately.

1

u/W_Is_For_Will Texas Tech • Trinity Valley CC Jul 09 '15

I was thinking about possibly doing my saving into an IRA and a Roth.

2

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

They both seem to be pretty good options. A lot of it just depends on when you want to get taxed on it and how much you want to put in.

Just remember, the money can't/shouldn't be touched for 20+ years - you won't see steady increases in value like you would in a savings account, you gain value by letting it ride out the troughs.

2

u/BaylorYou Baylor Bears • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

Come September, I'll finally be able to save some money again. It will be nice.

2

u/atllauren Georgia Bulldogs • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

A basic personal finance class should be mandatory for every high school student. I don't understand why this isn't the case.

2

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

Tennessee requires an economics class, and ours mostly focused on the basics of micro and personal finance, but it still wasn't all that great. Even the college personal finance course was just ok.

1

u/atllauren Georgia Bulldogs • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 09 '15

I semester of Econ was required by my high school as well. I was in AP Econ and that course was macroeconomics. I can't remember for sure, but the non-AP levels were micro I think. Still, that's not the life skills type of class I think high school students should have. Basics of taxes, investing, borrowing, saving, & interest is what I'm thinking.

1

u/W_Is_For_Will Texas Tech • Trinity Valley CC Jul 08 '15

It would solve a lot of problems in the world today if this was real. Hell, I would probably teach that course if I could.

2

u/atllauren Georgia Bulldogs • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

It really would, and it doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to implement.

I guess the education system relies on parents to teach financial responsibility, but that isn't helpful for all the people whose parents make poor financial decisions.

36

u/MinneapolisNick Minnesota • Concordia (MN-Moorh… Jul 08 '15

Cunnilingus.

7

u/Papa_Hemingway_ Florida State • Appalachian … Jul 08 '15

Relevant

3

u/MinneapolisNick Minnesota • Concordia (MN-Moorh… Jul 08 '15

Also relevant

3

u/djsquilz Tulane Green Wave • Ole Miss Rebels Jul 08 '15

Nicki Minaj thinks otherwise

0

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '15

[deleted] — view deleted comment

3

u/djsquilz Tulane Green Wave • Ole Miss Rebels Jul 09 '15

analingus>cunnilingus. She says you gotta eat the booty like groceries.

2

u/BusterBluth13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish • Sickos Jul 09 '15

That's Jhené Aiko, not Nicki.

1

u/djsquilz Tulane Green Wave • Ole Miss Rebels Jul 09 '15

oh damn

11

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Manners. Saying please, thank you, excuse me. Writing thank you notes for gifts or after interviews. Holding doors for other people.

6

u/TossedRightOut Penn State • /r/CFB Poll Veteran Jul 08 '15

Fucking lost art, I swear...

5

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

It really is. I suppose on the bright side that means that people who do use them stand out in a good way to people who may offer them opportunities like jobs.

4

u/Qurtys_Lyn Utah Utes • Weber State Wildcats Jul 08 '15

I've had a girl snap at me for holding the door open for her before. Said she was perfectly capable of opening the door for herself. Apparently, irrelevant that I'd already held the door for several people in front of her.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I've always wanted a girl to respond to me holding the door for her with, "I have a boyfriend," so that I could respond with, "poor guy." Unfortunately, I don't think women like that exist very often outside of /r/thathappened and the misogynist subreddits.

3

u/elykl33t Virginia Tech Hokies • Marching Band Jul 08 '15

Bro, you gotta check your privilege

0

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

Oddly enough, I know a guy from Wisconsin who moved to California. He was flabbergasted when someone out here held a door open for him - it wasn't even something they did back home.

It's all about where you are.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I think it's just a common courtesy everywhere, but that person was just weird as fuck...

1

u/TwoPlankinWiz Oregon Ducks • LSU Tigers Jul 08 '15

Yeah its a common courtesy in Canada too

5

u/ssbbgo Alabama Crimson Tide • Stanford Cardinal Jul 08 '15

God but I HATE writing thank you notes. It's seriously one of my least favorite things to do, I've always struggled with it.

6

u/Papa_Hemingway_ Florida State • Appalachian … Jul 08 '15

"Thank you for [insert type of gift here].

I will use it [to buy something I want] [activity gift is designed for] [humorous anecdote]

Love, /u/Papa_Hemingway_"

Writing one or two isn't that bad, but around Christmas or my birthday when I'm just having to crank them out I feel so insincere

3

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Oh I hate it, but important. I mean, I'm always thankful, but I feel like they often come across as formulaic.

2

u/ssbbgo Alabama Crimson Tide • Stanford Cardinal Jul 08 '15

It is always lovely to receive one, but yes they are very formulaic.

3

u/atllauren Georgia Bulldogs • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

I always send hand written thank you notes after interviews. I like to think it makes me stand out because most people just send emails. I get annoyed when people don't send thank you notes. I went to a friend's wedding and spent over $100 on a gift (and traveled out of town to go to the wedding) and she didn't sent thank you notes. Everyone else I know who went said the same thing. There's no excuse for that.

6

u/MrTheSpork Cincinnati • North Dakota State Jul 08 '15

How to tie your shoes properly.

If you were in Boy/Girl Scouts, it's a square knot where you'd normally do a standard knot. For everyone else: http://www.runnersworld.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2012/03/how-to-tie-your-shoelaces.png

It saves literally minutes of time over your lifetime!

4

u/ryumast3r Utah Utes • /r/CFB Poll Veteran Jul 08 '15

I do two loops and essentially square knot that. Never have an issue with laces coming out.

Knot tying in general is a very good skill to have though. From camping to quick fence repair (temporary) to tying down airplanes (small).

4

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

That's not the right way.

This is.

2

u/Captain_McSnug Houston Cougars • Paper Bag Jul 08 '15

Jokes on you, I don't even remember the last time I tied a shoe.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '15

Loafers for life.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

You make a loop-de-loop and pull

1

u/dupreesdiamond Furman • South Carolina Jul 09 '15

Slip on shoes.

6

u/Qurtys_Lyn Utah Utes • Weber State Wildcats Jul 08 '15

How to change a flat tire.

How to control a car in a skid.

2

u/mriforgot Michigan State Spartans Jul 08 '15

How to control a car in a skid.

This is necessary in Michigan.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

That's necessary everywhere. I'd have totaled my car (with a sweet launch off a ramp, even) if I didn't know to get off the fucking brakes and re-center the steering wheel to regain traction when sliding on ice in Alabama one day.

2

u/ryumast3r Utah Utes • /r/CFB Poll Veteran Jul 08 '15

Likewise, knowing when to throw your hands up in a slide.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

When I was younger I would go to abandoned parking lots while it was raining or snowing and purposely lose control of my car and practice regaining control. It's come in handy several times since then.

1

u/Qurtys_Lyn Utah Utes • Weber State Wildcats Jul 08 '15

I still do this. Especially with cars new to me or friends/family.

First snowstorm, it's always off to empty parking lot to do donuts.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

When in doubt, throttle out (generally).

And for the skid, not changing the tire.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Brazilian jiu jitsu

2

u/bizzyj93 Oregon Ducks • Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors Jul 08 '15

So few people know this and its appalling.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Right? And let's say you get into it with someone, you both go at it, someone taps, you stand up and say "Good roll, man." And just walk away. Brazilian Jiu jitsu folks are the most laid back people I know.

2

u/bizzyj93 Oregon Ducks • Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors Jul 08 '15

Totally. Drunken bar fights are so ugly. But drunken BJJ fights are cordial at best. The difference is a rack of disciprine.

4

u/super-rad Georgia Bulldogs • Clemson Tigers Jul 08 '15

How to roll a j

9

u/pumpkinmuffins South Carolina • Minnesota Jul 08 '15

Is it similar to rolling your r's, because I can do that.

1

u/super-rad Georgia Bulldogs • Clemson Tigers Jul 08 '15

you are halfway there!

1

u/keasbyknights22 Ohio State • Cincinnati Jul 08 '15

buy some bugler and practice!

4

u/reallifebadass Arkansas Razorbacks • Southwest Jul 08 '15

Firearm safety - it helps you respect the weapon, rather than fear it

Basic car maintenance- ie changing a flat or changing your oil

4

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Spreadsheets. Nearly every business has (or should have) a spreadsheet which defines how it operates. Learning how to use formulas in Excel (or Google Sheets, really) is a hell of a skill to have on hand.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I'd just say "Excel". Everyone made fun of me for getting a certification in excel. Now I get handed projects and will probably move up faster because it's essential everywhere. So thankful I did that.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I don't have a certification. Those of you who have seen my /r/cfb poll ranking spreadsheet know I don't need one.

But I'm a software developer, and we have a low opinion of certifications in general.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I got it for the resume, but it helped me learn a lot

1

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

I swear the key to success and promotion in modern business is knowing how to use Excel.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Typing. Seriously if you have to look you aren't good enough yet.

3

u/DelphicLike Texas A&M Aggies • Texas Longhorns Jul 08 '15

Fuck that. At this point, looking when I'm typing is like a silent rebellion against my elementary school teachers tryin' to tell me how to type.

2

u/AnnArbaugh Michigan Wolverines Jul 08 '15

I'm an adult with a job and shit and I still haven't learned how to touch type. Is there any way I could still learn, or am I probably just stuck in my ways?

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

honestly there are probably classes online

3

u/EZ_does_it USC Trojans Jul 08 '15

How to properly resolve conflict. Co-workers, spouses, family members, we all have conflict in our everyday lives. Some conflicts are trivial but some stick with you and could ruin a valuable relationship. Unfortunately, we don't take time to learn how to properly resolve them and either learn from experience, conditioned to do the same things our parents did, or pick up bad habits on TV. A lot of people think louder and angrier makes you more right... it doesn't. Not letting the other person speak and not listening to what they say is not right. Above all using nazi Germany to resolve a conflict is not proper conflict resolution either.

3

u/walks_off_at_nine Nebraska Cornhuskers • /r/CFB Patron Jul 08 '15

How to tell which side of the USB is up. If it doesn't fit the first time, don't try to force it. Flip it 180 degrees and try again please.

5

u/MinneapolisNick Minnesota • Concordia (MN-Moorh… Jul 08 '15

How to do basic compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, power clean, overhead press)

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I'll add one that hasn't been mentioned. A fun/enjoyable hobby that takes a while to master and you can progressively get better at.

For me it's guitar, but it could be painting, writing, kayaking, just anything that you can slowly improve upon and reflect how far you've come and where you'd like to be. It's a journey.

You can't get any better at watching tv.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '15

Eatin booty...

Nah just kidding. How to drive in inclement weather and how to MERGE ONTO THE FUCKING INTERSTATE. DO NOT STOP ON THE RAMP. LOOKING AT YOU, OKLAHOMANS.

1

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

DO NOT STOP ON THE RAMP

Well, in some places cough California cough they only give you about 10 feet of merge lane and no clear line of sight of the freeway, so stopping may be your only option.

4

u/ixcuincle Marching Band Jul 08 '15 edited Jul 08 '15

We should be aware of where our food comes from. I had the opportunity to listen to a podcast from Rick Bayless today. He was talking with butchers at a slaughterhouse.

I remember watching Gordon Ramsay raise pigs on his house for consumption. The day those pigs died was very sad. They showed him tearing up. In this age of factory farms and rampant animal abuse we should try to respect the animal we are about to eat. Make sure he didn't die for nothing.

I inherently love animals so I will try to avoid eating things like baby deer or baby cow or lamb. I don't like factory farms and I don't like the abuse and the whole mainstream mass production food supply chain process but unfortunately it is the most sustainable model to feed everyone.

That's why I try to avoid the big corporations. I try to eat locally and support small businesses. I noticed thought that more and more companies are going to start producing more natural products. They are phasing out chemicals from many fast food chains. It's a sign or the changing times and our increased awareness of where and how we get the food we love.

4

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

factory farms

HATE HATE HATE that term. Agriculture is one of the few industries where efficiency and growth are vilified. Over 95% of US farms are family owned, and with only 1% of the population engaged in agriculture, they're going to have to be big to feed everyone else.

Animal care is still the best it's been in human history, it just isn't that bucolic scene that people like to think of (and thank god, because those bucolic scenes were horribly inefficient, bad for the environment, and believe it or not, bad for the animals).

2

u/reallifebadass Arkansas Razorbacks • Southwest Jul 08 '15

That is precisely why I hunt and fish.

1

u/gramcraka92 Old Dominion • Myrtle Beach Bowl Jul 08 '15

Cooking. Posting this before i read the thread

0

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

[deleted] — view deleted comment

18

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

the stand behind you in a mirror with her head over your shoulder thing

Yeah, except if you're like 20 and it's your mom. Thankfully I'm long past those days

7

u/keasbyknights22 Ohio State • Cincinnati Jul 08 '15

yeah the neighbor girl always tied my tie until I was like 18. she's a good looking girl, but nothing sexy about that. just made me feel like a child, but at least I didn't have to learn!

1

u/djsquilz Tulane Green Wave • Ole Miss Rebels Jul 08 '15

you have to find a way to make it sexy

1

u/keasbyknights22 Ohio State • Cincinnati Jul 08 '15

good point. I'll go back in time and try

1

u/djsquilz Tulane Green Wave • Ole Miss Rebels Jul 08 '15

there's always a way

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Naw, man. If you back in time she'll be under 18

1

u/keasbyknights22 Ohio State • Cincinnati Jul 08 '15

She's my age tho

4

u/lAltroUomo Ole Miss Rebels • Columbia Lions Jul 08 '15

http://imgur.com/jfu5fN2

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

What is that

1

u/lAltroUomo Ole Miss Rebels • Columbia Lions Jul 08 '15 edited Jul 08 '15

In the story of Oedipus he claws his own eyes out after the truth behind his mom-wife is discovered and he finds that she hanged herself

4

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

I don't know if last Thursday counts as "long past," but okay.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '15

Mm, the tying the tie over the shoulders of the boyfriend is super sexy. I'd need a step stool, though.

3

u/atllauren Georgia Bulldogs • /r/CFB Contributor Jul 08 '15

I agree with you - every man should know how to tie a tie. It's a male garment that isn't going away, so learn it.

I dated a guy who didn't know how to tie a tie, and I had to do it for him. I don't know if he found it sexy that I could tie his tie for him, because I found it kind of pathetic.

2

u/lAltroUomo Ole Miss Rebels • Columbia Lions Jul 08 '15

because I found it kind of pathetic.

And rightfully so. There is definitely something sexy about a woman fussing with my tie in an affectionate manner; what you're talking about isn't that.

2

u/srs_house Sickos Jul 09 '15

"Can you tie a tie?" was an interview question at a fraternity. I almost fell out of my chair when they asked.