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Sophomores in Personal Finance are learning the ins and outs of financial matters through hands-on lessons and learning activities. At the beginning of the semester, students compared three colleges (of their choice), figured the cost of a Bachelor's degree at each of the three schools, and then decided which college they would like to attend. Once they completed college, they researched their dream job. Students researched careers such as Doctors, Lawyers, Photographers, Drug Enforcement Administration Agents, Computer Software Developers, Marines, Teachers, Accountants, State Patrolmen, Marine Biologists, Religious Authors, Psychologists, Dental Assistants, and Chefs to name a few.
Recently, students "moved" to various parts of the United States to pursue their careers. They found apartments, vehicles, cell phone plans, etc. and have currently created a rough draft budget. They received their first "paycheck" on February 15th and learned how to fill out deposit slips and keep a checkbook register. Their next check will be on Friday, March 1st and they will be writing out checks for all of their bills.
Next on the agenda is analyzing their previous budgets. Some students quickly learned that they won't be able to afford everything they thought they would! We will also begin "investing" in the stock market.
Students have also learned how to file taxes using paper and pen as well as using online resources such as TurboTax. Although all of this "finance stuff" seems far off for most students, they are slowly realizing how relevant it all is.