BRUCETON MILLS, W.Va. (WBOY) – Eighth grade students at Bruceton School came to see the “School of Hard Knocks” simulation Monday and were able to take a personal finance lesson.
The students who participated in the event moved from station to station as they chose their careers and thought about how to deal with the various financial stresses of adulthood, from buying a car to caring for children. .
At each station, students spoke with local residents who actually work in that field. For example, at the tax booth, students spoke with a representative from the county assessor's office.
Bruceton Principal Jonas Knotts said the purpose of the simulation was to get students thinking about the choices they needed to make to live the life they wanted. He said the simulation also gives students perspective on adulthood and how their parents live their daily lives.
“It's interesting to talk to them and see how their eyes widen when they find out their salaries aren't going up as much as they thought they would,” Knotts said.
The students gained various insights from the simulation. Tristan Dawson, who chose to become her IT girlfriend's specialist, exited the game with $87 plus and said he did so because she put her needs before her wants. Another student, Mackenzie Price, chose to become an athletic trainer and said she needed to find another job to make a living. One thing she learned from this game, she said, is that “I'm not ready to be an adult.”
