Chenango Valley High School holds ‘life is a reality’ expo to prepare students for life after high school

BINGHAMTON (WBNG) -- Chenango Valley Seniors were put through the test of learning how to budget their earnings upon stepping into life after high school.

Each student received a personalized budgeting sheet based on their selected career, outlining their net monthly income after deductions such as healthcare and 401(k) contributions.

Students rotated through various activity stations representing life expenses such as transportation, housing, groceries, clothing, and student loans. they then recorded those decisions on a budgeting register. prioritizing those expenses based on their financial situation.

“It’s important for students to experience something like this during high school, many of the students we talk to don’t seem to have a realistic idea of what their salary actually will be when they jump into that first career” said financial wellness officer Carly Budrick,

“Taking part in something like this in high school will actually show them what do some of these things actually cost?”.

Another twist in the simulation was the “wheel of life” that mirrored unexpected real-world expenses. Students spun the wheel, and the wheel landed on either blue for a positive income such as a friend paying you back money they owed, or the color orange for a negative income deduction such as a flat tire.

For more information on financial wellness programs, you can visit the website, visionsfcu.org for more information.