Many of the classes I have taken in high school have had an impact on my education and me. Whether it was English and learning how to be a more effective writer or communicator, math for developing my problem solving skills or PE helping me to be active and stay healthy but the class that I have learned the most from is Consumer Economics.
Consumer Economics was introduced to me this year and I can say in all honesty, I cannot recall a class more beneficial to a student making the transition from high school to college than this. It provides students with a variety of tools needed to succeed or at least manage some of the day-to-day aspects of life, from handling financial procedures to ways in which someone can become an effective consumer. The class also opened my eyes to different viewpoints of the world, especially with my peers as young people on the brink of adulthood. It was very informative financially in a sense that it answered a lot of those questions one may have about paying bills, developing a budget, establishing credit, writing checks, and paying taxes. Aside from the financial standpoint, I mentioned earlier, it effectively teaches students how to be an informed consumer, ensuring one’s safety when purchasing a variety of products or services. It encouraged us to take precautions when making purchases depending on multiple factors that can positively or negatively impact our lives. It also sets you up with a sense of how to choose a career path and how to go about the numerous steps to be successful on whatever path you choose.
Since taking the class and now preparing for the transition from high school to college, I have been using the skills I learned in Consumer Economics class like looking at costs, developing a budget, reviewing interest rates and researching payment options. Senior year can be very expensive with prom and other social events but I am now more aware of my spending habits and how it may impact things I must pay for in the near future like tuition, room and board as well as books when I go off to college. Taking the class has shaped my real world education because I no longer look at what material items I want but what do I really need and how much does it costs.
