Spring 2019
May 23, 2019
What are you doing now?
I am looking for a summer job. I would like to experience working now, so I can learn what future employers will expect. I also want to save more money for my future so that I will be able to provide for myself and be covered and protected if need be.
What is the most recent financial decision you made?
Recently, I had to organize a budget for money I have in savings. I sat down with my family, took out a calculator, and analyzed how much I could spend on the things I need, want, and how much I would put away. This is very important and it is also a practice that many people should do more often: plan out what you’re going to do with your money, so that when it comes down to saving and spending, you’ll know what you can and cannot do.
What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?
School teaches a lot of great things, but this program made me aware of something essential to most people’s success in life, which is personal finance. I didn’t understand much about personal finance before this class.
The program taught us how to prepare for our future and how to be financially successful. It seems to me that the things we were being taught was something everyone rightfully deserves to know. To know how credit and loans work, and who is on our side, or what people stand to benefit or gain from our decisions. Simply having this knowledge puts us on a level playing field when making financial decisions that can affect the rest of our lives.
What advice do you have for current students?
My advice to you is to know who is on your side, and who isn’t. There are those who want you to succeed, and others who just want your money and your benefits. Make sure you know who is who.
Self-discipline is also very important when it comes to financial well-being. It takes a lot of moral strength to make precise and ethical decisions with money.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
In five years, I see myself graduating with a Master’s Degree in Psychology. I am currently doing community service and internships with children so that I can productively prepare myself for my future career and have a positive impact on my community. In ten years, I will have a PhD in Psychology. I will go to work every day and experience the joy of doing what I love. I will be financially stable, so that I can provide for my family and myself. My credit score will be 800 and I will have little to no debt. I will have an emergency fund and a retirement account that was started many years prior.