OLS Students enrolled in Personal Finance recently participated in a “Virtual Shopping Spree” at the Crossroads Mall. For this activity students pretended it was the end of the summer, and they were going to do some back-to-school shopping. They were given a list of items to “buy” and a budget of $150. To successfully complete the activity, students first assigned each item on the shopping list as a High, Medium, or Low priority. Then they recorded what they thought each item might cost. With that done, students, either individually or in small groups, went to different stores within the mall to find the price for each item on the list. The goal was to “buy” as many items as possible without going over the $150 limit. If they exceeded $150 students had to “return” items until the amount fell within the budget. When choosing what to return students were encouraged to start with the Low priority items.
This activity helped the students learn the importance prioritizing, spending within a budget, estimating costs, and researching the right place to buy items they need or want. it also offered them a chance to help each other with the challenges they faced, especially when they were over budget. Students will spend time in class reflecting on the activity.
Personal Finance is one of the many courses OLS Students take to obtain their associate degree from OLS. More information about our curriculum is available on our website. To learn more about our program register for an Information Session.
Last Updated October 23, 2018