The sophomores took a trip to the Wellington High School on Oct. 14. This program is intended to help prepare students financially for the future. It also wants students to see a connection between their current academic performance and their future career. Reality U started in 1990, and more than 150,000 students have participated in this program to try and learn about financial practices. 

“I thought I was successful because I saw other people who were poorer, like single moms,” said sophomore Riley Johnsen.

The program has students fill out a survey to make a personalized life for each student. With their unique situation, they go around the room to different stations and buy or pay for essential things with their money. A few of the stations included student loans, housing, child care, and personal entertainment. Some were also paired up with someone else from their class to be ‘married’ for the day, so they could pool their incomes. Sophomores Hayden Dalbom and Julia Zoglmann were paired up for this event.

“We’re getting a divorce,” said Dalbom, “because she kept spending all my money.”

That added another aspect of students having to agree with their partners on important decisions.

“Yeah [we got along], except when he wanted to buy all the nicer things like the cars,” replied Zoglmann, “I also learned that growing up is expensive.”