Furman seniors are being offered a Personal Finance Literacy workshop throughout the Fall 2018 Semester. The class has been offered in the past and proved to be popular among the senior class as a way to prepare for life after college. This extra class began Wednesday Oct. 11 and consisted of a total of six classes. Students choose to attend either the Wednesday or Thursday sessions at 5:30-8:00 p.m. in John Hall 101 for the entire six week period.
The six classes cover budgeting, retirement planning, managing credit, risk and return, mutual funds and insurance. The goal is to enable students to support themselves after they graduate Furman.
Alyson Kinney, a senior Business major attending the classes says, “I’m glad they are offering the class because everything that they are teaching is applicable to our life after graduation in the real world.” She agrees that this opportunity is a valuable tool that Furman offers as she prepares for corporate America.
The Business Administration professor, Tom Smythe, is the coordinator of the workshops which are taught by Dr. Smythe, Dr. Suzy Summers and Dr. Jon Handy. Dr. Smythe says that the program’s biggest takeaways “are develop and use a budget, use credit prudently, and begin saving for retirement in your first job.” The students who complete the extra course receive compensation for completing an assessment and a certificate of completion.
Dr. Smythe explains how dealing with money is necessary and it is important for students to know how to manage it. He hopes the course can encourage students to be less stressed and feel prepared. He says “It’s better to be informed, even if it means you know you need help with financial matters. Most of the things we teach are straightforward but will help students become more financially secure, which helps reduce stress.”
“There is still one more class left, but I already feel more confident on how to manage and invest my money next spring,” says Kinney. Research conducted on the course indicates that women especially are benefitting from the classes and have increased confidence.
The class serves as a part of the Furman Advantage, going beyond the typical scope of the classroom to provide students with real, tangible knowledge, that they can utilize in the real world. The course welcomes seniors of all departments and majors.
