Tips for High School Students Who Are Participating in the Financial Literacy Competition

Monday, December 6, 2021
by Kelly A., 3A AFM student

Challenge your financial literacy skills this winter

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Hello! My name is Kelly and I am currently helping the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) run its semi-annual Financial Literacy Competition (FLC) targeted towards high school students. This year, the FLC is happening on December 8 and 9. Students in grades 9 to 12 can participate in the 60-minute competition and get a chance to win cash prizes!

When I was in high school, I had the privilege of participating in the FLC alongside my classmates. It was a fun challenge to partake in because it tested my financial literacy knowledge beyond the classroom and exposed me to various topics, like accounting, banking, economics, budgeting, and investing.

If you’re participating in the Financial Literacy Competition, here are three tips to best prepare for the competition:

  1. Take advantage of the free resources available.

The University of Waterloo offers free financial literacy resources, with support from Waterloo Region business teachers and Sagen™. When preparing for the competition, explore fun modules and budgeting workbooks. You can check out these resources here!

  1. Study smart, not hard!

With endless topics that you can be tested on, make sure to study smart. It’s important to understand which study strategies work best for you. When I prepared for the competition in my high school, my business teacher hosted group study sessions for facilitated learning. Personally, group study sessions with my classmates helped me a lot and made learning more fun.

  1. Practice, practice, practice!

I’m sure you’ve heard of this before, but “practice makes perfect!” When I was getting ready for the competition in high school, the best way to prepare was by doing practice questions. I first tried to understand which financial topics I was most comfortable with to be able to strategically focus on topics that required more practice. Feel free to explore the practice quizzes available on the SAF’s financial literacy website.

To learn more about the competition, visit the Financial Literacy in the Classroom webpage.