Thankfully, choosing the right finance course for teenagers can equip them with the knowledge and skills to navigate these challenges, make informed decisions, and build a secure financial future. It can even prepare them for a career.
In these courses, they’ll study everything from budgeting and saving to investing and understanding credit. Acknowledging the various types of financial education bootcamps can help learners compare their courses effectively, plan with their parents, and prepare for an exciting adult career. In the following article, teens will learn more about how finance courses can help them and discover all they need to know about the benefits of these unique programs.
What is Finance?
Ever since the first humans traded products and services, well before money was ever a concept, finance was a reality. Farmers were wealthy not because they had lots of cash but because they had many heads of cattle. Since these early days, though, finance has evolved considerably to become the complex, multi-headed hydra it is today. Each of its limbs contains multitudes, including concepts like investing, the time value of money, and interest rates.
In fact, it’s fair to say finance concepts lay at the foundation of just about every market and industry today. Obviously related fields like banking, investing, and capital funds aside, markets like advertising, healthcare, and education need finance specialists who can provide high-quality, hands-on support. As a result, teenagers interested in just about any industry can use finance-related concepts and practical skills to stand out and make very good money.
Why Should High Schoolers Learn Finance?
In today's world, financial literacy is a crucial life skill for teenagers and adults. Sure, it’s more important for adults to master because they have many money choices to make almost daily. However, even young students should know these skills. After all, teenagers who are getting ready to buy their first car, invest in college education, or start a job need to understand finance to get ahead in life. Just a few reasons why they should learn this skill include how it:
- Has Diverse Uses: Financial skills are useful in just about every walk of life. Even someone who doesn’t start a career in banking or a related industry can still use these abilities every day to help handle their money-making decisions with ease.
- Improves Decision-Making: Learning about finance early on can empower high schoolers to make informed decisions about money, setting them up for success in the future. Some might even get into investing and entrepreneurship very early!
- Prepares Teens for a Career: Many teenagers who learn finance go on to become experts. Some might start careers as financial analysts, bankers, or even data scientists. These high-earning positions earn close to or over $100,000 a year: not bad at all!
- Makes It Easier to Budget Their Lives: Teens often have small budgets for many years and need finance skills to avoid overspending. Knowing how to track their expenses properly can ensure that they stay in the black and avoid difficult financial situations.
These are just a few of the things teenage learners can do after they master finances. Other great uses for these abilities include helping their parents set up debt repayment plans, researching car loans more easily, and starting a consulting side hustle. Now, a single finance bootcamp won’t prepare a teen to handle all these things. However, getting this training early lays the foundation for their education and makes it easier to learn more complex skills later.
Considerations for Choosing a Course
When choosing a finance course, high schoolers should consider many unique factors about each to ensure they’re satisfied. After all, there are dozens of different program opportunities nationwide, and choosing wrongly might cause them to fail. With a little focus and research, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a class that suits their needs. The following elements are just a few of the most important things they should remember when deciding on their learning program.
Class Difficulty and Learning Style
Before signing up for a class, high schoolers should gauge the program’s difficulty (including their ability to handle its activities), as well as their learning style, interests, and talents. Some may prefer in-person lessons, while others would rather learn from home online instead.
Career Goals
All teenagers serious about mastering finance should have specific career goals in mind before signing up. For example, are they interested in a 9-to-5 or becoming an entrepreneur or business owner? Whatever their needs, there’s likely a course that feels right for them.
Course Focus
Some courses may focus on personal finance, while others may delve into investing, entrepreneurship, or financial markets. Teenagers should ensure they choose a program that fits their specific skills and interests, like a glove, or they might quickly get bored with lessons.
Overall Costs
Most finance training classes will cost a few hundred dollars or more, with some ranging up to a few thousand. These expenses vary based on the class’ scope and whether it's for personal or career training. Teens on a tight budget should choose carefully to ensure they pick wisely.
What High Schoolers Can Do With Finance
Mastering finance as a teenager not only lays the foundation for a rewarding career but also helps teenagers improve their lives in many powerful ways. These benefits go beyond those covered in a previous section and include practical concepts and abilities that help them enjoy more financially solvent lives. Understanding these simple ideas can help teens decide whether finance training suits their needs or if they should refocus on another field instead. They can:
- Understand credit more fully, including concepts like credit scores, interest rates, and how to build good credit while working from a relatively limited personal budget
- Invest wisely in various ways as they explore different investment options for their portfolio, including things like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds of all types
- Make informed financial decisions about their life, including learning to evaluate financial products and services, such as loans, insurance, and retirement plans.
- Improve their entrepreneurial and business ownership skills throughout their training as they learn about business planning, marketing, and finance
Balancing High School and Finance Learning Demands
Teenagers considering a finance course may look at their schedule and find the whole idea more than a little overwhelming. How can they attend school, compete in sports, hang out with friends, and still have time for finance courses? Well, high schoolers can balance their academic workload with finance learning by taking a few simple but effective steps that ensure they not only study adaqueately but also avoid burnout. In this way, they’re more likely to succeed.
Studying During the Summer
The idea of taking finance courses during those precious few summer months is likely to make any high schooler a little stressed. However, most bootcamps last around a month or so, giving teens plenty of time to enjoy their time off and even travel with their family or friends.
Taking Online Courses
Many online platforms offer flexible learning options that can fit into busy schedules. For example, asynchronous classes offer video suites and self-paced lessons that teens can complete at their own leisure as long as they turn everything in by the end of the program.
Joining Extracurricular Clubs
Teens who love social experiences may find study groups work well for their learning needs. They may even join finance or investing clubs to get hands-on learning and networking opportunities, though these may be primarily available online or in more remote environments.
Reading Books and Articles
High schoolers who enjoy reading may tap into this love by staying informed about current financial events and trends. For example, they can create alerts on their phone for related stories, pick up a few interesting books, or even check out forums for more information.
Jobs Available After Learning Finance
Careers in finance-related fields are often some of the highest-earning. After all, these professionals frequently work directly with money, particularly in the banking and investing markets. As a result, teenagers who want to live a comfortable life and enjoy this industry and its broad scope have plenty of potential roles they could fill. These may include positions with finance-specific firms or more general companies that simply need professionals, such as:
- Financial Analyst: As a Financial Analyst, teens will use their economic knowledge to analyze data and make meaningful suggestions. Salaries typically average $100,000.
- Investment Banker: An Investment Banker advises corporations and businesses to help with mergers, acquisitions, and other tasks to earn around $77,000 annually.
- Bookkeeper: A career as an entry-level Bookkeeper requires finance knowledge to lay the foundation for better careers. They usually make about $48,000 yearly.
- Accountant: An Accountant handles high-level financial data for their employers or clients, depending on their role, and can bring in about $80,000 a year.
- Private Equity Associate: A career as a Private Equity Associate includes handling large financial deals, particularly creating and finalizing deals with equity firms.
- Research Analyst: Working as a Research Analyst involves gathering financial information and using it to direct research. Salaries hit around $96,000 on the mean.
Benefits of Taking a Finance Bootcamp
While high schoolers can learn finance in other ways, such as taking college or university courses, bootcamps offer one of the most effective ways of learning this skill. Their in-depth nature, along with their well-structured and efficient lessons, makes it easier for high schoolers to master finance and use it successfully. Any teenager serious about learning these techniques should seriously consider the following benefits before signing up for a bootcamp:
- Intensive Learning: Finance bootcamps for teenagers provide a fast-paced and immersive learning experience. As teen minds are so pliant, this quick style should be stimulating and make it easier for learners to master these critical techniques.
- Hands-On Experience: Many bootcamps include real-world finance projects and simulations that give students actual experience with a skill set. In this way, they can feel more confident budgeting, investing, and handling other finance tasks.
- Networking Opportunities: High schoolers interested in meeting new people while learning finance will thrive in bootcamps. Here, they can connect students with industry professionals to build a tight-knit group that can support their career development.
- Career Guidance: Teens confused about their potential finance career may love bootcamps because they often provide job counseling and placement assistance. That support should make it easier for them to transition into an exciting position.
Why Taking a Finance Course is Better Than Learning for Free
Teenagers and parents researching financing bootcamps may consider the price and say, “Thanks, but no thanks!” That’s understandable because some finance programs cost thousands. However, while there are many free resources available online, structured courses offer several advantages. For example, expert teachers will guide their students, answer all their questions, and provide feedback on assignments to improve their financial understanding.
Furthermore, these programs often offer social support through forums and communities where students can connect and learn from each other. They can also meet with mentors and industry professionals to build their skills and stay sharp. Finally, completing a finance course can provide students with valuable credentials that will boost their resumes. These certificates may even include college credits teenagers can use to advance their educational careers.
Financing Options for Finance Courses
Trying to pay a few thousand dollars for an in-depth finance class may be a hard sell for many parents and their teens. After all, high inflation and other economic issues put many families through the wringer and make it critical for them to pinch every penny. Most training schools understand this problem and provide repayment options to help reduce unnecessary expenses. Here are a few of the most popular ways for teenagers to pay for their financing programs:
- Scholarships and Grants: Many organizations offer scholarships and grants to students pursuing finance education. These options don’t require repayment, meaning that they’re often the most highly in-demand financing opportunities available today.
- Student Loans: Federal and private student loans can help cover the cost of tuition, though must be paid back once the class is over. Thankfully, schools often offer fair interest rates and reasonable repayment opportunities to avoid financial hardship.
- Payment Plans: Many courses offer flexible payment plans to make them more affordable. Typically, these include 3-5 installments or more, depending on the student’s ability to pay, the cost of the class, and other unique economic factors.
- Free Trials: Some training providers (typically asynchronous teams) offer free trials or low-cost programs. These give students a quick look at what a course has to offer, which can make it easier for them to gauge if a class makes sense for their needs.
Skills High Schoolers Learn in Finance Courses
Throughout their intensive, high-quality finance bootcamps, teenagers will get hands-on experience learning many exciting and rewarding skills. These include topics directly related to finance, as well as more career-specific concepts. Just as importantly, they’ll get the chance to build these techniques alongside peers and mentors who fully understand their needs. The following things are just a few of the biggest and most important that students will study.
Financial Analysis
The earliest skills teens learn in their classes include essential financial analysis abilities. For example, they’ll know how to analyze financial statements, evaluate investments, and assess risk. They’ll also master basic bookkeeping and accounting techniques to bolster their skills.
Financial Modeling
Around the mid-point of their training, bootcamp attendees will learn to use spreadsheets and other tools to create financial models. Knowing how to make intricate and detailed tools like these can make it easier to predict trends, track spending, and handle other processes.
Data Analysis
As their skills improve through their education, high schoolers will learn to analyze financial data and identify trends. Furthermore, they’ll learn how to apply these skills to help make important decisions, including finding great investment opportunities or offering sound economic advice.
Communication and Presentation
While teenagers will master many job-related techniques in bootcamps, they’ll also learn soft skills. For example, they’ll master effectively communicating financial information to others while developing the ability to analyze complex financial situations and make sound decisions.
How Easy Is It to Learn Finance?
Finance is a broad subject with many different related topics for students to study. As a result, it can be surprisingly complex to master, depending on how far a teenager wants to delve. Those learning just a few basic financial concepts, like budgeting, might find it is relatively easy to grasp. Those preparing for investment, entrepreneurial, or even analyst careers will face a steeper uphill challenge, particularly if they want to make six figures or more in their job.
How Long Will It Take To Learn Finance?
It’s tricky to gauge how long most students take to learn about finance. Their innate knowledge, learning pace, and commitment all play significant roles. Most introductory courses should take only a few weeks and give students a firm grounding in this subject. That said, more advanced mastery will take several months or even years. A high-quality bootcamp will streamline this process by providing a great foundation on which teenagers can build further learning success.
Best Finance Courses for High Schoolers
With dozens of potential finance classes available for high schoolers, it can be intimidating to pick just one. In fact, many students might get analysis paralysis and decide to avoid the whole thing altogether. That’s an unfortunate mistake because high-quality finance bootcamps can help teens improve their lives in so many ways. To help narrow down their options, teenagers and their folks should read about these three popular and successful finance bootcamps.
NextGen Bootcamp
NextGen Bootcamp is a well-respected training team that provides high-quality education directly to teenagers nationwide. Its online model offers teacher-led courses, intensive practical exercises, hands-on portfolio-building workshops, and 1-on-1 mentoring. Notable for its small class sizes, intimate environments, and next-level professionalism, NextGen is the kind of unique training team that high schoolers can rely on to master finance-related topics.
FinTech Summer Program Live Online
FinTech Summer Program Live Online is an intensive class that offers 72 hours of live, project-based training from high-quality experts. Subjects include Microsoft Excel, stock market investing, Python, and general finance. Students work hands-on with their professors to prepare for industries like marketing, data science, and network security. Mastering Excel and Python will quickly prepare them for many rewarding careers and ensure they thrive in any field.
Excel, Finance, & Investing Summer Program Live Online
Excel, Finance, & Investing Summer Program Live Online offers high-quality education in a variety of subjects, including finance, stock market investing, and Microsoft Excel alongside topics like valuation and P/E ratios. Throughout this virtual class, high schoolers will work directly with their professor, learn more about finance-related topics, and earn a completion certificate. Like all NextGen courses, this class was created by true professionals.
Lumiere Education
Lumiere Education was founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers to provide 1-on-1 support directly from a Ph.D. mentor. This research-oriented school helps students develop their skills by working on a unique and personalized research topic. Though handled primarily independently, students do get mentorship directly from their professors to ensure that they correct any mistakes, handle their day-to-day tasks more effectively, and graduate on time.
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research-oriented class set up expressly for high schoolers. Teenagers get 12 weeks to complete their education on whatever topic interests them. For example, they can investigate subjects like data science, financial investment, and much more. If they feel confused or intimidated by picking a program, their mentor will help them identify something unique and interesting on which they can easily focus their research.