BRUCETON MILLS, W.Va. (WBOY) — Eighth graders at the Bruceton School were able to get some lessons in personal finance on Monday as the “School of Hard Knocks” simulation came to visit.

Students who participated in the event chose a career and then traveled between stations while figuring out how to handle the various financial stresses of adulthood from paying for a car to taking care of children.

At each station, the students would talk to someone from the community who works in that field in real life. For example, at the tax booth, students spoke with a representative from the County Assessors office.

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Bruceton Principal Jonas Knotts said that the purpose of the simulation is to get students thinking about what choices they need to make in order to live the life they want. He said that the simulation also lends the students some perspective on adulthood and how their parents live on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s interesting talking to them and seeing how wide-eyed they get when they find out that their paycheck never really goes as far as they think it’s going to go,” Knotts said.

Students had various takeaways from the simulation. Tristan Dawson, who chose to be an IT specialist, ended the game $87 positive and said he did so by prioritizing his needs over his wants. Another student, McKenzie Price, chose to be an athletic trainer and said that she needed to get a second job in order to make ends meet. She said one of her takeaways from the game was, “I’m not ready to be an adult.”