Start Your Future in Finance While in High School

Summary:

Starting a career in finance is easily accessible – even in high school. Find out how, here. 

Key Points:

• Finance has been a vital part of every society since the dawn of civilization.
• Finance is a term that broadly describes the study and system of money, investments, and other financial instruments. 
• It is broadly divided into three categories: public finance, corporate finance, and personal finance.
• Getting a headstart in high school involves pre-college online courses or joining — or starting — your school’s finance club.

The history of finance dates back to the dawn of civilization. Finance has roots in scientific fields such as statistics, economics, and mathematics, but it also includes nonscientific elements that liken it to an art.

Finance is a term that broadly describes the study and system of money, investments, and other financial instruments. It is broadly divided into three categories: public finance, corporate finance, and personal finance.

Where should you begin if you want to get into finance? One simple decision is to choose an appropriate major while in college — these include accounting, economics, business, and finance. But why wait until then? Start in high school with courses for future finance majors or perhaps join or even start your own finance club at your high school.

Pre-college online courses for future finance majors

In the Wake Forest finance course for teens, Investing: The Future of Finance, you’ll

delve into the ways financial markets work today. Industry experts such as traders and investment bankers will teach you how companies attract investors, the role of shareholders, and how cryptocurrencies and FinTech companies are disrupting traditional finance. You will even step into the role of a financial analyst yourself.

In the Rice University economics pre-college course, you’ll learn why firms must be able to anticipate production disruptions, consider energy and labor markets, and understand policy changes that come from the government. If you see yourself pursuing a career in business, knowledge of economics is a great place to start. 

Georgetown University provides a college prep course in finance titled Becoming an Investor: An Inside Look at Finance. In it, you’ll navigate the complex world of finance by breaking down the basic mechanics of financial markets. You’ll learn how valuation models are used to determine a company’s value and how its value affects the price of its stock. You’ll apply what you learn to create an investment portfolio that meets your investment goals. 

 Along with courses such as these, joining your high school’s finance club is another great option — and something else that looks good on college applications. And if your school doesn’t have one, why not add “Finance Club Founder” to your college application brag sheet? Let’s take a look at what finance clubs do.

Identifying the inner workings of a high school finance club

So how do finance clubs work? What topics do they cover? Here is one synapsis:

One example is a weekly-held, hour-long club featuring a specific finance lesson for the first 30 minutes of each meeting. This can revolve around what the stock market is, what a stock represents, equity, ways to trade, strategies, indicators, places to do research on stocks, etc. Next, 20 minutes are allotted for a discussion on concepts presented about the stock market and other relevant subjects, and to address any questions. Lastly, many clubs feature 30 minutes of online simulation featuring apps that enact trading on the stock market with virtual money. This is instrumental in allowing club members to get familiar with the stock market with no real consequences. 

As you can see, there are many ways to practice for a career in finance while in high school. 

Teen college prep programs for business majors and finance clubs are both great options. Good luck!