On Nov. 6, sophomores had the opportunity to go through a simulation of what life is like for adults, called Reality U.  

Several weeks ago, the sophomore class took a survey during Academy, and the answers they chose on the survey correlated to the job and life that the student had during the Reality U simulation. 

For example, the students were given a job based on what they answered on the survey and a spouse if they opted to be married on the survey. They were told how many kids they had as well.  

“When I did the Reality U simulation, I didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t realize what it would involve,” sophomore Jordan Lloyd said. 

In Gym A, there were 12 tables set up, and each table had a different task that adults must consider each month, including Transportation, Financial Services, Childcare, Car Insurance, Supermarket, Medical Services, Housing, Phone and Fun, Chance, Utilities, Shopping Center, and a Q and A table. 

“After going through it and experiencing the different things I would have to go through and pay for throughout life, I noticed that there was a lot more that goes into budgeting and just living in general than I thought,” Lloyd said.  

There are some key takeaways that students left with, for Lloyd, she said it influenced the decisions she will make in the future.  

“Although I didn’t get the ideal life that I wanted for Reality U, it put into perspective that in the long run, the choices we make now do influence our futures more than I had thought,” Lloyd said.  

The students were greatly impacted by the lessons they learned at the event and will continue to think about the future because of it.  

“Reality U was one of the greatest things I have experienced, and I feel like it is a valuable thing to have because it’s not the same to be told what the future will be like,” Lloyd said. “But actually, going through it changed everything I thought it would be.”