FinLit: Bringing Financial Literacy to UWG

There is a new club on campus known as the Financial Literacy Fitness Club and they are here to help students learn to be responsible with their money while teaching them ways to increase their wealth.  

Senior Katie Shaw, a nursing student, saw a need for financial literacy on the UWG campus and decided to start the Financial Literacy Fitness Club.  

“The goal is to bring like-minded students together in a setting that promotes the importance of personal finance and improve financial literacy,” said Shaw.  

The important thing to note about this club is it relates finance to fitness. This is interesting because the two ideas seem unrelated, but Shaw is proving that notion wrong. 

“We are relating physical health to financial health,” said Shaw. “As most students may know, having financial struggles often leads to stress, which ultimately decreases physical health.”  

The goal for students who come to college is to gain enough knowledge and have a solid foundation in any career path they choose. The choices made now greatly influence the future and sow the seeds for success. The trade-off for the life ahead, however, is usually sleepless nights, stress and a very low budget. Most students have part-time jobs, but only a few have jobs that pay well. 

High school attempts to prepare students for college, but did little to enlighten them on money management. However, it is more than just saving money. Many students do not know the best way to budget. 

The truth is, students can benefit from more practical, real-world skills when it comes to money management. Sadly many students do not know where to begin and continue to go through life trying to figure out how to just make more money instead of asking the right people the right questions. 

Aside from improving financial literacy across campus, another one of Shaw’s goals is to boost holistic health. Holistic health is simply defined as the approach to a better life. By joining this club no one can say for sure it will improve one’s well-being, however, it can improve certain decisions students make. By just knowing how to spend wisely and budget correctly students can stress less which will improve overall physical health.  

Other lessons and workshops from this club will answer questions they have regarding anything financial in a non-intimidating environment where students can learn from other students. Becoming financially secure is the goal for everyone whether it is to be rich or just comfortable and this club is a great way to get started.