The seniors of Wareham High School got the chance to learn some budgeting skills Friday morning.

Community bank Cape Cod Five created and sponsored the event, called Credit For Life, at the high school.

Branch manager Anne Burnett said the event was meant to “teach students how to budget expenses after they graduate high school and they're out in the real world.”

“What's really unique is that the students have to fill out a pre-survey regarding the occupation they'd like to be in,” said Wareham High School Principal Scott Palladino. “[Cape Cod Five gives] an annual salary based on the job.”

When the students first arrived in the auditorium on Friday morning, they were given an occupation and a salary, based on the aforementioned survey, as well as savings, and a certain amount they have to pay for student loans, based on their occupation.

“We had firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses – you name it,” Palladino said.

The students were then given a sheet full of items and expenses they had to budget every month. Many booths were set up and manned by representatives from local businesses. Students were given choices of various investments, both monthly and one-time, at each booth, including insurance plans, housing, automobiles, furniture, and food plans.

Palladino said this was a sound way to conduct the exercise, because "at some point in time, every student will eventually be going into the real world and making financial decisions in regards to how they're going to live their lives.”

Though they are new to the world of financing and the economy, the students didn't take the event lightly. Dressed for success, shaking hands and introducing themselves, Wareham High School students left an impression on the booth workers.

“Every year we get the most compliments about the students of Wareham,” Burnett said. “They take it seriously and ask really good questions.”

This doesn't surprise Palladino.

“Sometimes our kids get a bad rep, but our kids are awesome,” Palladino said. “What made me most proud: I must've had at least twelve people tell me 'your kids are the best kids we've seen'.”

Palladino also believed the students gained a newfound appreciation for their parents and what they go through financially.