Living the Flatting Life: Year 10’s Hands-On Economics

Students have formed flatting groups and ventured into the CBD to investigate and price suitable flatting items as part of their Going Flatting topic. Each group has to decide upon a suitable flat/house to rent and furnish, including selecting lounge/living furniture, bedroom decor, kitchen/bathroom items, etc. They also had time to share morning tea in town as part of flat socialisation.

Student feedback:

What factors did you consider when selecting items for your flat?

• Price ranked the highest, followed by quality and Trendiness/Fashionability.

What challenges did you face in agreeing on purchases, and how did you resolve them?

• Cost and the budget: We resolved this by looking for something at a discount or lower price.

• Played paper, scissors & rock.

• We don't all have the same taste in what we want our flats to look like and have, but we all have to choose what we want and think looks good.

• Well, if some wanted it and some didn't, then we just did a vote.

• Some people wanted one microwave while others wanted another - so we decided based on reviews.

• Some of us prioritised things that cost quite a lot but were of high quality and others suggested things that were of low quality but cheaper. We also suggested, for example, that people who use chopsticks on a daily basis should buy them, but in the end they did not choose them because they could use forks instead. I think suggesting alternatives can help convince flatmates.

How did the experience help you develop teamwork and communication skills?

• We were bonding together, talking and having fun.

• The trip made us feel more connected to each other.

• We all talked about money and the cost of living.

• We all had a good amount of communication and agreed on the same thing we liked.

• Communicating was really efficient as we talked about the prices, the discounts, and more shops. We also worked as a team and planned where, what, and when to do things.

• It helped me see that not everyone is willing to consider other people's ideas and how to overcome them.