Trying to get back into the black?

In the red? Bank manager sending nasty letters? Making Ends Meet may help you get into the black again.

It is an educational simulation where the user is placed in the position of a young school leaver about to face the problems of personal budgeting.

It is intended to be used more as a stimulus for class discussion than as an individual learning device so would be a useful teaching aid for social studies and personal development lessons for 15-16 year olds.

However it could also be used for a wider range of age groups and subjects.

The excellent, screen layout and prompts make the equally excellent written instructions superfluous. After initial inputs giving details of sex, accommodation, transport and so on, the user is led through a number of situations where decisions have to be made with respect to spending and saving each week.

The program entices the user with frivolous ways of parting with money as well as a number of forced expenses of the type which could be expected in real life, such as road tax. new1 shoes and repairs.

Saving for holidays and entertainment costs are all part of this well thought out program from Cambridge Micro Software.

At the end of the week the user has the dubious pleasure of seeing the micro spend his money and display the weekly balance, thus giving credence to Micawber's anecdote for hap piness or misery.

The micro is the ideal educational tool for this type of interactive modelling since this sort of simulation is far too complex to be carried out using blackboard and chalk.

The booklet which comes with the tape emphasises the need for careful lesson planning and gives advice on how to use the program along with minimum wages required for different situations and a sample worksheet.

Another plus for this package is that it comes with two utility programs which enable a teacher to modify options and responses generated by the main program.

This is an especially important consideration when buying well-protected software. The program makes good use of attractive graphics to mainlain interest. Highly recommended.

John Daddy