Getting Started - Information for Students

For instructions on getting started as an Instructor, click here.

Create an Account

Your Ag Bank Sim account will let you participate in games, either as an instructor or a student. New accounts can be created here, or you can sign-in if you already have an Ag Bank Sim account.

• When signing up for an account, you will be asked for an email address, password, First and Last name, and your account type, either Student or Instructor. Choose Student if you will be participating in a game created by an Instructor. Choose Instructor if you will be creating a game for students to play.

Student Accounts

Your student account will allow you to join games created by your instructor. Once a game is created, your instructor will provide you with a unique code to join the game. Enter this code in the Join a new game section of your account page. Once you enter the code and press the Find Game button, click the Join Game button.

Your instructor will assign each student to a bank team. Once the game is set up and begun, you will receive an email notifying you of your team assignment and enabling you to review the output for the initial bank setting. Read the game instructions prior to making your team’s initial decisions. One important factor in a bank’s decisions is anticipating the amount of funds available for loans and investments. A worksheet is available to assist in those calculations.

Each team will have a bank manager, someone responsible for entering and submitting decisions for your team. If you have been selected as the bank manager, you will need to discuss decisions and previous results with your team, then enter your decisions. Once your decisions have been entered, you must submit them for your team's approval. Each team member will receive a notification email instructing them to login and cast their approval or disapproval by way of a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Approval status can be viewed at any time by visiting the Decisions page.

Each member of the team is responsible for signaling their own approval. If a team member disapproves of submitted decisions, it is their responsibility to discuss their concerns with the rest of the team. Through discussion and active participation, your team should be in agreement with the submitted decisions. Final decisions are submitted by the bank manager.

Once the deadline for submission of decisions is reached for a given period of play, the instructor reviews the decisions and runs the simulation. If the instructor finds that some decisions are not in keeping with a good game experience, the instructor may change decisions before running and releasing the simulation results to student teams.

Game play continues for four simulation periods. Once the four periods of play have been completed, the Awards page will be available. At that point, each team may view other team's decisions and choices, which offers insights into the interrelated nature of decisions made by individual banks in a county as well as the results of each bank’s decision making process. 

• Game instructions for students (PDF)