In the 90s, you had to take Econ in order to graduate from the University of Georgia. It could be macro, or micro, but you had to have it. Every student, every major.
Your advisor would tell you during orientation that you should not take it first quarter of your freshman year, nor should you wait until the very end of your college career. I followed that advice, sort of. I took it my second to last quarter of college. Had I failed it, I would have at least had one more shot before botching my graduation date.
I seem to recall that I took macro, but memories fade. But I can tell you is that it was a morning class. It was a long class, twice a week, split up by a 10-minute break. It was a larger class, a lecture hall of maybe 200 students. It was taught by a teaching assistant. His name was Thorston Fischer. He was German.
So, Econ was hard regardless, but add a thick German accent and an early morning class. Fuck.
That first week, we launched headfirst into scossity. It took several minutes for us to catch on.
Scarcity.
It's not a difficult concept, but one that I suggest very few people in the room ever had to deal with. I was blessed with a life of surplus, and my needs were elastic - I actually learned those concepts in high school.
I got out of Econ with a C. I was glad to get it. I made 4 Cs in college, Two I was happy to get, one I might have done better, and one I could absolutely have done better.
Anyway, fun as it is to relive my college days, now we are, as a country, starting to understand scossity.
In my case, it's so foolishly basic. My grocery store is out of some basics. Once again my needs are elastic. No bread? Fine. I can make do with tortillas, crackers, or make my own bread. I have the resources, even if it means I have to pay interest on credit cards, I can get food into our home. We will not go hungry, thirsty, without toilet paper.
What I am finding scoss is human interaction. I am a people person. We have been asked to shelter-in-place for 14 days. The mayor has closed all non-essential businesses in Metro Nashville.
So I won't go out this week, because... no essential reason.
Give me strength.
ae
Your advisor would tell you during orientation that you should not take it first quarter of your freshman year, nor should you wait until the very end of your college career. I followed that advice, sort of. I took it my second to last quarter of college. Had I failed it, I would have at least had one more shot before botching my graduation date.
I seem to recall that I took macro, but memories fade. But I can tell you is that it was a morning class. It was a long class, twice a week, split up by a 10-minute break. It was a larger class, a lecture hall of maybe 200 students. It was taught by a teaching assistant. His name was Thorston Fischer. He was German.
So, Econ was hard regardless, but add a thick German accent and an early morning class. Fuck.
That first week, we launched headfirst into scossity. It took several minutes for us to catch on.
Scarcity.
It's not a difficult concept, but one that I suggest very few people in the room ever had to deal with. I was blessed with a life of surplus, and my needs were elastic - I actually learned those concepts in high school.
I got out of Econ with a C. I was glad to get it. I made 4 Cs in college, Two I was happy to get, one I might have done better, and one I could absolutely have done better.
Anyway, fun as it is to relive my college days, now we are, as a country, starting to understand scossity.
In my case, it's so foolishly basic. My grocery store is out of some basics. Once again my needs are elastic. No bread? Fine. I can make do with tortillas, crackers, or make my own bread. I have the resources, even if it means I have to pay interest on credit cards, I can get food into our home. We will not go hungry, thirsty, without toilet paper.
What I am finding scoss is human interaction. I am a people person. We have been asked to shelter-in-place for 14 days. The mayor has closed all non-essential businesses in Metro Nashville.
So I won't go out this week, because... no essential reason.
Give me strength.
ae
Comments
Most of Stoll's prediction sound ridiculous in hindsight--and did within just a few years of his book--but that one hasn't changed. I've had at least a dozen tele-meetings now and it's just not the same not being in the room with a person.
At least we've got our dogs.