Students have the tendency to appreciate courses that hold relevancy to their own lives. On many college campuses, courses on Hip Hop Music or Sex and the City's affect on gender relations are often immediately filled on the first day of registration. For many students, courses such as economics or statistics or biology are somewhat of a means to an end - requirements to be completed in order to obtain a particular degree.
But as the nation experiences a massive economic downturn, economics courses are suddenly more appealing to both high school and college students. Students now realize that they are living through a pivotal moment in history, in which the economy is plummeting at a rate previously unwitnessed by members of this generation. While economics instructors were once forced to use hypothetical scenarios to explain economic situations, they can now incorporate real world events into classroom lessons. As reported in USA Today, teachers are noticing that students are growing extremely curious about stock performance, economic policy, and Wall Street on-goings. One New York City high school teacher named Arisedes Lourdas said that previously apathetic high school teenagers now understand the weight of the economic situation and the importance of "the dealings a few blocks a way on Wall Street."
It's true that many students have begun to shy away from M.B.A. and finance degree programs and the pursuit of careers in banking. However, some students feel that taking on an economics degree program will keep them abreast of current events and this pivotal moment in our country's history. The moment might be grim, but it certainly is for the books.
