The thirty hour day

So the whole idea that your second year is a lot easier than your first is a lie.  I'm easily as busy, if not busier, now versus a year ago.  I'm a TA, a grader, taking 5 courses (including derivatives, which is like taking 3 classes by itself).  With OwenBloggers, helping friends with their own clubs and efforts, well, that doesn't leave me a lot of free time.  I actually did the math yesterday and found out that in order to do everything I'd like to, and have enough time to stop for 30 minutes to eat lunch, time to read maybe 2 hours at night, well, I'd need about 31 hours in a given day.  There aren't 31 hours in a day as it turns out--- and that means I'm not getting everything done that I need to. 

On a side note, the past few nights I've been at Owen very late; past 8 most nights and some 11 most nights.  As I pack up my things at night I pass a lot of familiar faces--- actually, everyone that's there burning the midnight oil with me is a second year.  Where are all the first years?  Are they that much smarter than us?  This time last year I was closing down the Owen library 3 out of 5 nights a week, and so were all my friends.  What gives? 

While I'm on the subject of things i don't understand-  I've got an issue with what seems like a flaw in the economic fundamentals we all believe to be true.  It seems we've got a situation here at Owen that clearly violates basic demand principles we were taught just a few short mods ago.  Somewhere in this very building you can purchase an item, a common item, from two separate locations.  In one location the item is of lesser quantity and higher price; just a few yards away--- same item--- greater quantity at a lower price.  We'd expect the lower priced/higher quantity product to outsell the competition many times over.  What I've noticed is that the higher priced/lower quantity item actually OUTSELLS the lower-priced variant. Is this a black-hole in economic theory? Some sort flaw in the Law of Demand?  No.  What this shows us is that even in these hallowed halls of business, humans aren't always maximizing.  Score one for the HOP folks.  Still blows my mind--- guess I cant talk down to the law school cafe anymore for their quirky pricing scheme.

Comments

[joe]

This is excellent stuff! You should share this link at www.studentup.com

[Sharran]

Its a little hard to be like superman without superhuman powers. If you did not have a family and a full-time job, you would probably add more classes to your schedule anyway. You are the man!

[Asif Shah]

No doubt, there is definitely some conspiracy behind all this!

[Sam Kale]

I've found that the supply of the higher quantity/lower price item doesn't always meet the demand for the higher quantity/lower price item. So maybe what you're observing is the excess demand for the "good" item manifesting itself in purchases of the "bad" item. Or maybe not ...