While Wall Street and Main Street are in crisis, Commonwealth Avenue should be mindful of the national turmoil. It’s easy to feel protected from the world while taking classes in the Boston University bubble, but students must take it upon themselves to be informed. After all, their families are likely biting their nails over financial details. What’s more, all students at BU intending to graduate need to understand the economy they are about to become a contributing part of.
Keeping up with the headlines is a start. Some classes require students to read newspapers, and some even require regular reading of financial topics, but news outlets rarely provide a clear explanation and analysis about what is going on. Knowing that the Fed purchased AIG yesterday is important, but it won’t help students truly comprehend the world they are about to enter. The financial system of the United States is dizzyingly complex, but that’s no excuse for university students to be in the dark about such a relevant topic.
It doesn’t matter if you’re majoring in an abstract subject like philosophy or a career-based one like accounting — the dynamics of our economy affect so many people and so many jobs, it’s absolutely essential for all students to understand.
BU allows students to take classes outside of their majors with the hope that the university’s graduates will be well-rounded, informed adults when the leave the Charles River Campus. Every student should consider taking an economic class — even econ 101. If they can’t fit it into their credits, then students should research how our economy works — if only on a basic level — so they can understand how the major financial news affects their lives.’
Regardless of how they learn, all BU students came to this university to become more educated people. Learning as much as possible about the world around you is imperative to becoming a more educated person.
With a topic as important and relevant as the nation’s economy, a basic understanding should be a top priority for all undergrads.