Friday, March 1, 2013

Topic 3: Where Choices Lead

 A number of very specific choices have led you to be in this particular class in this particular school. Each choice represents not only what was gained, but what was foregone in order to get you here. What was forgone is defined as the opportunity cost of what was gained. In your opinion, what have been some of the opportunity costs of getting you into PAS in general and this class in particular? Keep in mind that money is only one kind of cost--there are many more things that make up opportunity cost, both tangible and intangible. Considering that you most likely had little control over many of the decisions that got you here, do you think the decisions that were made were rational? In other words, if you analyze the costs and benefits, do the benefits outweigh the costs? Why or why not? If you had been in total control of your life, would you have made the same decisions? Explain.

 Setting the money factor aside, there are still things that was sacrificed in order for me to attend Pacific American School. I had to quit local school and say goodbye to my friends and everything I knew so well to be a part of a new environment that does not speak my native language. I also had to give up my chinese abilities in order to persue english improvements. Another oppurtunity cost is perhaps the other american schools in Hsinchu that I could not attend. The things I have sacrificed in order to get into the Economics class are less dramatic. The only oppurtunity cost would probably be Modern China, a class that I was going to take before I kenw about the opening of this Economics Class.
  I thought the decisions made for me attending Pacific American School was perfectly rational on my parent's part. I have demonstrated through time too what they believed - I do better in a more creative atmosphere. The american-styled education gives me room to expand my creativty and I love being able to do that. At the same time, PAS is also very strict about the acadamics so I will not slack off and can build up a very solid foundation. With that being said, I do believe that the benefits of attending PAS outweigh the costs. If I have been in total control of my life, I would probably have made the same decision because the benefits really do outweigh the cost.
  The decision for attending this economics class was also rational. I have always been interested in Economics and Economics class in school is the perfect oppurtunity for me to absorb. The benefits of attending Economics now do outweigh the cost of forgoing attending Modern China however by a little less then that of my decision to attend PAS. This is because the classes we take each year are flexible and I probably can still take modern China next year if I chose to take Economics this year and vice versa. Therefore, it can almost be viewed as a prelongation rather then  a sacrifice. Regardless, if I have been in total control of my life, I would have made the same decision because again, the benefits of learning economics do at the moment, outweigh the cost.

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