Class 1 - I Should Have Skipped Breakfast

What I've learned in college: I should have skipped breakfast.

While the draw of an unlimited meal plan enticed me into getting an early meal on my first day of college classes, I wish that I had skipped breakfast. However, I decided my morning coffee and Lucky Charms were more important than a front row seat for Professor Rizzo.

I walked into class, sat somewhere in the middle of 100+ students, and was suddenly being pelted with coins. While I did catch a measly dime, I soon realized I should have exchanged my breakfast for a front row seat as the students in the front row were able to catch (or rather steal) 5 and 10 dollar bills from Rizzo.

This was Rizzo's lesson on incentives. Basically, people respond to incentives. The girl in the front row who took a ten out of Rizzo's hand responded to incentives. The kid who dove down 3 stairs to catch a quarter responded to incentives. And even I responded to incentives. Not only did I immediately wish that I had skipped my breakfast so I could have gotten money from Rizzo, but I also sat in the front row for the the next 2 weeks, praying that money would fly down on me.

But something in this game of flying money made me think. Why didn't the kid in the back corner run up to get money? Why didn't anyone make any attempt to try and catch the pennies? I realized it was because the incentives weren't great enough. Had Rizzo been giving out hundred dollar bills, I feel like everyone would have mobbed him. A higher valued incentive would have outweighed the awkwardness of the whole class staring at "that weird kid who tackled Rizzo for a fifty." I began to think in other ways too: if this game happened every day or if people knew about the game before class, would people be sleeping out in tents the night before and killing each other for front seats? Ok, Rizzo's class is starting to sound like a Bruce Springsteen concert.

After this game, Rizzo then taught us life lessons. Most of these lessons ended with a: "Is this true? It's unclear." However, I did learn that I should not spend time looking for a wife. If I end up lonely, at least I can always thank Rizzo for it.

Finally our class ended with an open question. Do you respect anyone who holds a non-religious belief opposite yours? I soon realized my strongest non-religious beliefs are about sports. So this question actually asked: "Do I respect any Yankee fans?" The answer is no.