Enoch Kuo | February 12, 2009

"Senioritis"

If I’m anything like any of the other pre-frosh at this moment, I think I can venture to guess that we’re experiencing tendencies that seem to correspond with the condition more formally known as senioritis. Notice I said “tendencies”. You see, while I may want to slack off, I can’t. The reason is quite simple.

My school, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to run on a trimester schedule. In other words, I’m still stuck in the middle of the second trimester, meaning that mid-term grade reports still have yet to go out, that class rank is still hanging on this grading period, and that even though it might not seem so, half of my senior year has yet to be marked onto my transcript. If anything, that’s some good thinking right there on the administration’s part, I’ll admit.

But on the other hand, I don’t think my version of slacking off quite matches common expectation. I’m a rather queer animal if you must have it that way. It usually just means that I use my time... in another way, like, say, trying to write a publishable short story instead of doing homework.

On the note of writing, though, I found a rather interesting short “essay” in my files on the current topic. It gave me a little laugh, though I did write it about a year and a half ago (according to my computer, Septermber 21st, 2007, but that’s only the electronic version, so who knows how long ago the first draft came into existence). I’ll resist the urge to edit it and present it in its exact original format. I think it came up from some inspiration I had after reading a few OpenCourseWare lectures on game theory. Enjoy, and slack away! (Disclaimer: It's called joking around. :P)

Game Theory and “The Stupid Way the School Year Works”

Yes. There is a connection... I think... I hope... I wish...

Experiencing the end-of-school lows? When everything just doesn't seem to matter anymore? When you wish it was all just over?

Some people call it senioritis. Some people call it evil. Some people call it a government conspiracy. But few know the truth of this widespread horror. (Okay, okay, maybe the government conspiracy is sort of close.)

When it strikes, there's little hope of recovery. Grades slide. Concentration falters. Apathy abounds. When one sees those symptoms, the solution is clear: summer break.

Is there a solution? Is there any way to solve this problem? To rescue those slowly sliding GPA's? Those slowly dying test grades?

Perhaps.

You're probably wondering where this is going right now. Well, I have to admit something.

I am too.

Okay, I lied. I do know. But now that I've said that, you're probably wondering what Game Theory has anything to do with it. And what is Game Theory anyway?

Game Theory: a mathematical theory that deals with strategies for maximizing gains and minimizing losses within prescribed constraints, as the rules of a card game: widely applied in the solution of various decision-making problems, as those of military strategy and business policy.

No. I did not write that myself. That is copied off of Dictionary.com. We're good friends.

Now, if you actually understood what that said... good job. Pat yourself on the back. For the rest of us, I'll attempt to simplify. And YES, the two topics will connect.

Game theory is a field that combines mathematics with the social sciences, using certain theoretical situations known as "games" to model human behavior and decision-making processes.

Now, let's attempt to convert this senioritis condition into a game.

Here are the axioms:

1.) School is important for one's future
2.) How much one works in school affects one's grades
3.) As the end of school approaches, one tends to slack off

Axiom Three is the insertion of our situation into the game. Note: By no means am I claiming that the axioms are in any way true.

Now, as one can see, this game comes out with two different choices for a senioritis-afflicted individual. As the end of the school year approaches, one can 1.) slack off and not do as well in school, or 2.) not slack off and do well.

The consequences are as follows:

1.) Slack Off
-Free time increases
-urge to slack off is satisfied
-Grades drop

2.) Don't Slack Off
-Free time stays the same
-urge to slack off is unsatisfied
-grades are maintained

Now, we can see that one's decision should be based on what he/she considers as more important, grades, or free time/the urge to slack off. Now, as one can see, this is a lose-lose situation.

So, how CAN we win?

Read on to find out my proposal. Yes, it's a crazy one and probably will never be enacted... but who cares?!?

Now, let's look at this "game" as a battle between you and the school system/teachers. The school system wants you to not slack, to boost its rating. You want to slack. Your teachers probably want to slack too, unless he/she's just one of those freaks who actually loves teaching more than… well, let’s not go there. From these postulates, we can get a little chart of results, looking at it from the point of view that good grades/actually learning something surpasses the satisfaction of slacking:

Key:
You Actually Learn Something = 8 pts.
Satisfaction of Slacking = 2 pts.
Unsatisfaction of Not Slacking = -2 pts.
School gets good report = 8 pts.
Teacher's Satisfaction of Slacking = 2 pts. (getting paid for not doing much)
Teacher's Unsatisfaction of Not Slacking = -2 pts. (getting paid for their job!)

1.) School Encourages Learning & You Don't Slack
-Win for everyone (6 pts. for you, 6 pts. for the school)

2.) School Encourages Learning & You Slack
-Partial-win for you (2 pts.), lose for the school (-2 pts.)

3.) School Doesn't Encourage Learning & You Don't Slack
-Lose for you (-2 pts.), Partial-win for the school (2 pts.)

4.) School Doesn't Encourage Learning & You Slack
-Mediocre Finish (2 pts., 2 pts.)

As you can see, the best scenario is for both you and the school to not slack. However, close up in second place is for both you and the school to slack. Now, I know this is really unrealistic and whatnot, but just bear in me for the sake of my point.

What you want to do is to have both you and the school do the same thing, either slack, or don't slack. Now, let's assume the natural tendency of a student is to slack and the natural tendency of the school is to not slack. This shifts the results slightly.

Key:
You Actually Learn Something = 8 pts.
Satisfaction of Slacking = 4 pts.
Unsatisfaction of Not Slacking = -4 pts.
School gets good report = 8 pts.
Teacher's Satisfaction of Slacking = 2 pts. (getting paid for not doing much)
Teacher's Unsatisfaction of Not Slacking = 0 pts.

1.) School Encourages Learning & You Don't Slack
-Win for everyone (4 pts. for you, 8 pts. for the school)

2.) School Encourages Learning & You Slack
-Partial-win for you (4 pts.), lose for the school (0 pts.)

3.) School Doesn't Encourage Learning & You Don't Slack
-Lose for you (-4 pts.), Partial-win for the school (2 pts.)

4.) School Doesn't Encourage Learning & You Slack
-Mediocre Finish (4 pts., 2 pts.)

Now, as you can see, things are heavily skewed towards the school side. They almost always win no matter what.

Now, let's look at this objectively. What are the consequences of your actions for your choice? Slacking is definitely looking better, if all you're considering is yourself. So, if you are a rational person, you'd probably choose to slack, knowing that the school will probably realize that you're going to slack so they will try to maximize their outcome by not encouraging learning (getting 2 pts. vs. 0 pts.). So, knowing this, you definitely don't want to choose to work hard, since you'll probably just lose out.

Notice that this is completely unrealistic (again). Why can't you just change your mind? Well, too bad! Live with it.

Now, as we've found out, the best strategy for you is just to slack off near the end of the school year. But, as we all know, it's not just that easy. Time to add in... dun dun dun... the Revenge factor.

How does this work? Well, let's introduce a few new Axioms

4.) If one slacks while the school is encouraging education, then the school will give aforementioned person a call home
5.) One who is slacking, does not care as much about a call home, as one's parents are completely powerless to do anything (yeah right)

How does the above work? Well, we're going to have to take this on a day by day basis now, with every day allowing for a new decision. This changes things a bit. A student who would have slacked under our previous circumstances might think again now, since he/she would not want to get a call home.

Now, looking at this, one would notice that the school cannot give a person a call home after the last day. So, the student might as well slack on the last day.

Knowing this, the student won't care about any phone calls made on the last day for any previous days of behavior due to Axiom 5. From induction, then we can conclude that the student might as well just slack on EVERY day.

We know it really doesn't work this way, but that's okay, this is just a situation. Let's also add in that after a certain number of phone calls, your parents start getting annoyed and magically get the power to punish you. Therefore, this situation will only apply to the last few weeks of school.

Okay, now that we've concluded that a student might as well just slack off in the last few weeks of school, we reach the school's point of view. The school doesn't want you to slack. That way, it gets the most benefit. However, it has to find a way to persuade you from going the slacker way (called the Nash Equilibrium for that situation in case anyone randomly wants to know).

After finally gone through all that drivel, we reach my conclusion. There shouldn't be a set "last day of school". Why? If there's a set last day of school, then all students will be tempted to slack and the school loses. NO ONE WANTS THE SCHOOL TO LOSE...RIGHT? So, in order to maximize its win, the school should set an "ending range", in which a day will be randomly selected to be the last day. This should probably include what would be the last week of school now plus an extra week. Of course, the school must not inform any of the students when this range is, as that would completely defeat the purpose. This ensures that we aren't losing out on any education (BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS THAT!). However, with having a random end date, the school can make sure that the students will have a higher tendency to study hard, since they can't risk slacking off for too long due to... parental pressures.

Ahem. And there's my short... err... sort of short... err... whatever... note on Game Theory and "The Stupid Way the School Year Works". I bet half of you will not even get to reading this part. Oh well... your loss.

Yes, this is justification to slack off. However, I must add that real life is nothing like the "game" we analyzed. Also, you CANNOT cite me as the source of your... slackiness.

Now, that brings up another problem... how are we supposed to plan vacations under the proposed system?!?

The author has filed this entry in the, "Work it Like a Player" section; check it out for further reading on this topic.

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