fandomhigh | Maths For Real Life, Period 1, Class 3 [1/21]

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Maths For Real Life, Period 1, Class 3 [1/21]

"Let's talk about your money," Jean-Paul began class today. "Hopefully, you have some. If not, hopefully you will have some in the future. None of you came to me last week to tell me that you do not have money where you come from, so I am not worrying about that. Today, we are going to talk about currency exchange. Listen up, Americans, not everyone uses the dollar. I understand this may come as a shock, but please try not to faint. Different countries have different currencies, and they have different hard values, because every nation's economy is different. The American dollar is worth less than the pound; this is why trips to England are so expensive. It is worth more than the ruble and many other currencies.

"The currency exchange rate is actually something you will have very little control over. The relative worth of currencies fluctuates frequently--in more technologically developed societies, it can change by the minute--based on a variety of factors. The best advice I can give to you is to keep up with the news when you are going to be traveling abroad, guess as best you can, and exchange your money when it seems prudent to do so. That is, if the exchange rate the day you arrive in, say, Greece, is one euro for a dollar twenty, and the next day it is one euro for a dollar sixteen, you might want to exchange the bulk of your money then. If this is a serious concern you might want to keep an eye on the stock market of wherever you are traveling to, but as a rule of thumb watch for labor unrests and major political decisions that will affect the economy. And if there is going to be a bank strike you will want to exchange your money before that starts.

"Now, your homework for the week will be to ~~handwavily~~ go to a currency conversion site online," Jean-Paul said, pointing to the url written on the blackboard, "at least three times. Pick two currencies and compare them each time. Does the exchange rate stay the same, or does it fluctuate quite a bit? If they change quite dramatically, write a short report on why you think that is. If they do not, you are still on the hook for a short report on why the value of a currency might change suddenly. Today, I would like everyone to answer me this: why am I making such a big deal out of this?"

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Collapsingly

Jeff Murdock

Michael Guerin

Liir Thropp

Cedric Diggory

Harry Dresden

Adah Price

Amano Makoto

Troy Bolton

Robin

Man, Professor Beaubier really loves talking about money. Geek.

This was, quite possibly, the only class Jeff had had in this school so far where he paid attention without hiding under tables. It was, hence, quickly becoming his favourite hour of the week, and he was writing up a storm of notes.

Even about things no one sane could ever write notes about.

Anyone trying to talk to him would just get a look.

Michael wasn't expecting to ever leave America - not for anywhere else on the Earth, anyway - but he was taking a few notes anyway.

He was also trying to see what Jeff was writing about.

Liir was taking notes. Liir was taking extensive notes, with notes on the side, with application notes and marginalia galore.

...this bit is important.

Cedric paid close attention to this lesson considering the currency he was used to wasn't anything like the currency of Fandom and that was sometimes jarring.

As usual, Adah kept careful, annotated notes. In the spare seconds between stuff she was writing that she felt were important, she was making up her own conversation table regarding systems that didn't use monetary forms of currency, because she felt they made more sense. A chicken for a week's worth of eggs. A calabash bowl for a bushel of bananas. A calabash bowl and a spoon if the bushel had a tarantula in it. For the extra protein.

Makoto was taking careful notes, like always, because this sounded like it'd be important to know when he was on his own.

Is it just that he's a great big math geek? Or is it, like, actually important?

"It's important if anyone wants to travel, I guess."

"It's important," Cedric said. "If you travel or move to a place with a different currency, you want to go at a time you could get the possible deal. It would also help with purchasing things from other places."

"Because not only do we have to deal with different countries, some of us, but different worlds. And knowing the conversion rates will make sure we won't underestimate for expenses due to a false idea of the worth of our currency."

Beat.

"Sir?"

Just in case he was wrong.

"Money's always gonna be important," Harry said. "And if the amount of money you have is changing based on all this stuff, you want to know that. Don't wanna end up with less than you need because you weren't paying attention."

"It's only important if you care about proper management of your money," Adah wrote, sliding her notebook forward with her eyes steady on Jean-Paul, hoping that since she talked during the first class, he wouldn't expect her to talk during every class. "Which you should."

The writing continued, though. She'd copied down the you-are-ell again and circled it several times. There was an arrow pointing to it from another block of text: "I'm not sure I understand?"

"It's important so that you don't wind up miscalculating how much money you've actually got after converting it and winding up in finacial difficulties."

Jean-Paul was behind his desk both before and after class, nothing in his carriage or expression giving away that he'd spen the whole weekend as a teenager, horror of horrors. As if it hadn't been bad enough the first time.

Although, he did still have lingering memories of his alternate teenaged self's hot older Russian boyfriend, and he had to say he approved. Rock on, little teenaged self. Rock on.

"Professor Beaubier?"

...yes, he was back.

"Yes, Liir?" Jean-Paul asked.

"Is there any kind of currency conversion list available between the worlds represented here?"

Because that kind of thing would be nice for planning.

"I do not believe there is," Jean-Paul said sadly. "It would be very useful, though, would it not?

That flummoxed him just a little.

"So the bank here only deals in the currency of this place?"

"I doubt it," Jean-Paul mused. "That would be tres inconvenient, non? Likely they deal in hard currency as well--gold and the like. And they may have the type of resource you seek. It is certainly worth looking into."

"All right," he said.

"I just don't want to save while here only to have it turn out to be worthless wherever I end up."

A brief pause.

"Sir."

"Yes, that would be a problem. I would suggest converting to something valuable in your world before you go. Gold, maybe, or I know some worlds value chocolate."

"I'm not going back to my world," he said very firmly.

He refused.

Jean-Paul took this in stride. "Fair enough. Then I would suggest the same thing for whichever world you plan to be travelling to. I believe the markup in value on chocolate on certain worlds can be quite astonishing."

"Anything special for baked versions?"

He was just curious, after all.

"I have no idea," Jean-Paul said honestly. "You might ask at the bank."

"I will," he promised.

There was a short pause for thought.

"Thank you."

I once found myself with less than five euros to my name in Greece during a bank strike.

I don't recommend it.

Currency conversion. Ugh. It's when you look at a price, wince, divide by four, and wince some more.

Eep!

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Maths For Real Life, Period 1, Class 3 [1/21]

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