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Cadwell NOT Caldwell
Who's Counting?
[6 minute read ]
A few days ago, I had an online conversation on Economics. Someone wanted to know 'the best way to study GCSE Economics'. What kind of question is that? The best way? Is it reading a book on economics while standing in a pool of custard? What?
The message was SmartPhone-text-message short. The level of qualification discussed was, well, low. And, the questioner was using a student-rich website. Hmmm. Young person or not? Not young enough to be at school, otherwise the best way to study GCSE Economics is to attend school and pay attention. No, I decided; the questioner was thwarted from studying A Level Economics by not meeting the minimum entry requirements of having a GCSE in the appropriate subject, Economics. My online answer was a suggestion that mentioned that some focus on assessing their maths ability would be a good start and I included a link straight to a GCSE Economics course for less than £500 on the Reed Courses website.
I am so stupid. Inevitably, there was a second answer to the question, and this one was definitely from a young person, 'Lol martin is a funny guy...no maths at GCSE...hardly any at A level'. I have had an A2 level Economics book right on my floor beside me for the past three weeks or so. It gathers dust but I sometimes need an offline clue to how my world works, so there it lies. This second response to the question went on, although, typically, it was a text-message-long post; '...watch YouTube videos and take notes.' Fair point; it works for some. Yet, maybe reading a GCSE book might be better or get tuition in an educational setting is the best. It seems subjective.
However, to me, the questioner had a specific focus, that I thought I might have more than a glimpse of. I felt that the questioner wanted more than an A level in Economics qualification; a qualification that can only be attained by first meeting all the entry requirements. I, myself, had considered doing that A level, which today, online, costs £495 as a regulated EDEXCEL course on Reed Courses. For many of us that amount is something we might consider fair to get that qualification but from scratch, no GCSE beforehand, it would be almost £1000; a bit strong for the same 'many'. It always was for me, anyway. I ended up with a knowledge of 'pop' economics to help my business. And here is why I suggested to the questioner that they might first consider having a look at their own maths ability.
At A level Economics there appears to be a bewildering absence of maths, at least in my OCR A2 Economics book, which was attested to by the second answer to the original question of how best to study GCSE Economics, written by the person who openly mocked me for even suggesting there is any at all, even at A level.....because he had just done A Level Economics. Oh Dear! I thought.
I have run a business with the help of Economics and I think Econometrics, quite simply because Arts and Crafts doesn't have enough numbers in it as a subject! My book on Houseplants just won't tell me what price range I should adopt; when, how or why. Of course, anyone with an A level in Economics would have the answers to my business success, straightaway. Won't they? Well, I think they should at least have an idea.
Here is what I included in my post, which although wasn't directly aimed at the A Level Economics student hoping for his results this month, did have him in mind:
'I have used 'pop' economics in my business for determining prices and in marketing strategies in ways that I feel have necessitated understanding both Econometrics and Economic Modelling. 'There may be a linear equation for a linear demand curve, and a quadratic equation for the average cost curve. For example, you may have a linear equation (y = mx+c) for the linear demand curve, and a quadratic equation (y = ax^2+bx+c) for the average cost curve. Through the mathematical interaction of these equations, we derive Economic theory, such as how the market equilibrium is where demand meets supply.' (Qurious Education, 2026).'
And added: 'Perhaps, there are more questions answered for a larger group of inquisitive people than are posted by a single individual, if answers include information that is applicable to different life choices.'
This was really me at my worst because I was affronted by his youthful confidence that he knew best because he had 'been' and well, he just 'is'. This was obvious because he had already scorned my 'overlong' post. I have a laptop though. My best time is between 4am and 6am and my only recent online presence had been only at around 1am and 3am immediately before preparing for bed, instead of after sleeping. I was not rested.
No-one needs to understand what any of that means unless you know that 'demand; average cost; and, market equilibrium' are all terms taught in A level Economics. Every A level Economics exam-ready student completely understands what they are, don't they? Don't They?
I gave the appropriate reference at the end of my post that matched the in-line citation, which is a website. The A level student made another post that again noted that my post is overlong and I don't know anything about the original questioner and 'there is very little need for all you wrote'. He also asked which book told me what I know about equations in Economics.
At the bottom my post he was responding to I had included the reference as such:
Qurious Education (2026), 'How Much Maths is in Economics at University Level?' Available at:https://wearequrious.com/admissions/how-much-maths-in-economics-at-university/#Q3
Accessed: 23 June 2026
It was then, finally through the fug of night after relentless nights of poor sleep ( 3 or 4 hours only in 15 minute segments) that I realised what I had done. I was using logic and experience on a teenager!
Now those last few words, are not to suggest that teenagers are not logical. It is the sum of the person that is crucial, I suggest. By dint of being a teenager, this person would have less experience of the world than I, an adult. I am an OU student and citing and referencing is something I am exposed to. In all probability, this teenager has not had to consider how what is said can be misconstrued by younger or less experienced minds. Just like my thirty-something neighbour who asked my why I give away perfectly good tomato plants, this teenager would, in all likelihood, have never yet stumbled upon the concept of giving away something of value in order for someone else to develop it, and derive something from their own efforts. The probability is, my adult neighbour sees only tomatoes as useful, not plants. Likewise, as a teenager, I saw only immediate gratification as a worthy goal. Also, when I was a teenager, I never bothered to back-track on my words to understand what I had said and compare it with what everyone else heard me say.
This teenager had never been told that maths is crucial in economics. It is all about numbers. How many people are there? How many people ate fish yesterday? What is the average income? How long does it take to get to York on a Bank Holiday Monday? How many fishing rods were sold at what price?
'Hmmm...look at this Billy. Sometimes people buy our products and sometimes they don't.'
'How do you know?'
'Well, yesterday, I looked at the shelves in the warehouse and there was the same amount of things in there as there is today!'
'Do you know? I think I saw that a while back, but there was more stuff for a while and then suddenly it was almost all gone!'
'When? How much was there?'
'Oh, we don't record the date, and we definitely don't use numbers here.'