This is decidedly not an easy course. It is a 4 credit class (instead of the usual 3) which also fulfills a Quantitative Breadth requirement. Between 10% and 30% of your classmates will fail... don't join them! Some small efforts throught the semester will pay big dividends come April, and many of you could easily find yourselves with A's. Those of you intending to declare as Business Majors should remember that you absolutely must do well in these pre-requisite courses (you need a 3.2 CGPA for admittance) to be accepted into your program. (Otherwise you will end up as one of the many Business Major wannabes who flood into the Economics department when you realize you don't have the grades to pursue your dream. That leaves no one happy!)
Here are some excellent strategies for success:
- DO NOT attempt to memorize most of this material. This course is about understanding economics, and it is simply not possible for you to do well on the exams if you have not spent time thinking about the material and wrestling with the homework questions. Trust me on this.
- DO NOT exert minimal effort at the beginning of the semester and think that you will be able to catch up later. Since this course is designed to teach you to think like economists, you will have new concepts thrown at you each week. You will not understand the new material unless you understand the earlier material, because it all builds on itself. (Imagine trying to do calculus without understanding basic arithmetic!)
- DO participate in class by asking lots of questions! Asking a stupid question often turns out to be very smart. Most of the time your classmates have similar questions. And if you don't ask, you'll never know the answer. Also, answer my questions! If you get something wrong, who cares?! You'll remember what the wrong approach is, and you won't make the same mistake on your exams. Asking lots of questions has helped me achieve a 4.1 GPA; it will help you do the same.
- DO come to see me in my office hours if you don't understand something. The earlier we can set you on the right path, the less difficult the remainder of the course will be for you.
- Read the textbook each week, preferrably before your lecture.
- Complete all the homework questions yourself, and then get together with your group to discuss and determine which answers you will submit. This is not so much about boosting your Assignments grade (though it will help). Rather, it is about giving yourself an opportunity to really wrestle with the material before your exams.
- Try to complete a few extra questions from the book (the more the better), the answers to which (odd numbers, at least) are provided at the end of every chapter.
- Read your textbook again before your exams (Midterm and Final) and practice the homework questions again. Many of them could pop up on exams with only slight modifcation!
- Finally, enjoy yourself! Yes, this course requires a lot of effort, but it is also incredibly rewarding when you understand the material (and it will set you up for success in any future economics courses you take).