How Difficult is an Economics Degree? Should I 2xMajor In It?

[swimswamswum]

I'm currently a Political Science major and I have a crap ton of room in my schedule. Would like to double major in something else.

 

I could graduate in 3 years (2 1/2 tbh) but I'd like to be in school for 4 years. I was just set on double majoring with Public Administration with a minor in Rhetoric, then BLAH I changed my mind. goddamnit swimswamswum  But, honestly I realize now that I didn't even really think about it when I decided on PA. I just saw it and went what the heck. I was going through humanities and social sciences majors, then thought hey economics.

 

I have never taken economics before, but I'm sure I could handle it. I'm decent at math. Non-mathematical theories/concepts I've come across in learning I grasp well. So I ask:

 

 

How difficult is economics? Is it too much to just jump straight into it?

 

How difficult is the math in application? (My school has business statistics i+ii and quantitative business analysis i+ii as requirements. How difficult do you find those? About those in application? And how do you feel about math in general? (to compare))

 

What do you find the most difficult about economics? Theories? Math? Graphs?

 

How do-able do you think an economics degree is? (And not getting a degree from the bestest top top college ever for context)

 

Or do you think I should go after a social science degree?

And please none of that do what you enjoy bs. This major is for marketability (but if you think economics will be too far of a stretch then please say so ^^)

 

 

I'm gonna talk to the head soon, but I need more opinions. I've been thinking about this like crazy. I don't need to waste my time and money on trying things out. If economics is do-able, I'm gonna just do it and get it over with.

 

[BeMyBoy]

I'm going into my fourth year as an Economics/Political Science Major.

 

Every program is going to be different but let me tell you that first year economics courses are DRASTICALLY different from higher level year econ ones. First year economics seems much more on the logical side with application of real life examples that allow it to seem appealing to those being taught it. Second(Intermediate Macroeconomics is still the hardest class i've ever taken) and third year econ is a massive jump in terms fo difficulty but let me tell you right now, it's all graphs. If you don't mind making graphs and interpreting them you should be fine, but also realize that no matter what anyone tells you, there will be some math used in your courses, not intense math, but basic ones at best.

 

I struggled with math throughout highschool and I never took any calculus courses during that time. I am doing fairly well in all my classes and any math required for my assignments can easily be understood in less than a day.

 

The hardest thing about economics is probably remembering the names of each model and recalling what variables they solve/explain (inflation, unemployment, growth rates). There's also a lot of multitasking wihin these graphs and at times you have to remind yourself of which variables are changing and how that affects other ones aswell.

[Hydra]

Econ's really easy in the beginning. The first 2 years of theory is pretty easy, but the math portion depending on your prof has the potential to be pretty challenging (stat and calc for me) again the difficulty in my experience is highly dependent on the prof, you should be fine though. The math is no where near as hard as the math you do in like comp sci or an actual math program, but you still gotta put in work. Theory in the upper 2 years is fairly challenging. I heard fourth year theory is difficult (I heard micro in fourth year is killer). You should be comfortable with applying the models to real life situations you're given through a lot of graphing so be ready for that. Loooots of graphs. It gets pretty analytical later on. I think a general business major would be better to mix with poli sci.

[SleepyTime5]

Undergrad Economics major here. I will be graduating with my Bachelors in Economics in May =)

 

How difficult is economics? Is it too much to just jump straight into it?

 

I think that with any new area of study it will be difficult at first. Sure, for some it may 'click' faster than others but eventually if you stick with it, it will become easier. Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "jump straight into it". You would be taking intro classes at first which would then lead you into some of the more advanced classes later on.

 

How difficult is the math in application? (My school has business statistics i+ii and quantitative business analysis i+ii as requirements. How difficult do you find those? About those in application? And how do you feel about math in general? (to compare))

 

I don't really consider the 'math' to be math in Econ. Sure there will be calculations and higher order integrals and derivatives (advanced courses), but nothing is pure math. Math is simply a way to reaffirm economic theories and intuition. In many economics classes, its common that the professor will first want students to understand economic concepts intuitively and then look at the math later on to drive home the point. Also, think of the math in Econ more as logic instead.

 

For me personally, I was a math person before I got into Economics and I wouldn't necessarily say that it helped me too much when I started taking Econ electives. To use math in Econ, you have to understand the concepts behind it first.

 

What do you find the most difficult about economics? Theories? Math? Graphs?

 

I don't have one particularl thing that troubled me the most. I will say, however, that economics is a language of its own and the only way to get better and better at it is to study it a little every day. Otherwise, you will forget many of the concepts you learn. I know some Econ majors in my classes who have completely forgotten the IS-LM model back from macro or even price elasticity calculations from intro. It's something you have to really refresh in your mind. I struggled with this initially but have gotten better at staying on top of everything.

 

How do-able do you think an economics degree is? (And not getting a degree from the bestest top top college ever for context)

 

It's very doable. You just have to put some work into it and not get frustrated by initial struggles. I tutor in my econ department for freshmen and sophomores and professors have told us to emphasize these two points.

 

Or do you think I should go after a social science degree?

And please none of that do what you enjoy bs. This major is for marketability (but if you think economics will be too far of a stretch then please say so ^^)

 

If you want marketability, then YES. Econ degrees are very much sought after and 2nd only to computer science degrees. YAHOO! agrees. http://education.yahoo.net/articles/best_degrees_for_job_offers.htm?kid=1O1ZK

 

Hope this helped and good luck!

[swimswamswum]

I'm going into my fourth year as an Economics/Political Science Major.

 

Every program is going to be different but let me tell you that first year economics courses are DRASTICALLY different from higher level year econ ones. First year economics seems much more on the logical side with application of real life examples that allow it to seem appealing to those being taught it. Second(Intermediate Macroeconomics is still the hardest class i've ever taken) and third year econ is a massive jump in terms fo difficulty but let me tell you right now, it's all graphs. If you don't mind making graphs and interpreting them you should be fine, but also realize that no matter what anyone tells you, there will be some math used in your courses, not intense math, but basic ones at best.

 

I struggled with math throughout highschool and I never took any calculus courses during that time. I am doing fairly well in all my classes and any math required for my assignments can easily be understood in less than a day.

 

The hardest thing about economics is probably remembering the names of each model and recalling what variables they solve/explain (inflation, unemployment, growth rates). There's also a lot of multitasking wihin these graphs and at times you have to remind yourself of which variables are changing and how that affects other ones aswell.

Thank you! That seriously helped. It cleared up a lot for me. I took pre-cal but math has always been frustrating to me, but what you said does relieve some stress I had. :P

Graphs sound like a pain

Econ's really easy in the beginning. The first 2 years of theory is pretty easy, but the math portion depending on your prof has the potential to be pretty challenging (stat and calc for me) again the difficulty in my experience is highly dependent on the prof, you should be fine though. The math is no where near as hard as the math you do in like comp sci or an actual math program, but you still gotta put in work. Theory in the upper 2 years is fairly challenging. I heard fourth year theory is difficult (I heard micro in fourth year is killer). You should be comfortable with applying the models to real life situations you're given through a lot of graphing so be ready for that. Loooots of graphs. It gets pretty analytical later on. I think a general business major would be better to mix with poli sci.

I heard that math in econ can be very easy or very difficult depending on the school. I guess I'm gonna have to choose my profs more carefully.     I guess math will never not involve work lol     blergh Everyone always brings up graphs. I think I'm pretty good at them. I guess I'm gonna have to see.

See, I considered a business degree at one point, but at my school it's 18 more credits than an econ degree and summer courses are $200 bucks per credit OTL

Undergrad Economics major here. I will be graduating with my Bachelors in Economics in May =)

 

How difficult is economics? Is it too much to just jump straight into it?

 

I think that with any new area of study it will be difficult at first. Sure, for some it may 'click' faster than others but eventually if you stick with it, it will become easier. Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "jump straight into it". You would be taking intro classes at first which would then lead you into some of the more advanced classes later on.

 

How difficult is the math in application? (My school has business statistics i+ii and quantitative business analysis i+ii as requirements. How difficult do you find those? About those in application? And how do you feel about math in general? (to compare))

 

I don't really consider the 'math' to be math in Econ. Sure there will be calculations and higher order integrals and derivatives (advanced courses), but nothing is pure math. Math is simply a way to reaffirm economic theories and intuition. In many economics classes, its common that the professor will first want students to understand economic concepts intuitively and then look at the math later on to drive home the point. Also, think of the math in Econ more as logic instead.

 

For me personally, I was a math person before I got into Economics and I wouldn't necessarily say that it helped me too much when I started taking Econ electives. To use math in Econ, you have to understand the concepts behind it first.

 

What do you find the most difficult about economics? Theories? Math? Graphs?

 

I don't have one particularl thing that troubled me the most. I will say, however, that economics is a language of its own and the only way to get better and better at it is to study it a little every day. Otherwise, you will forget many of the concepts you learn. I know some Econ majors in my classes who have completely forgotten the IS-LM model back from macro or even price elasticity calculations from intro. It's something you have to really refresh in your mind. I struggled with this initially but have gotten better at staying on top of everything.

 

How do-able do you think an economics degree is? (And not getting a degree from the bestest top top college ever for context)

 

It's very doable. You just have to put some work into it and not get frustrated by initial struggles. I tutor in my econ department for freshmen and sophomores and professors have told us to emphasize these two points.

 

Or do you think I should go after a social science degree?

And please none of that do what you enjoy bs. This major is for marketability (but if you think economics will be too far of a stretch then please say so ^^)

 

If you want marketability, then YES. Econ degrees are very much sought after and 2nd only to computer science degrees. YAHOO! agrees. http://education.yahoo.net/articles/best_degrees_for_job_offers.htm?kid=1O1ZK

 

Hope this helped and good luck!

Great advice! Thank you~

 

I'm just always worried about math :p But it sounds like I'll be able to do it

[AYOSHIARI]

convert to Communication. Its heaven for fangirl.

[Malarkey]

Hello! I majored in economics so I’ll try to help answer your questions based on my experience.

 

I will say, first off, I think a lot depends on what you want to do when you graduate. If you prefer less math or finance based work then perhaps majoring in economics, even though it’s marketable, will land you a job you’ll be unhappy with. While I think economics & poli sci can compliment each other when it comes to the theoretical…unless you’re planning to work in academia or want to be a lawyer I don’t think having both will matter to a prospective employer.

 

Okay, on to your questions.

 

How difficult is economics? Is it too much to just jump straight into it?

Like others have said, intro to micro/macro and even the intermediate courses are pretty straightforward. A lot of theories and models are logical so I don't think you'll have trouble with anything. Very little math or statistics at first. The courses do get progressively harder but if you get a good foundation and pay attention in your earlier courses I don't think the 'ramp up' is an issue.

 

If your school has teaching assistants (TAs - basically graduate economics students that teach intro undergrad courses) steer clear of their classes! They might be easier teachers and don’t require as much effort but you're not going to learn much from them and you're regret it later when you get into higher level classes because you'll have a weak base of knowledge.

 

I'm not sure about your program but once intermediate courses are complete my university had a lot of options and we just needed to take so many courses in different areas to round out statistics, micro and macro. For example I took courses in money & banking and comparative economics which were very macro-based. I also took public finance & econometrics which dealt mainly in micro-economics. In my school, and this is just unique to my school, most found micro economics courses more model/math based so when you had the choice of what to take those with strong math backgrounds tended to take extra micro classes and those who didn't like math as much steered clear. Speak with other economics majors at your school and pay attention when you're in your intro and intermediate courses to see which professors are better & which areas you feel strongest in so when you get to the point of having options for different courses you know what you want to take.

 

How difficult is the math in application? (My school has business statistics i+ii and quantitative business analysis i+ii as requirements. How difficult do you find those? About those in application? And how do you feel about math in general? (to compare))

My school also had similar business stats class reqs. They're easier than a straight stats class although I'd say they were a bit tough for me. I struggled with the stats more than the other math applications.

 

As for math classes, my school required through calc 1 but I found that having taken more math classes (I took through calc 3, matrix theory, and some diff eq courses) can help. But if you're not strong in math it's not necessary. Certainly the math you do in economics is nowhere near the level of math in an actual math major or even a physics & engineering degree. Most econ classes, even higher level courses, will never go beyond basic calc (integrals & derivatives, lots of graphing).

 

Classes I’d avoid if you’re not strong in math: math economics I & II, game theory, econometrics, industrial organizations. I took math econ I at my school and it was incredibly helpful for my classes in the next semester because I became very good at proving models & theories mathematically but it was also the most challenging class I took. It was the only econ class I had that went beyond basic calc and required matrix theory and elementary differential equations knowledge. My industrial organizations class was also math heavy (Cournot models, pareto efficiencies, nash equilibriums, etc. are not too hard to wrap your head around but doing problems & applications can start to get challenging if you don’t have the comfortability with math to fall back on). And we needed to understand lagragian multipliers (something I think I didn’t learn until calc 3).

 

What do you find the most difficult about economics? Theories? Math? Graphs?

I guess the stats application was most difficult for me so econometrics courses. Do not take econometrics unless you feel comfortable in statistics. Even a class like 'Intro’ to Econometrics can be challenging.

 

Probably every university would make econometrics one of the optional courses so it's not an issue to not take it. Same goes for the classes i mentioned above that had a lot of math. They were all classes I took in my last few semesters and I didn't have to take them, I choose them because math is one of my strong suits. There were plenty of other courses that i could have taken instead that would have been less math, more theory based (and more research papers which I didn't like  ).

 

How do-able do you think an economics degree is? (And not getting a degree from the bestest top top college ever for context)

Very do-able! And very marketable! I didn’t double major but I minored in Chinese and studied abroad for a semester and took a lot of extra math classes. I never felt too overwhelmed or worried about getting behind in my graduation plan. 

 

It really helps, if your school is like mine, that econ & poli sci are both in the College of Arts & Sciences so any general reqs for one major (like speech, english comp, physics & bio, a fine arts course, etc.) are needed for both majors.

 

Or do you think I should go after a social science degree?

I would not. I’m not sure what you’d do after you graduated with a social science degree. 

 

If you’re going to school to be marketable and not just ‘doing something that interests you’ then stay away from double social science majors. I can’t  see any of those social science options you listed getting you a great paying job. Maybe you could stay in school, go into academia with them…but that’s a lot of money and years you’d spend before getting out of school. 

 

So no, go with economics. Economics is what will get you a job.

 

I got a job straight out of school working in transfer pricing (a type of international tax consulting). The firm I worked for was ONLY looking for economics majors. No business, no finance, no banking. And recently I decided I wanted to try something else so I switched to be a financial analyst. The position is more finance based and I’m now doing forecasting & planning. So it’s possible to work in a field that is more finance & business related but you’ll still stand out and be sought after with the econ degree.

 

Personally, I think economics is one of the best majors that is worth the investment of college. It’ll be worth those extra course fees.