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Advice needed on first year economics degree watched

Hi,

I am currently a fresher studying for the pure economics degree. Although having experienced the first term, I am still quite unsure about how to do well in the final exam.

Here is a list of what I'm struggling with:

1. I make notes based on the powerpoint slides given and I read books afterwards but I don't get how to do well in the final exams. I read a lot of books, so how much quotes do I need to memorise? Lecturers didn't really seem too keen to explain about the exam system in the first term although I enquired.

2. What should I have achieved over the Easter holiday? To make sure I fully understand everything?

3. I am aiming for a first class but the problem I am having now is that with some of my modules, it is a bit hard to have your question answered, for example environmental economics. I know I can ask lecturers for help but sometimes my questions are quite basic though...

4. I only have 2 formative assessments for each of my 5 economics modules for the entire year. I don't get how we can become good at writing by the time exam comes due to the lack of practice...

5. My degree is very essay-based and so far I don't feel like I am prepared for the exam at all as we have been doing the formative essays on the laptop, instead of hand-writing it. How do I know I am prepared by May for the exams due to the lack of uni exam techniques.

6. I am someone who is used to learning the model answers, but I know at uni this will be invalid. They are not looking for perfect answers; instead they want in-depth analysis right? How do I know I score a good mark then if there is a lack of practice; I have very little idea about what a good essay would be as no examples are given at uni. No answers are given for the past paper questions, so how do I know I have smashed the past paper essay questions then ?

Thanks a lot.
(edited 6 years ago)
Huh? you are doing economics but you do mostly assignments instead of exams? What place are you studying econ at?

In my first year we had to do a Maths module which had 2 big exams in January, and Stats which was quite hard in May. Also on top of that we had exams for principles of economics and some other modules. The amount of exams in a econ degree is horrible, especially because there is so much maths and content to cover.

I'm in 2nd year now and it's so much harder, i have 3 exams in January(2 left) and it's getting a bit overwhelming now.
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faith10018
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Original post by Evil Genius
Huh? you are doing economics but you do mostly assignments instead of exams? What place are you studying econ at?

In my first year we had to do a Maths module which had 2 big exams in January, and Stats which was quite hard in May. Also on top of that we had exams for principles of economics and some other modules. The amount of exams in a econ degree is horrible, especially because there is so much maths and content to cover.

I'm in 2nd year now and it's so much harder, i have 3 exams in January(2 left) and it's getting a bit overwhelming now.



I get 2 written assignments for 4 of the modules and only 1 formative test for my maths module and that's it for the year. Only the end of year exams count. Any tips to do well in the first year?

Thanks.
Original post by faith10018
I get 2 written assignments for 4 of the modules and only 1 formative test for my maths module and that's it for the year. Only the end of year exams count. Any tips to do well in the first year?

Thanks.


Econ is a hard but potentially rewarding subject, keep at it and don't take your foot off the gas and get complacent.

Try and stay ahead my learning some basic calculus and algebra, it will save you a lot headaches later in the course when it get's harder.

What uni are you studying econ at btw?
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faith10018
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Original post by Evil Genius
Econ is a hard but potentially rewarding subject, keep at it and don't take your foot off the gas and get complacent.

Try and stay ahead my learning some basic calculus and algebra, it will save you a lot headaches later in the course when it get's harder.

What uni are you studying econ at btw?


I am studying in Durham at the moment. How did you prepare for your first year exam if you don't mind me asking ...
tHANKS
Original post by faith10018
I am studying in Durham at the moment. How did you prepare for your first year exam if you don't mind me asking ...
tHANKS


Past papers and seminar sheets. I also watched loads of youtube videos on how to derive graphs and do some maths.

With economics though you have to keep wasting paper and doing the work until it sticks.
Wow durham really does only offer a BA in economics, you should have alot more math exams, are you doing microecon this semester and then macro next ? economics is something you need to simply practice and apply it to your everyday thinking, when you do your shoppong what opportunity costs do you incur ? how do UTILs effect your judgements on purchasing goods ? If its micro then its from the viewpoint of the firm, output, production, efficiency etc... if its macro is more on a national scale of economics, interest rates banking etc.

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