Anyone any advice on studying economics? I got a D at As level and am hoping to improve at A2 while repeating both As modules.
Hey, I got an A* in A level Econ.
- Past papers past papers past papers. Get into the habit of structuring and writing essays. A level Econ is so much about structure. If you don't have the time to write full answers, then essay plans can be equally as effective, as long as they have sufficient detail.
- Also I cannot emphasise enough the importance of diagrams. Explaining diagrams gets you so many marks for analysis. Rather than putting an AD curve in the middle of no where and leaving it unidentified, explain it. 'As demand increases, there is a shift from AD1 to AD2 leading to a movement along the AS curve...blah blah blah'. This is often left untouched by students and is a simple way of gaining marks for analysis.
- Evaluation is also very important. Every stand point in Economics has a counter argument. Once you have explained and analysed a point, evaluate it. 'However, while reducing interest rates may stimulate economic growth, it is also likely to lead to demand pull inflation...etc etc'
- Another one that students often forget, define all key terms. Go into the exam assuming that the examiner knows nothing. Defining all your terms, even if you know them well, is probably one of the easiest ways to illustrate that you understand the subject. You should define all the key terms in the question within your intro, and define any new terms you introduce throughout.
- Lastly, conclusion. This is such a mark rich area of the essay, more so than other subjects. Don't simply just repeat the points you have made, but bring in further evaluation. Make sure you come to a clear judgement, and try not to write 'in conclusion'. 'Overall, I do think that reducing interest rates is the most effective way of stimulating economic growth, however there may be significant time lags, and changes in consumer and investor confidence may not occur instantly etc...'.