Hey Everyone,

So I'm taking Microecon right now, and surprisingly - I'm finding it quite tough! I consider myself a good student and have never seen C's in a long time, but I don't know why Econ just is NOT working out for me. I study hard for the tests, do the assignments and quizzes. Does anyone have any advice about how to do well and how I can recover from my poor performance?

Thanks

Originally Posted by robots

Hey Everyone,

So I'm taking Microecon right now, and surprisingly - I'm finding it quite tough! I consider myself a good student and have never seen C's in a long time, but I don't know why Econ just is NOT working out for me. I study hard for the tests, do the assignments and quizzes. Does anyone have any advice about how to do well and how I can recover from my poor performance?

Thanks

Hi Miriam!

The best advice I can give is to read the textbook chapters before going into class so that you're already somewhat comfortable with lecture material before it's being taught. In addition, if you're listening to the podcasts instead of going to the class (something a lot of people do, and there's really no problem with that if you're finding the material easy), they're usually not as detailed and helpful as actually attending the lecture. That being said, if you just need reiteration of lecture material, they're usually sufficient.

Textbook problems are really helpful for your overall understanding of chapter materials, though I don't recall any of the test questions being taken directly from the textbook. Aplia is really helpful, and I think I recall several test questions being taken right from it.

I've never gone in for help, so I can't attest to how helpful the TAs are, but I know that there are hours set up for Economics help.

Hope that helps!

EDIT: I found Aplia really helpful for Macroeconomics, but I don't recall whether it was recommended for Microeconomics. Did they sell it in the textbook bundle?

If you are studying hard - and still not seeing the results ... I would suggest first of all asking yourself whether you really understand the concepts (not just memorizing the solutions to a specific type of problems) ... if you find yourself understanding the concepts in class, then I would suggest dont overthink the questions.

Microecon is considered easy because Dr. Holmes takes questions right off the slides, so dont go around in circles drawing links between concepts that have never been mentioned in class. Take the questions at their face-value

And try doing the practice tests ... there are tons floating around; not just the ones that Dr. Holmes posts up! Good luck

Originally Posted by Fa11enAnge1

If you are studying hard - and still not seeing the results ... I would suggest first of all asking yourself whether you really understand the concepts (not just memorizing the solutions to a specific type of problems) ... if you find yourself understanding the concepts in class, then I would suggest dont overthink the questions.

Microecon is considered easy because Dr. Holmes takes questions right off the slides, so dont go around in circles drawing links between concepts that have never been mentioned in class. Take the questions at their face-value

And try doing the practice tests ... there are tons floating around; not just the ones that Dr. Holmes posts up! Good luck

EDIT: I mixed up Microeconomics with Macroeconomics. Same advice from me, but this is also true. Holmes' practice tests are a pretty good reflection of what you should expect on tests.

:O sorry ... I didnt know :S I hope the tests/quizzes are still similar!

Originally Posted by Fa11enAnge1

:O sorry ... I didnt know :S I hope the tests/quizzes are still similar!

No, I edited my post. Holmes still teaches Microeconomics, I mixed up the two courses. To my understanding (i.e., what people have told me), Holmes doesn't switch things up often.

inb4 someone says "that class is SO easy i got a 12 looolo herp derp"

Originally Posted by Stock

inb4 someone says "that class is SO easy i got a 12 looolo herp derp"

While I was typing my response I was wondering if there would be someone who had answered before me with something like that.

Don't be stupid. Easiest answer.

that class is SO easy i got a 12 looolo


Edit: AWW WTF STOCK

I find people that do really well in the course look at the material logically. Looking at the material and memorizing a ton of concepts is really difficult. Do you really need a prof to tell you that as prices go up, demand goes down? I just read the notes she posted in summary to understand the basic concepts and definitions, then just used intuition and logic to find the result. Some aptitude in math doesnt hurt either, especially if it allows you to understand the graphs.
Be warned however that, while not difficult, the exam was more difficult than either midterm. There was also a lot more calculation questions. Look at the practice tests because a lot of the questions will be nearly identical.

Are the practice tests typically posted on avenue? This term they aren't. Also, with respect to Aplia, how do I access it? I was advised not to purchase the text.

Originally Posted by robots

Are the practice tests typically posted on avenue? This term they aren't. Also, with respect to Aplia, how do I access it? I was advised not to purchase the text.

With Holmes, you don't necessarily require the text. But if you're having problems understanding her material, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have that so you can gain a better understanding of the course concepts. The library should have some on reserve that you can check out for a few hours at a time. I'd rent one out, read through a chapter you're finding difficult, and if you feel you understand it better after that, I'd continue doing that. I wouldn't advise buying one for the last couple weeks of the term, but renting one out and reading through it/taking notes from it isn't a bad idea if you try it out and you end up finding the textbook helpful.

Aplia was a part of the Macroeconomics textbook bundle, but it's possible that it isn't for Microeconomics. If that's the case, I wouldn't worry about it - it's possible that the way she's chosen to teach it and the way Aplia teaches it are entirely different (i.e., maybe she's more "general concept"-based and Aplia is more "math"-based, so you'd be reviewing material that may not help you out on tests).

The practice tests were posted on ELM last year, so I'd imagine they're on Avenue now. Are you 100% sure they're not on Avenue? She may have posted them in a different folder than "Content."

Personally, I found the lecture slides were the best thing to learn from. Have you tried listening to the podcasts before or after you read over the slides for a chapter?

only one answer ever makes any sense so just eliminate answers that don't make sense. Its not even about knowing the material

Haha I was definitely in the same boat last year. Took it cause I was told Econ would be an easy 12, and it ended up being my least favourite class of all time and one of my lowest marks. I'd suggest doing what I didn't do: listen actively during lecture, and go through the practice tests several days in advance of the midterm/exam, so if you have any problems you'll have time to seek help from a TA/the prof. There's probably a ton of websites out there explaining the concepts as well, if you don't feel like using the textbook.

Good luck!