Econ 1B03 is all about Microeconomics, unlike Econ 1BB3 which is about the opposite, Macroeconomics. Check out my review for that here.

In essence, you'll be learning about how the economy affects individual businesses...

Click here to read the entire review

Originally Posted by Mita

You really start to miss her style of posting notes when you run into profs that refuse to do so >.<

Definitely know what you mean! If you take this course as an elective you won't regret it

I took econ 1b03 this past semester, and was told by others that it was easy. Although I didn't think this course was hard, it was definitely harder than I thought it would be. There are no assignments, just 2 midterms each worth 30%, and 5% for your best 5 out of 9 quizzes we wrote every week. I found the exam somewhat hard, with almost all of it being calculations.

sounds the same as when I was in first year...

^its not
12chr

hey guys! i'm just wondering if anyone knows if the podcasts online are the most recent ones, meaning from the lectures from this semester or does holmes re-use them from past semesters?

Thank you

NOT A BIRD COURSE. If you hate math,graphs,calculati ons and equations do not take this course. I was getting a 10+ gpa first year and made the mistake of taking this coure because everyone said it would be easy.

Test 1-30%
Test 2-30%
Exam-35%

Best 5 in-class quizzes-1%each

Tests are all applied and Holmes made it more difficult than previous years, even before I heard they were not easy. I dropped the course halfway through to save my GPA.

Originally Posted by Lawstudent

NOT A BIRD COURSE. If you hate math,graphs,calculati ons and equations do not take this course. I was getting a 10+ gpa first year and made the mistake of taking this coure because everyone said it would be easy.

Test 1-30%
Test 2-30%
Exam-35%

Best 5 in-class quizzes-1%each

Tests are all applied and Holmes made it more difficult than previous years, even before I heard they were not easy. I dropped the course halfway through to save my GPA.

Actually, I read from another thread you were planning on dropping this course because the first test didn't go as well as you had hoped - but the test had an 82.5% average.
I am also taking this class right now, and many people told me it was a bird course- however, I know I would not have got the mark I did had I not studied hard for it.
This course is quite straight forward- not all application - but the material is also not common knowledge. You must study the slides.
I have a feeling maybe you were one of those people who felt they did not need to study for the test because friends who had taken it previous told you it would be easy.
What I'm trying to get at is that if you can dedicate 2 full days to study for the test, and do the posted previous years' tests, there is no reason you can't get an easy A.

Originally Posted by gmoney

Actually, I read from another thread you were planning on dropping this course because the first test didn't go as well as you had hoped - but the test had an 82.5% average.
I am also taking this class right now, and many people told me it was a bird course- however, I know I would not have got the mark I did had I not studied hard for it.
This course is quite straight forward- not all application - but the material is also not common knowledge. You must study the slides.
I have a feeling maybe you were one of those people who felt they did not need to study for the test because friends who had taken it previous told you it would be easy.
What I'm trying to get at is that if you can dedicate 2 full days to study for the test, and do the posted previous years' tests, there is no reason you can't get an easy A.

I dropped the course. And out of all my courses I studied hardest for the first Econ midterm. Yes Holmes posted that class average was an 82.5 but there's 1200 students taking the course, including many science and engineering students who may very well find the material easy to pick up. I'm coming at this course from the perspective of comparing it to other social science/humanities courses. I clearly stated if you don't like graphs and equations, don't take this course.

I took this course in Jan 2012 with Hannan, a new prof from Waterloo. To say the least, it was horrible and I regret not dropping it. I couldn't understand his accent and the material was so dull.

The marking scheme is based on two tests 50% + final 50% or final 100%. The first test was easy, with a class avg of 79%. However, the second test had an avg of 69%. Exam was mostly application so you do need to know your stuff.

It was a hard lesson, but I learned to never, ever take a course again that I have absolutely no interest in.

This course is the recommended first year economics elective if you are going to take one. For most business/economics majors it is an easy 12. This course is right down your alley if you have not taken an economics course before. The concepts are simple and easy to follow.

I had Holmes. She is very good at explaining things to you, using very simple and easy to understand examples. For me though, it got to the point where I could just read the textbook for ten minutes and save myself the trip to one of her (imo, excruciatingly boring) lectures.

The course gets harder though, so don't take it so lightly. The first test is an absolute cakewalk, the second test is still fairly easy, but the exam is brutal.

WARNING: For the final exam, throw out everything you learned for the first two tests! The entire final exam is working with numbers. It honestly looked like more of a calculus exam than an economics exam. Be sure to study the right material, otherwise, that exam will kill your grade.

Originally Posted by Lawstudent

NOT A BIRD COURSE. If you hate math,graphs,calculati ons and equations do not take this course. I was getting a 10+ gpa first year and made the mistake of taking this coure because everyone said it would be easy.

Test 1-30%
Test 2-30%
Exam-35%

Best 5 in-class quizzes-1%each

Tests are all applied and Holmes made it more difficult than previous years, even before I heard they were not easy. I dropped the course halfway through to save my GPA.

If you can do basic division, addition and multiplication, this course is a bird...


[moderator edited]

Originally Posted by Lawstudent

NOT A BIRD COURSE. If you hate math,graphs,calculati ons and equations do not take this course. I was getting a 10+ gpa first year and made the mistake of taking this coure because everyone said it would be easy.

Test 1-30%
Test 2-30%
Exam-35%

Best 5 in-class quizzes-1%each

Tests are all applied and Holmes made it more difficult than previous years, even before I heard they were not easy. I dropped the course halfway through to save my GPA.

I got a 12 in this, and a 12 in the second year econ. If you know how to study, you will get a 12 in all your classes. I got two 11s this year, and 8 12s.

[edited by a mod]

1B03 is not a bird course simply because the content appeals to a very selective population (in the Winter 2012 evening class, there were about 400 people who enrolled in this course; only about 40 showed up to lectures). Most science students that I have spoken to said that the material in econ is very dry and sometimes its hard to study for. That way, the old saying "if you study well, you will do well" doesn't apply to this course. It is hard to motivate yourself to studying and therefore, it may not be your "bird course." However that being said, it's not like its hard to do well; it just isn't an easy "12."