<p>About to be a Junior. Econ major, probably MMS cert. Not saying I have the most experience in the major (though I will be done by the end of Fall of my junior year), but I'm sure I can help, specifically if you have finance related questions.</p>
<p>Wow I was looking for someone to ask questions to that was an econ major! I plan on majoring in econ with a concentration in finance so could you tell me about your experiences a little with this major? And also, can you tell me some of the easy and some of the hard classes within this major? Thanks so much!</p>
<p>I too will be doing the finance concentration.
Here’s my rundown if the major, from core to electives.
The core sucks.
51; Intro micro/macro: I took this with Leachman and I loved it. Solidified the idea that I wanted to be an econ major. Most people that take it, hated it. When I was in it, the class was a lot bigger because pubpol kids had to take it too. I’m not sure how it is now, but I hear it’s still not easy, and kids still don’t like it.
55: Intermediate? Micro: I’m gonna go ahead and say this class is miserable. Pointless, nothing you learn will ever mean anything. This is where I started second guessing myself
105: Advanced micro: even worse. Some kids think this is not that bad, but I thought it was not only hard, but totally pointless. You, like me, are coming in wanting to do finance, and you are given all these terrible pure econ classes that not only don’t apply to finance, but wouldn’t even really apply to real life.
110: Advanced Macro: I really liked this class. As you can tell, I’m looking at these classes in terms of “How is this applicable.” You’ll find that micro is not, but macro is. The subject material is more real and tangible. Learning about stuff like GDP and how the factors work, it was just more believable. Also more applicable to anything Finance.
139: Haven’t taken it (will be this summer): I hear it’s just an extension of stats, pretty hard, and just not a great experience.
Math 102: You need up to 102/103. 103 Sucks, take 102. I took this during pledging, probably a bad idea, its not terribly hard, but it is definitely a lot of work and not easy.
Stat 103: I had the worst teacher in the world, but it was really easy. Definitely a grade booster (compared to 102)
As you can tell, I’m not a huge fan of the core experience (51 and 110 are great, the others suck). But what I Do REALLY like is the electives. If you want to do finance, you will probably get to know professor Rasiel well. She does a great job at setting kids up for success, and is probably a direct reason so many kids get great jobs. In your sophomore and junior year, you will be able to participate in competitions she sets up (Ibanking case study, trading game, etc). These teach you more about finance than any of the core classes you will have taken up to this point.
In terms of electives, there are really easy and really hard ones. For example, I took 132, which is American Econ history. It meets once a week, and is actually pretty interesting but very easy. Not the most applicable, but if you liked APUSH, I thought it was cool to see the economic application of everything you learned.
Finance electives
168: Asset pricing and risk management, this is now 172, Intro Finance. Rasiel. They changed this for the finance concentration, but its pretty much equivalent. Rasiel seems to want you to succeed, you learn stuff that is finally applicable to finance, and it’s just not very hard. Very easy B+ or higher.
166: another rasiel class. Global Capital Markets. You have to apply to get into this class, but what I have heard is basically that she sets you up and teaches you everything you need to know for finance interviews (taken fall junior year)
181: Corporate finance, fullenkamp. I can’t really speak much towards the class (about to take it), but more towards fullenkamp. He is a 51 teacher that seems to not like freshmen, so while he may seem like a jerk when you first meet him in 51, he is a great teacher, really smart guy, and his class is very worthwhile. </p>
<p>I wish I could speak more to the electives, but I have only finished 2 years. Basically, the core blows. Don’t get discouraged by 55 and 105, just know that there are much better classes out there. As I said before, I will have finished 10 econ classes by end of Jr year, and will probably do a thesis (2 more), and then take an additional 2 or 3 finance classes. I could do a minor or another major, but the truth is I really do like what I have started to learn in the electives, and frankly would rather take it than some BS english, ISS, or whatever classes.</p>
<p>what’s the right first course for someone who had AP Macro/Micro and who is interested in economics but probably more from a public policy than finance perspective</p>
<p>They’ve changed it up. You can pass out of 51 with a 4 on both macro and micro (it used to be 5). That would put you at 55, which is micro only and probably not what you would want.
Pubpol majors are required to take a pubpol econ class (pubpol 128, Micro tools I think). </p>
<p>Basically… If you are going to be a pubpol major, don’t go through 51, heck I’m not even sure if it would count. Stick to the curriculum and go with 128. From what I’ve heard, it’s not an easy class, but you’d be better off in that than 51. Duke Econ is one of (if not the) most popular major, and so the school uses 51 and math 102/103 as a way to filter out kids that aren’t heavy quant or dedicated. I don’t really like this because I think an intro micro/macro class is something everyone should take (coming from an econ major), but oh well.</p>
<p>Also… If you are pubpol major looking into econ, you can do the minor pretty easily, especially with credit for 51. It would only require 55 and then 3 electives (assuming they get credit for 51). Many electives require through 139 (or 105), but many less finance/quantitative only require 55.</p>
<p>can you elaborate more on econ 55? I’m thinking of taking it next year and skipping 51. How intense is it?</p>
<p>If you can at all skip 51, Abaolutely do it. 55 is not that hard, maybe even easier than 51 (I just didn’t like the material, didn’t mean it wasn’t manageable. I also had a miserable visiting professor).
If you do that, take math 102 also, so you can continue the sequence and take 105 in the spring.</p>
<p>I don’t think I can take a math course in the fall, because of the way my schedule’s going to work out. Can I take math 102 in spring, and then take another different econ elective course at the same time? Are there any econ electives a freshman can take that you would recommend?</p>
<p>yea you can take 102 in the spring. That’s what I did at least (but I also did 51). Don’t take 32 if you have credit for it, not worth the headache. You can take 110 without needing 102 or 105 as of now, so that’s an option in the spring. Doing that, you’ll be pretty far ahead in the major which is nice to do. I know kids who are “econ majors” who have finished a year at Duke without even 51. There are also a bunch of electives that only require 55, so you’re good there. Basically… wait until you register for spring in november to worry about that</p>
<p>
Who did you have for it?</p>
<p>macaro.
He was a super easy A-/A, but jsut a bad teacher. If you get him, feel lucky; it’ll be easy. The class is simply easy stats if you’ve ever taken it before though; hard if tyou havent</p>