<p>I plan on taking Econ 401 (Intermed. Microecon) and I'm a bit intimidated about the difficulty of the class. I only took Calc 1 at a community college and a friend of my told me the class is quite difficult. However, I have heard many mixed reviews about the class. </p>
<p>Can anyone chime in with their opinions? Is it extremely math heavy? I'm taking it with Borgers next semester and he has been rated favorably on ratemyprofessor (moreso than Lauermann).</p>
<p>401 is not that difficult if you grasp theoretical economics concepts with ease. You will not require more than basic calculus for the class.</p>
<p>It’s not easy, but it’s not as hard as it’s reputation. Having good intuition about math is helpful, moreso than just having taken more math courses.</p>
<p>very easy class if you are not mathematically challenged (see? I am being PC here)</p>
<p>The class could be very easy or very difficult. It essentially depends on whether you get it or not.</p>
<p>Nothings actually that difficult, the breakneck speed of the course is what can really throw you underwater. Its 2 hours of lecture a week and my friend and I theorize that one week of 401 covers about the same amount of material in 2 weeks of 101 (which is 3 hrs lecture a week). </p>
<p>The math isn’t bad at all, just learn partial derivatives quickly (they’re very easy), then just do homework and study the problem sets. Borgers is great. He’s funny and makes jokes about sleeping people when half the class is passed out.</p>
<p>This has been a pretty big relief. An acquaintance of mine said it was it was very difficult but he has never been the brightest bulb. </p>
<p>I am very much relieved to hear it’s not horribly difficult or extremely math-heavy. I only have knowledge of Calc 1 and, although many tell me I’m good with math, I frequently get intimidated. </p>
<p>I appreciate the suggestion flyboy573, I have heard learning partial derivatives is important in 401 and went ahead and learned it a while back. I appreciate all of your inputs and look forward to any more tips, thanks.</p>
<p>“Very easy” is not the way most Economics majors at most major universities would describe Intermediate Microeconomics. I found it neither easy nor difficult. Is it as difficult as one of the Honors Mathematics sequences or Quantum Physics? Obviously not, but it is still not a walk in the park.</p>
<p>I would agree with the comment on learning partial derivatives. I don’t think it was required but it made it much easier to answer questions. My experience with Econ 401 was similar to Bearcats but I can’t say everyone else in the class thought so.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the help guys. I could hardly sleep last night because of my incessant worrying. Econ 401 will most definitely be getting the bulk of my attention come Winter term without a doubt. I just hope I don’t fall until the “mathematically challenged” category hahaa.</p>
<p>It will be a class that will take a lot of focus and hard work. But as long as its your main “ball buster” next semester where you can devote a respectful amount of time to it, there’s nothing stopping you from excelling. </p>
<p>Math wise it’s really just being comfortable with some derivatives. I took calc 2 before 401 and almost nothing applied to Econ. Also calc 2 was far mordifficult (for me at least) than intermediate micro. A friend of mine who took 401 said it would be the worst class I’d ever take. Having just completed calc 2 I challenged this. </p>
<p>Long story short Econ 401 didn’t hold a candle to math 116 and I now seriously question my friends econ abilities.</p>