Econ Major - Did not do well in Intro Econ Class

College Majors
1

<p>I am a sophomore in a pretty rigorous and well known liberal arts in New England. This year I declared an economics major. I had some trouble finding a major as I considered accounting, but ended up hating that, mathematics, but ended up hating that after calculus 2 and got a pretty sucky grade (c+) and also religious studies, which I definitely don't want to do (sounded interesting....but not enough passion for the subject). </p>

<p>However I took intro macro last semester and it was a tough class that a lot of people struggled with (the econ department at my college is rigorous) but managed to get a B in the class, which works for me since I am generally a B/B+ student. This semester I took intro micro which I did not like as much but still liked it enough to want to continue with the econ major. However, it seems I did not do very good in this class. The first midterm, I scored kind of low...simply my fault...i had a lot of assignments that week and did not put enough time into the class. I scored a similar score on the second midterm, low 70s, but somehow it was slightly higher than the class average, so i was not too disappointed as I put quite a bit of time into that exam. I was kind of sick for the final (I'm not using this as an excuse) but managed to get a lot of studying done. I walked out of the exam feeling great only to realize a few hours later as I was looking through my notes, I made A TON of stupid mistakes. I now am getting a C+ in the class which I am not proud of and is quite low for me (ESPECIALLY A CLASS IN MY MAJOR!!!!!) This kind of worries me as last semester, I felt really relieved to find something that I finally liked and did decent in but now I am afraid I might have to change my major AGAIN and have no idea what I would declare at this point as I feel like I have exhausted all of my interests. I really do like econ and want to continue but again, a C+ in an intro class really throws me off and screams RUN AWAY AND FIND A NEW MAJOR to me as I am enrolled in intermediate micro next semester and God only knows how that will go for me if I can't even manage to pull off a B in an intro class. </p>

<p>I should probably mention that I was in this ridiculously hard history class this semester (300 level) and I am not sure why I took it as I was only trying to get my history requirement out of the way but I guess I thought it sounded interesting. History/writing is not really my thing so I struggled in this class as well and had to put a lot of time into it, which may have taken away from my time commitment to econ this semester.....just a thought.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any advice as to whether i should continue the major (for now at least) or if I should run far away from it. If it helps, I can point out my calculus grades as well (A in Calc 1 and C+ in Calc 2- crazy math professor). Also I am somewhat worried that employers might look down on me as I have sort of set my own standard to try not to score anything below a B- in your major as classes in your major should be your strongest classes and represent your GPA the best. </p>

<p>Thanks for your time and sorry if this sounds like I'm venting - I'm just looking for some advice here.</p>

<p>The average final grade in my micro class this semester was a B-</p>

2

<p>Choosing a different major isn’t ‘running away’. Sometimes its the best choice for you. The reality of a college class is often very different from just casually reading around a subject in a newspaper or magazine. However, if you feel happy with economics and you can’t see yourself doing anything else- go for it. Keep working hard. Keep working on your time management. Focus on getting the best grades in your current classes rather than thinking about your cumulative or major GPA. It’s misdirected energy. </p>

<p>Speak to an economics professor you trust. Tell them your fears and ask for their feedback. You may be better than you think. Or they may recommend certain classes within the major more suited to your abilities.</p>

<p>The most positive thing you’ve mentioned is that you have the self awareness to identify the problems with your study skills that have led to poorer grades. That means you’re on the way to overcoming them. Are there any opportunities for peer tutoring even if it’s informal and a trade for a home cooked meal?</p>

<p>Yes, your GPA counts when applying for your first job or so. After that, it won’t be looked at. You could even leave it off your resume. </p>

<p>Think about how you’d like to use your major after graduation. Maybe something directly relevant. Maybe you’d like to do something completely different. But try to get some work experience- even volunteering can do wonders. It has the potential to balance out your GPA in contrast to a student who has a higher GPA but no work experience.</p>