If you’re thinking of taking macroeconomics next semester then you might be wondering how difficult it will be.
This post will show you how hard macroeconomics can be and what you can do to make it easier.
So, is macroeconomics hard? Introductory macroeconomics is not generally considered a difficult class. You can expect it to be of a similar difficulty as microeconomics but you will still need to study outside of class time.
There are actually a number of factors influencing how hard macroeconomics will be and there are a number of things that you can do to make it easier.
It depends on what you know already
How difficult macroeconomics will be for you will largely depend on what you already know.
If you have already taken microeconomics, done well in high school in similar classes such as business studies or algebra then you will likely find macroeconomics to be relatively easy.
Whereas, if you didn’t take those classes or you did not do well in them then you will likely find macroeconomics to be more difficult. With that being said, you will still be able to do well in the class if you are willing to put in a bit more work.
It depends on the professor
Another big factor to consider is the professor that will be teaching the class. The professor can have a big impact on the difficulty of a class. This is because they determine the pace of the class, the scope of the exams and how much homework there is. Some will give you a study guide while others will tell you to know everything from the textbook.
Before selecting the class it would help to take a look at ratemyprofessors.com and to see what other students have said about the professor that will be teaching the class. Make sure to schedule your classes early since the classes taught by the recommended professors will fill up quickly.
It depends on your level of interest in the subject
It will also depend a lot on your level of interest in the subject.
If you have an interest in learning about how global economies work then you will likely find the class to be easier since it will be easier for you to study.
Whereas, if it is not something that really interests you then you will likely not find the class to be as easy since you will have to motivate yourself more to study. With that being said, many students get A’s in the class despite not being very interested in it.
Something to consider is that it is a very useful class that will help you to understand the news better when they are talking about things related to the economy.
You’ll need to study outside of class
While macroeconomics is generally considered as one of the easier classes in college at the 100 level, you will still need to study for the class.
Some of the concepts can be difficult to grasp at first, there will be a reasonable amount that you will have to learn and there will usually be quite a lot of homework to do.
Ways to make macroeconomics easier
There are a number of things that you can do to make macroeconomics go more smoothly that I will mention below.
Plan the semester out early on
It would be very helpful to plan the entire semester out as soon as you get the syllabus for each class. By doing so you will be able to spot potentially difficult weeks before they come, avoid missing homework and exams and know when you need to put more effort into each class for exams.
Ensure that you do well on the homework
The weighting that goes to the homework can often be high in macroeconomics. Many students do not take the homework very seriously. However, this is a mistake since doing well on it can help make up for poor exams and help you to study for the exams.
You can ensure that you do well on the homework by reading the book before starting it, avoiding waiting until the day before it is due and using resources such as Google and Youtube to study parts that you get stuck on.
Read the textbook before attempting the problems
In an effort to save time, students will often skip straight to the homework problems before reading the relevant chapter from the textbook. The issue with doing this is that the questions will be based on what is in the textbook and the professor might have skipped on parts of it.
By reading the relevant chapter from the textbook before doing the problems you will be able to get through the homework much more easily and you will understand the material more thoroughly.
Get assistance when you need it
Getting help when you need it is important. Your professor will likely have office hours where he/she will be available to provide you with assistance. This would be a good time for you to get help on the areas that you are stuck on.
By doing so you will be able to avoid having gaps in your knowledge on exams and you will show the professor that you are putting an effort into the class.
Prioritize what the professor gives you
The material given to you by the professor will usually be the most likely material to be on the exams. This means that you should prioritize understanding it when preparing for the exams especially if you are given a study guide.
Study the class ahead of time
If you are concerned that the class will be difficult then one option you have is to study for the class before taking it. By doing so you will be able to understand the lectures much more easily and you’ll be able to complete the assignments more easily as well.
You can do so by either reading a highly rated book such as this one on Amazon or you could watch this Youtube series.
