AP micro/macro?
Asked by
gilgamesh (
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September 20th, 2008
My son is currenly thinking of taking AP micro/macro in his highschool senior year. He wants to take it beecause economics is such an important issue, but is scared because of the class. He has heard the teacher is very bad and the concepts are quite difficult. Most people get C’s and low B’s and he doesnt want to stress out. He is wondering, if there are any good ways of learning economics. Like an inroduction book or something. He has already bought the textbook for micro macro and is already scared.
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3 Answers
In my view, “difficult concepts” or “fear of getting a C” are bad reasons to not take a course. Looking back on high school and college, the tough courses were the ones where I really learned the most, even if I didn’t get an A. Is the teacher considered bad just because he or she is a harsh grader? I’d be interested what a person who got an A in the class thinks of the teacher. What percentage of students who take the course get a 4 or 5 on the AP exam?
If the teacher really is bad, I would recommend that your son read Milton Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom. I think he would find it more accessible than a text book (it doesn’t require a teacher to understand). The book is more of a lesson in economic theory than economic formulas and equations. I read it in high school and I think it gave me a good foundation for understanding how capitalism works.
That said, I would also give him a copy of Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States. Friedman’s ideas about the free market sound great in theory (just as Marx’s ideas about communism do); Zinn’s text shows how capitalistic ideas played out in practice, which I think is a valuable perspective.
Having completed intensive micro/macro courses I would offer the following:
1. It is only confusing if you do not treat each concept as an enitity unto itself. Meaning, do not allow your instructor to leave in the dark about what makes “A” different from “B”.
2. This is a rote memory exercise in terms and concepts in the beginning, but when the real world examples are thrown in the picture becomes clearer.
3. Review, review, review. The key to success lies in your ability to “parrot” the correct name for the concept.
4. Anything you want you should enjoy working for – you CAN do this. Be blessed.
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