We asked graduating students the following question: “In retrospect, what one piece of advice (that you wish you had received) would you give to future majors?” This is what they had to say!
About choosing a major and school in general
“Take advantage of the resources the school has. It is way too easy to float anonymously through such a big university. Get what you are paying for because people are always happy to help, that’s why they are here.”
“You don’t have to major in something that someone has encouraged you to do. I feel if you major in something you love, then you will always succeed.”
“Take lots of writing and English courses that will help you in the future.”
“Focus and study in school from the beginning so that you’re not kicking yourself later for not doing so.”
“It is possible to double major if you pick two majors early enough.”
“Have a good foundation in mathematics.”
“Don’t put in too many hours at work and study hard.”
About resources in the department and getting involved
“Get involved in the department. I did and it has been one of the most rewarding and valuable experiences of my life.”
“Try to find out what your interests are and try to do research work to augment your learning.”
“Make sure that you communicate all of your academic goals to your advisor. Tell them all of the departments and specific degree types that you are expecting to be eligible for well before graduation. Do this with advisors from every department that you are pursuing a degree in.”
“Spend time with professors and TAs – they have a wealth of knowledge outside the classroom. They are good resources for internships, grad school and you feel as if you receive more out of your education.”
“Use resources to the fullest…websites, office hours, TA’s, Career Center , past exams, advisors…everything is designed to help you, and that’s what it all does .”
“Make sure you know about the different certificates you can receive.”
“See your professors often, and see your advisors often. Even if you don’t have a question, become comfortable enough where you can ask them any question you have.”
“Go to office hours – It can’t hurt and will most likely help you!”
About classes and courseload
“ECON 200, 201, 300 and 301 are very valuable overall for the 400 level classes. They can’t be looked at as just classes that you take and then forget about when you are done. Stuff you learn in those classes always come up and help you have a stronger base for learning material in the 400-level classes.”
“Be sure you really know the materials from calculus and ECON 300/301.”
“Make sure you know about the certificates before you choose classes.”
“Go to an advisor to learn where to look for internships or research opportunities.”
“There can be huge differences from class to class, so make sure you know what each course is about before registering for it.”
“This is a fun and very popular major so register EARLY!!!”
“Choose the major early to spread out the burden of classes over time (I’m taking three 400-level econ courses now and it’s too much).”
“Not all courses are offered each quarter, so plan your schedule accordingly.”
About careers, internships and postgraduate degrees
“Use the Career Center, you will sleep better.”
“Explore different options regarding future careers by doing an econ related internship or other internship experience.”
“If you want to go to graduate school, get to know your professors early! You will need letters of recomendation”
“You don’t have to go to graduate school in economics. There are many other opportunities (like law schools or MBA programs) that you can do.”
“Take more math and particularly more statistics if you plan on going on to grad school in econ.”
“If you want to go to graduate school in economics, find out what math you need early.”