Should i take macroeconomics or microeconomics?

Question

I need to either take macroeconomics or microeconomics in college next semester. I know what the difference between them is but I was wondering is one easier than the other? Do you do a lot of math in both of them?

Answer 1

Which one is easier?

That's not as clear and answer as I'm sure you'd like.  Macroeconomics, for many individuals, is more intuitive, and involves things you've witnessed inadvertantly through your life.  Because of this inherent familiarity, it is often considered the easier of the two courses.  Microeconomics involves concepts you do use, but require a bit more thought to realize they are there most times.  Because of the deeper diving required to relate to it, it's often seen as the more difficult.

Ultimately, the ease of the course will depend on your professor and how well they can get you engaged and interested, so ask some students who've taken both as to the styles of both teachers.  If it's the same teacher, I'd probably default you to macro.

Math:  Yes math is used for both, but it's nothing too difficult.  My college required calculus only for our advanced econ classes, and even then we didn't use it much.  Most math you'll find is pretty straightforward, and is often more conceptual in nature to show relationships (i.e. the slop of a demand line signifying it's elasticity... or y=mx+b).

Answer 2

I think they are comparable.  It's been a while since I took these classes, but I believe it depends on the school where you take the classes.  The curriculum changes with each school.

Answer 3

For me Macro was easier, and as I remember, there was less math in Macro than in Micro. I really enjoyed both classes, but I liked Macro a little better.

Answer 4

why would you want easy? it not easy in the real world. Take macro first then take micro. Im taking those next for my business law classes.

Answer 5

Macro was easier for me...

but Micro if you want to go into a business type degree.

Answer 6

It depends on what your looking for.  

Microeconomics is the study of how firms and individuals behave.  Hence the term "micro."  You'll be studying the basic tools of Microeconomic analysis such as demand and supply curves, budget constraint and utility curves, and maybe even some international trade models like the Ricardian model.  You'll learn about how firms make decisions on price and quantity when producing goods based on such factors as average cost, variable cost, etc.  As far as math is concerned, you'll need to be able to do all the basic operations, calculate slope, work with some easy formulas, and be able to calculate the area of triangles and squares (basic integration done without any calculus) as long as you are taking it on the intro level.

Macroeconomics deals with the study of entire economies.  There the focus will be less on the use of Microeconomic tools and math but more on questions of policy.  You'll learn how a central bank should respond to inflation, how a governments budget deficit/surplus effects the economy, and stuff like that.  You'll find yourself speaking on much more general terms than in microeconomics.  There is a lot less math unless your teacher is really ambitious and requires you to learn about some macro models, but that will likely not be the case.  At most you'll learn the basic IS-LM model.

Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Take both.  They're both hard though - but very rewarding.  i find microeconomics easier because the concepts are easier to grasp than in macroeconomics.

Answer 8

they both suck but micro is what your looking for