Choosing what to major in can be challenging, especially when you’re fresh out of high school and have no idea what you want to do in the future. In this new series, University Majors Explained, we invite university students and graduates to share their experiences. From why they chose their majors to advice for undergrads, our interviewees share it all. Our series kicks off with undergraduate student, Wilfred Ang sharing his thoughts about majoring in Economics at the University of Warwick.
Why did you choose to major in Economics?
I chose this major because personally, it felt very relevant in daily life. Every day, we make hundreds of choices (whether we realise it or not) and Economics precisely is the study of choice and making the best with what we have.
How much has your major prepared for what you would like to do in the future?
One very important (and difficult!) module in every Economics course is Econometrics and learning this module would definitely be a very useful skill in terms of economic and quantitative research, which is important in any field. It also taught me to think both in the macro and micro (pun intended!) perspective of things, in this context, the economy and to make sense of what is happening to our country.
How useful is your degree? Do you think it was worth the price?
I think the world needs more economists, people who use quantitative skills to explain qualitative phenomena that we observe and bringing both together is a skill that is going to be valued in the future. In terms of price, well, studying abroad is definitely more costly than studying locally but in the long term, I think this is easily recouped by the value that an Economics degree brings to workplaces.
How did you know that the University of Warwick was the right fit for you?
I think many seniors and even my lecturer pointed out that this university is more well-known for its social science courses. Of course, there are other universities which are reputable for Economics courses. However, when looking through the website, I saw that this university campus has everything located in one area, and I knew for sure that I would enjoy the campus life.
If you could go back in time to pick another major, would you? Why/why not?
I don’t think that I would choose another major because I really enjoy learning Economics and honestly do not have any regrets taking up this major. Career-wise, I can see myself working in many sectors with an Economics degree (just that I won’t be in a science-related sector but that’s fine).
What do you think more people should know about majoring in Economics?
Economics is more than just ‘money’ or ‘making money’. Economics, in general, is very broad and you can specialise in the fields which you are interested in. But as you take this degree, be prepared that there will be more mathematics involved than you think, but as I said before, all these are essential for you to be equipped with the relevant quantitative skills for economic research.
Is there any advice you would like to give those who are starting out in your major?
Be curious about the things happening around you and use Economics to try and hopefully explain these things. Ultimately, have fun in the degree, enjoy the journey and you will most definitely see a difference in the way you think about things.
Credits to:
Wilfred Ang (@wilfred_angg)
Economics, University of Warwick
Interviewer:
Isabel Ng
CM Journalist 21/22