Get a head start as an undergraduate

If you are looking to join this Economics courses, BSc (Hons) Economics, look no further for tips and ideas on how to prepare for your course over the summer. We’ve come up with a range of options for you to explore and get you uni ready!

Economics is a major social science which explores challenges faced by our societies today, including inequality, environmental sustainability and economic policy. Economics draws on and influences other social sciences and humanities, and it is also a core business discipline which is integral to understanding organisational behaviour, strategy and corporate performance. 

Read 

A good introduction to BCU’s logic of teaching a wide range of economic theories and approaches comes from the traditional but also the new and urgent economic, societal, and environmental issues is Juliet Schor’s article: Economics as if the last forty years didn’t happen.  

Read anything and everything, do not restrict yourself to a single main stream-media channel or paper (Bloomberg, The Economist, Financial Times, BBC Economy etc.).  Consider watching international news channels as well, such as Al Jazeera, Press TV, CNN , Xinhua, Russia Today, Times of India, Africa News etc.) Remember to compare what you are reading to alternative sources – try to get a balanced view that takes into consideration the attitudes of different theories.  

Not to mention that as an aspiring economist living in times where mainstream economic models and theories are challenged, you might want to invested time and effort reading the Classics (or at least visiting and re-visiting their scripts!): Adam Smith’s 'The Wealth of Nations', Karl Marx’s 'The Capital', John Maynard Keynes’s 'The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money'. They can help you understand the economic reasoning behind policies and practices of today. Varoufakis’s 'Talking to My Daughter About the Economy' is an essential read, or listen, containing every basic concept of economics in the form of story-telling, and for those with more patience David Harvey’s 'A Brief History of Neoliberalism'. 

Research and Explore 

Exploring Economics, Core Economics and Real Econ are amazing platforms for those who are interested in economics that include beginners sessions to more advanced. Here is a great starting point for researching further into subject-specific areas and topics. 

Start asking your own questions about economic phenomena that do not make sense! Why is the water cheaper than the diamond, although the former is more necessary? Do we currently have problem with economic scarcity or economic distribution of the wealth produced? What is the economic reasoning behind wars? Could environmental issues be resolved via the market mechanism or with different alternatives?  

Refresh your maths! 

Although from day one at BCU we start with the very basic maths (yes! Even 1+1) we end up by the end of Semester One of your first year to teach you basic calculus. However, it is always worth it to always practice on your own, as you (and your future employers) will highly appreciate these skills. Here you can start practising some A Level maths in case you never attended the course.  

Watch the 10 min videos of RSA Animate: 

Here are some great films and series you can add to your summer watch list:

• The Emperor's New Clothes (2015),
• The Big Short (2015),
• The Wolf of Wall Street (2013),
• Debtocracy (2011),
• Capitalism: A Love Story (2009),
• Sicko (2007),
• The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (2007),
• The Corporation (2003). 

Many of these can be accessed for free on platforms such as YouTube. 

Listen to Podcasts 

• The Sound of Economics 
• The Economist 
• FT Tech Tonic - Financial Times  
• Ceteris Never Paribus  

Visit 

Visit Museums, Galleries, the open market, and talk to people from different professions, backgrounds, activities. Talk to local businessmen, workers, politicians about economy and try to make sense whether they make sense of the economy.  

Reading and Research  

If you want to understand the basics of business, then start with reading some introduction to business books and articles. Start reading the success stories of entrepreneurs and how they are managing the businesses and bringing innovation and creativity. Try to understand the structure of the business.   

Read articles from Harvard Business Review and explore articles like Developing a Digital Mindset (hbr.org).   Update yourself on new knowledge and topics like What Covid-19 Taught Us About Doing Business During a Crisis (hbr.org).   

Start Connecting  

Networking is extremely important for businesses. Make an account on LinkedIn and try to follow and connect with the successful businesses. You can also start following the BCU Business faculty on LinkedIn.   

Set up a professional social media account on LinkedIn and Twitter so that you can network with your peers. Make sure to consider your professional image and identity, as this is how you will be portrayed to others straight away.  

In terms of accounts to follow, a good place to start is with our own social media channels on Facebook and Twitter. Here, you can keep up to date with all important news and events from around the University.  

Watch  

If reading isn’t up your street We would strongly recommend you start by watching tv shows like Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice.   

You could watch movies like The Social Network, Jobs 2016, Walt before Mickey. It will enable you to understand how businesses are created and what the strategies of businesses are.   

Marketing

So… You’ve decided on a career in marketing and will be starting your course in September? Congratulations on your decision and welcome! We’ve been working hard to ensure that your course is interesting, informative and engaging! 
 
Want to get off to a flying start? If so, there are some things that you can do over the summer months to get prepared – Take a look at some useful tips below…