A Course Load for the Game of Life

College Majors Business Majors
1

<p>Here’s a great NY Sunday article from Harvard economics Professor- and the guy who wrote my introductory economics books- Greg Mankiw. This article really perked me up because I am planning on taking multiple courses in all of the subjects he recommends and it’s nice to see such a smart guy agree with me as to what is important to learn in college. </p>

<p>It’s a great list, but I would add two more important subjects to that course load: Accounting and Computer Science. Computer skills are quickly becoming a basic survival skill in the modern economy and it’s a skill that can really set you apart when looking for a professional career. Accounting is, of course, “the language of business”, and anyone who could possibly end up in the private sector (so like 95% of you) should know the basics. </p>

<p>For those who don’t want to click the link, here are the four subjects Mankiw recommends focusing on:</p>

<ol>
<li>Economics</li>
<li>Statistics</li>
<li>Finance</li>
<li>Psychology</li>
</ol>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/business/economy/05view.html?_r=1[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/business/economy/05view.html?_r=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2

<p>good read… but as far as the ones you added, dont you think IT would fit the bill more than CS? I’ll be frank, i haven’t looked much into either, so don’t take this as a “NO!, youre wrong!” thing, its more of a question, as CS and IT are both minors im considering with my accounting major. From what ive understood, CS is more the study of the how the computers work, such as the programs and engineering involved in it, while IT is more of the application of computers for use. If I’m correct in this, i feel IT is better for those in business, but again, im not claiming to have any extensive knowledge of the topic, just came across it on the internet</p>

3

<p>nice, i’ve taken all of those including computer science.</p>

4

<p>Personal finance classes would be far more helpful than your average “Intro to Finance” class at school, for 90% of students anyway. Which is more helpful to the Joe Schmoe, a discussion of what “points” on a mortgage are or being able to calculate the weighted average cost of capital for some company?</p>