Economics BA (econometics essential?)

tpottebaum
Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:56:51 +0000

Hey everyone,

I’m getting my a BA in economics, and I really do enjoy it. I would like to do something regarding public policy; my dream job would be to be the legislative director of a congressperson. Other than that, I’m not exactly sure what I would want to do with my degree–I just like the way in which economics ties to politics.

However–I’m in my first quarter (trimesters) of my sophomore year, and I HATE calculus. It’s awful. It just does not click in my head, and I’m terrified, because I need to take a full year of it in order to take econometrics, which based on what I’ve heard, I probably won’t do well in, either.

So the questions is–if I stop taking calc this quarter after my requirement is met and focus only on the topics I enjoy (NOT quantitative economics), what doors would I be closing for myself? Could I still be a competitive candidate for a public policy masters program?

Believe me, I’ve tried to excel in calculus. I’ve spent hours in the tutoring office and in my professor’s office hours. It’s just not working for me. I don’t know if my GPA can take a full year of this.

Thanks!