Okay I just transferred to UCSB last fall with Econ & Accounting and I can answer any questions you have. Let me start off by saying if you put in the work you will understand the material period. IT IS PASSABLE. The material is manageable if you go to CLAS, what it comes down to is the tests. The econ department writes them to fool test takers, they make them ridiculously convoluted. Learn the material sure, anyone can do that but what gets everyone is the tests. You must learn to critically think about every topic he covers, even then sometimes he throws curveballs on the test. It is also important to explain answers, I lost 5 points because I didn't show enough work on the first midterm (got the right answer though on the hard question) and ended up missing the B by 3 points when the class ended, I am now studying for the retake. Great right? You are basically at his mercy on the tests you can only prepare so much. But let me backtrack a bit, a 72% on 3 exams sounds easy. But when Each test is 25 points each (about 9 questions) missing even 2 multiple choice questions knocks you down to a 76%. Don't let me discourage you, I am only trying to warn you that you must be a good test taker.
So about your plans, if I could go back a quarter and redo it I would do the following fool-proof plan: come to UCSB, try my absolute best to pass Econ 10A and work tons on my critical thinking skills for the test. And since it is the fall quarter APPLY TO OTHER COLLEGES I WAS CONSIDERING, APPLY TO THE FOLLOWING FALL QUARTER AS IF YOU PLAN TO LEAVE UCSB. Of course this is only as a precautionary back-up plan. Best case scenario: you get in the Econ major, ignore acceptance letters from the apps you did. Worst Case Scenario: you get PSTAT109 out of the way, take electives you would have had to take anyway out of the way while at ucsb for the year while you wait to transfer to the schools that accepted you.
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