Intro Microeconomics
Introductory Microeconomics An introduction to the analysis of such microeconomic problems as price formation (the forces behind demand and supply), market structures from competitive to oligopolistic, distribution of income, and public policy options bearing on these problems.
Professor Pecsok is a great guy. He is super understanding and lenient with grading, but I would not recommend his Microeconomics class to even my worst enemy. His teaching style is all over the place -- he tends to go off-topic (telling jokes, giving niche history lessons, etc.), move through important lessons SUPER quickly, wait to post required homework assignments, etc.-- and it is extremely frustrating to have to keep up with. Expect to read the textbook outside of class and attend office hours a few times (if not more) in order to grasp the lessons. The tests always caught me off guard, with questions worded trickily, specific topics becoming important questions when they were never discussed in-depth during class... Overall, I left this class disappointed. I certainly learned something, and Pecsok is a wonderful man, but I have never worked so hard and STILL performed poorly in a course. I suggest looking into the other professors before signing up for Pecsok's class.
Professor Pecsok is a great guy. He is super understanding and lenient with grading, but I would not recommend his Microeconomics class to even my worst enemy. His teaching style is all over the place -- he tends to go off-topic (telling jokes, giving niche history lessons, etc.), move through important lessons SUPER quickly, wait to …Read more
Professor Ramaswamy is an amazing professor. He is kind and enthusiastic and very knowledgable. Problem sets are not too difficult if you do the readings or go to his lectures. Definitely do the textbook readings because presentations are more of a supplement to the readings, and focus in on specific details rather than give an overall picture. Exams are fairly straight forward and not too difficult. Overall, this class is not too hard and is an enjoyable experience.
Professor Ramaswamy is an amazing professor. He is kind and enthusiastic and very knowledgable. Problem sets are not too difficult if you do the readings or go to his lectures. Definitely do the textbook readings because presentations are more of a supplement to the readings, and focus in on specific details rather than give an overa …Read more
Sunder Ramaswamy was an extremely passionate professor, he went into extreme detail during lectures and provided real life examples of microeconomic topics. Exam grading was very fair and provides helpful feedback. Office hours are key! Would recommend to new economics students.
Professor Holmes made material which could have felt boring and complicated really enjoyable to go through. The lectures mirror the textbook readings very closely, so much so that you don't necessarily need to read but if you do the lectures will very intuitive and easy. The homework aren't bad at all, only 20 questions a week and most of them are pretty easy. Professor Holmes is really fun and engaging (she makes us read current events, brought in donuts, and some classes were games/experiments rather than lectures).
Professor Holmes made material which could have felt boring and complicated really enjoyable to go through. The lectures mirror the textbook readings very closely, so much so that you don't necessarily need to read but if you do the lectures will very intuitive and easy. The homework aren't bad at all, only 20 questions a week and mo …Read more
Professor Holmes is great. She is great at making material easy to learn. Most classes will be lectures with slides and note taking, but Holmes explains material clearly and is very efficient while also giving students sufficient time to take in the material. Occasionally she will mix it up by having the class doing something interactive to help us gain a better perspective. Weekly homework consists of an online problem set of 20 questions (~40 minutes) and reading a few articles and reflecting (~80 minutes). Exams are fair, she won't try to trick you, but you will need to study. Only drawback is that Holmes doesn't use Canvas, materials are given through a shared google folder.
Professor Holmes is great. She is great at making material easy to learn. Most classes will be lectures with slides and note taking, but Holmes explains material clearly and is very efficient while also giving students sufficient time to take in the material. Occasionally she will mix it up by having the class doing something interac …Read more
Professor Sunder's was an amazing professor. Super passionate about what he teaches. Accessible and helpful during office hours. Occasionally, he does break off into a tangent which makes it hard to follow, but they're quite interesting. I recommend this course and this teacher if you want to major in economics, but if you're trying to just get a distribution, take Intro to Macroeconomics, it's an easier course.
Professor Sunder's was an amazing professor. Super passionate about what he teaches. Accessible and helpful during office hours. Occasionally, he does break off into a tangent which makes it hard to follow, but they're quite interesting. I recommend this course and this teacher if you want to major in economics, but if you're trying …Read more
The homework assignments are on Achieve (multiple choice), which means that you are not doing the traditional problem sets (writing intensive). The readings are straightforward, and the concepts are easy to consolidate since you go over everything in detail during the lectures. Professor Holmes does a fantastic job of integrating examples to make the learning experience more enjoyable and smooth.
The homework assignments are on Achieve (multiple choice), which means that you are not doing the traditional problem sets (writing intensive). The readings are straightforward, and the concepts are easy to consolidate since you go over everything in detail during the lectures. Professor Holmes does a fantastic job of integrating exa …Read more
As someone who isn't the biggest fan of econ, this course was pretty good. Holmes did a good job of reiterating the concepts and applying them to real life examples which really helped me understand the course content. The stuff we learned was also really useful for higher econ courses as well as life in general.
Professor Holmes teaches directly from the textbook, which is helpful because if you miss class you can go right in the book and learned what you missed. There are weekly homework assignments do Wednesday night that take about 1-2 hours to finish, and weekly online discussion posts due Fridays at 5pm. It's a pretty easy class if you pay attention and do the homework.
Wunnava is not always very clear and is sometimes hard to understand. He is very strict about his own time, but has no regard for students'. He will scold you for being late and then the class 5-10 minutes past the end. If he has conflicts with classtime, he'll schedule a Sunday night class instead, which I think is ridiculous. The homework is reasonable and the content isnt crazy, but the teaching is really just not great. He is very enthusiastic and it is good to get on his good side, but I feel like he could be much clearer with concepts and be able to even get through things quicker.
Wunnava is not always very clear and is sometimes hard to understand. He is very strict about his own time, but has no regard for students'. He will scold you for being late and then the class 5-10 minutes past the end. If he has conflicts with classtime, he'll schedule a Sunday night class instead, which I think is ridiculous. The h …Read more
This class has a great approach to microeconomics, and the Professor is extremely knowledgable and passionate about the material. Exams are usually long and require good time management, but they are very similar to the material in the problem sets. I would definitely recommend this course, it is very engaging and it feels like a good starting point going into intermediate Econ courses.
This class has a great approach to microeconomics, and the Professor is extremely knowledgable and passionate about the material. Exams are usually long and require good time management, but they are very similar to the material in the problem sets. I would definitely recommend this course, it is very engaging and it feels like a goo …Read more
Even though Professor Pecsok is nice and funny, his teaching style is very confusing and unorganized. Even when I would attend office hours for 1+ hour, I still felt confused and that I didn't understand the material. When you would ask him for more context, he gives very "straight-forward" answers, and doesn't explain how he reaches certain conclusions. He teaches very complex topics "simply" and brushes over them too quickly, so you often miss important components of topics. Additionally, the graders are very strict and take off points for small things. He is very lenient about extensions and giving "drops" for homework and pop quizzes.
Even though Professor Pecsok is nice and funny, his teaching style is very confusing and unorganized. Even when I would attend office hours for 1+ hour, I still felt confused and that I didn't understand the material. When you would ask him for more context, he gives very "straight-forward" answers, and doesn't explain how he reaches …Read more
Professor Holmes made this class very enjoyable. She has a precise teaching method and is patient if anyone has questions about the material or anything else. As a result, the exams are easy, and she grades exceptionally fairly. There are discussion posts every week, which can get annoying, but most of the course's material is valuable.
Although Microeconomics is not my favorite subject, Professor Holmes was a great professor and made it significantly more interesting. I especially liked that she would talk about her own experience in healthcare economics and tie that into the material. For the first time in an econ class, I felt like I could easily apply the material to real-world scenarios outside of class. I struggled on the exams but they weren't necessarily hard. You just need to be willing to put in some work to study for them.
Although Microeconomics is not my favorite subject, Professor Holmes was a great professor and made it significantly more interesting. I especially liked that she would talk about her own experience in healthcare economics and tie that into the material. For the first time in an econ class, I felt like I could easily apply the materi …Read more
The class format is very consistent and the lectures are all closely based on the textbook. There are some points on the lecture that are not in the textbook and vice versa, but generally either one or the other would give you a good grasp of the material. The homework is pretty easy and just tests your knowledge. There are also weekly readings that you have to write discussion responses on, and the amount varies from week to week.
The class format is very consistent and the lectures are all closely based on the textbook. There are some points on the lecture that are not in the textbook and vice versa, but generally either one or the other would give you a good grasp of the material. The homework is pretty easy and just tests your knowledge. There are also week …Read more
Although the class was relatively light and not to difficult due to the take-home exams and the not-too-harshly graded homework, the material could get slightly dull. Professor Sommers is very kind and friendly, but sometimes it felt like he explained simple concepts a little too complexly. However, he is almost always available and is very helpful when you go to his office hours.
Professor Isham is a great teacher and clearly knows what he is talking about. However, the course is not taught as intro to micro, it is political science, environmental science, history, and racial studies. no models, readings every week, tests not too bad. UPDATE: there was a student survey, and every student said to lean more into the math, model side of micro and he has!
Professor Holmes manages to make an otherwise dense content-wise class enjoyable and engaging. As long as you are doing the readings and achieving assignments you'll find the class fairly easy to keep up with. She's also incredibly easy to get in contact with and accommodates those that need it.
Wunnava is an absolute gem. He made the lectures enjoyable with jokes and lots of personal life stories, which sometimes made everyone look at each other confused, but in a good way. He's a great teacher and his exams weren't too hard. I would definitely recommend this course to someone.
Paul sommers is a great man, but his lectures are confusing and slow paced. He sends out his illegible lecture notes and repeats them directly back in class. His problem sets are his own and questions can be phrased in a confusing way that TAs and tutors don’t understand. But if you go to his office hours he will help you
Lots of reading for this class. You have to read in order to know what's going on, especially if you did not take Economics classes before, since the Professor would mostly wrap up the readings during class. The exams are long, but the grading is fair. Professor Wunnava is very enthusiastic about what he teaches and very approachable. Just do the readings and you will be fine.
The homework consists of problem sets and readings/responses. They aren't very difficult and if you put in the effort, you will get a good grade on them. Professor Holmes is an engaging teacher who genuinely cares about her students and wants to see us succeed. I would definitely another course of hers again
Jon Isham is a really great econ professor, he really makes an effort to go beyond the bare material and apply it to the real world, making you conscious of privilege, the environment, etc. He's incredibly kind and will make an effort to get to know you if you go to office hours. There's a decent amount of reading but not too bad, and the exams are fine if you study. Would take again.
Jon Isham is a really great econ professor, he really makes an effort to go beyond the bare material and apply it to the real world, making you conscious of privilege, the environment, etc. He's incredibly kind and will make an effort to get to know you if you go to office hours. There's a decent amount of reading but not too bad, an …Read more
Professor Holmes is one of the best professors I have had at Middlebury. She is kind and personable and is very good at articulating the sometimes dense material and keeping it interesting and digestible for her students. She often connects the content to modern world scenarios and has us do exercises and activities to model the "real-world" side of economics. The exams are fair, and there is only one problem set a week.
Professor Holmes is one of the best professors I have had at Middlebury. She is kind and personable and is very good at articulating the sometimes dense material and keeping it interesting and digestible for her students. She often connects the content to modern world scenarios and has us do exercises and activities to model the "rea …Read more
This class was very confusing to me. Professor Wunnava is an awesome person, he is funny, energetic, and really cares for his students. However, he doesn't teach the material in a very straight forward way and I often taught myself from the book. Also, the exams were graded very oddly.
Going into this course, I was excited to learn about economics because I've never taken an economics class before. However, Professor Wannuava doesn't make things exciting for me. Don't get me wrong, his problem sets aren't that difficult and his enthusiasm is infectious, but his teaching style isn't for me. If you enjoy sitting though a 75 minute lecture with no student interaction then this course is for you.
Going into this course, I was excited to learn about economics because I've never taken an economics class before. However, Professor Wannuava doesn't make things exciting for me. Don't get me wrong, his problem sets aren't that difficult and his enthusiasm is infectious, but his teaching style isn't for me. If you enjoy sitting thou …Read more
Professor Ramaswamy was a good and engaging lecturer. He had a clear interest and passion for the material and was very knowledgeable. He assigns readings, but I found it okay to just skim through them if you listen well in class. Problem sets are assigned weekly but are not too difficult. Exams are also not too hard.
Professor Holmes is the best. She made even challenging topics in Microeconomics interesting and applicable to real life. Although the course is fast-paced, you feel very prepared for all exams. The semester I took this course if you were happy with your grade you did not have to take the final exam. She was happy to provide additional support during office hours or talk with you after class. I would recommend this class even if you're not intending on being an economics major.
Professor Holmes is the best. She made even challenging topics in Microeconomics interesting and applicable to real life. Although the course is fast-paced, you feel very prepared for all exams. The semester I took this course if you were happy with your grade you did not have to take the final exam. She was happy to provide addition …Read more
Professor Isham creates a very relaxed environment. We had a weekly problem set that was graded fairly. We also had a midterm that was just a few open ended questions. The final research project was fun. The readings are definitely helpful but he covers everything in class. Very little discussion.
Professor Sommers is a really really nice guy, but he simply does not teach. The only way to get through the problem sets and exams is to use past material from the class (which Professor Sommers provides). It is ridiculously time consuming, but an A is achievable if you take Professor Sommers' advice and download every answer key he's ever posted.
I absolutely love Wunnava. He loves econ but his lectures are basically him just talking about cricket. The exams are pretty easy but and homeworks are guaranteed 100s. Unfortunately, this class made me stop wanting to major in econ because the topic is unavoidably boring.
For an intro-level class, he is a good professor. The lectures aren't always clear and sometimes confusing, but he is a great guy and interesting to listen to. he makes the lectures fun and jokes around. There is only one problem set a week and minimal tests.
Isham is very passionate about what he teaches you but he does not teach micro economics. There are no models or equations talked about its all social injustice not in an economics way. He tests you on people he shows you in class and the exams are very hard to study for. I feel unprepared for micro theory after this class.
Great and funny person, but not a very interesting course. Lectures can be boring and bear little content, so effectiveness can be impacted at times. A fun, interactive game to lighten up the mood once in a while. Exams are not hard at all, and essays were an easy task.
Professor Wunnava is an amazing person. I like how enthusiastic and how much energy he brought towards the students and his lectures. His homework was really chill. Just have a good grasp of the lectures and try to have a really understand the concepts.
I really enjoyed Prof. Holmes' style--she's super kind and engaging. Great lecturer, but what I liked the most was that she ties a lot of the concepts we learn in lecture to real world events/trends, which was awesome. Very nice for an intro class.
Loved Professor Ramaswamy. I would definitely recommend his class to those trying to take into to Microeconomics. The tests were in class and could feel slightly rushed, but overall a great teacher with good stories.
Problem sets are weekly and very relevant for exams. Ramaswamy is a really interesting lecturer who puts in a lot of work to make micro easy to understand, even if you've never taken an economics class.
Paul Sommer is a really nice guy, however, the average student will not appreciate his teaching style. Very dry and nobody knows what he's talking about -- not even the TAs. However his exams are take-home exams, so the class is do-able.
Professor Wunnava made the class very enjoyable. He gives two midterms but you can drop one, so as long as you did fine on one of them, the class is pretty easy to get a good grade in. Also, he was a funny professor.
Wunnava is the man. Super enthusiastic and friendly, and grades super light. There is one problem set per week that is easy to work through if you go to TA hours. Exams are difficult but he grades easy.
Prof Sommers is a very interesting professor and has a very distinct teaching style that is apparent when you take his classes. He has a sense of humor, which helps make what can otherwise be a boring class more interesting at parts and can be unnecessary at other times. The problem sets generally follow from what we learn in class, but not always, which is annoying. The exams are take-home, however, which is nice. The textbook is kind of convoluted and not necessary but some chapters towards the end are helpful.
Prof Sommers is a very interesting professor and has a very distinct teaching style that is apparent when you take his classes. He has a sense of humor, which helps make what can otherwise be a boring class more interesting at parts and can be unnecessary at other times. The problem sets generally follow from what we learn in class, …Read more
Amazing teacher and very valuable course. Not too much work, but important to study for tests. Classes were interesting and often project based - lots of real life examples that made the class more applicable.
This course was interesting and relevant to the economics major. However, I felt like Professor Pecsok is an ineffective teacher. He's a great guy and he's enthusiastic about the material, but his teaching style is very confusing and not engaging.
Ramaswamy is very knowledgeable and tries to make the course applicable to the real world. He intends to get you to think like an Economist more than anything. The coursework is manageable if you ask for help or work in groups when possible.
I liked Professor Wunnava's enthusiasm for teaching the course. He always had a smile and outgoing energy during class. However, I personally felt that his teaching style was not effective. He would kinda gloss over the topic and not really explain thoroughly. He would draw the supply and demand curve incorrectly in many instances and was confused by his own drawings.
Pecsok is funny to have in class but his teaching style is confusing and sometimes unorganized. He does not explain concepts well and often rushes over important information because he is running out of time. I went to his office hours almost every week for homework and is still confused about some concepts.
The class can be a little challenging especially if you haven't taken econ before, but going to professor pecsok's office hours helps a lot and he's a really fair grader who gives lots of extra credit.
Pecsok does a decent job of explaining the material in his lectures, although I would recommend that you read the textbook if you have not taken economics before. He does not move through material too quickly, although he does explain things in a brief manner that may be hard to pick up on. Be careful on the problem sets; the TAs tend to take off points for the smallest things.
This class in general is pretty standard and isn't difficult, but a lot of the lectures were boring and Pecsok could be confusing at times. There wasn't a solid structure to the class and a lot of the time what we were learning felt random. Also, be careful with the problem sets because the graders are very critical and will take off points for small errors. Overall though the class is a pretty typical Econ course and is fairly low-commitment.
This class in general is pretty standard and isn't difficult, but a lot of the lectures were boring and Pecsok could be confusing at times. There wasn't a solid structure to the class and a lot of the time what we were learning felt random. Also, be careful with the problem sets because the graders are very critical and will take off …Read more
Professor Wunnava is a really fun professor. He keeps the course lively through jokes about "root beer". His homework was every week, and the reading was pretty heavy, but it was quite manageable. He definitely prepared us well for the first midterm.
Easy enough class, but boring. Pecsok is a super nice guy, but not very interesting. Very standard for micro in my opinion, middle of the road and forgettable course. But there is not too much work, which is nice
Class was entirely lecture based, with one homework problem set weekly, and 2 exams and a final. Pecsok is a good guy who stops to ask students questions and try to answer them to the best of his ability
Take home exams and homework's can't hurt your grade as long as they're turned in. Class can be boring but material is good and generally clear. Very nice guy that will accomodate if you need extra time or help
Overall, with the readings given it is easy to understand the material. Unfortunately throughout tests, you have to understand the material to a certain depth that you might not know you have to if you want to score very high.
Sweetest man on earth. Love chatting with him but he is very old style in regard to his teaching. Relied heavily on CTLR tutors to get through the class. Exams are take home to +1. would maybe take a seminar w/him but not Econ stats or intros.
Funny dude. A good time. I would definitely recommend his class to those trying to take into to Microeconomics. The tests were in fair and you were given a lot of time to complete them. He also had extra credit opportunities.