Macroeconomics or microeconomics, which to take?

I need to take 1 economics course, so I have a choice of macroeconomics or microeconomics. Which do you think is more interesting or useful? I'm majoring in Elementary Education.

 

If you are only going to take one course I would suggest Macro; it will give you a broader perspective. Make sure you have a really good background in Algebra before you take either. As a former econ instructor my greatest nightmare was students who did not have a fundamental understanding of algebra. Good luck.

 

This is probably not the answer you want to hear, but if you are going to be molding young minds as a teacher you should take both.

 

For business students I would argue for micro if you only have one semester - indeed much of business (especially marketing) is applied microeconomics. if you have two terms - micro and macro. In my school we have 3 terms - a one semester intro (micro/macro), one semester intermediate micro and one semester intermediate macro.

As for math prep, algebra as noted is essential. Calculus is helpful as marginal costs are really 1st derivatives.

R Andy

 

Generally speaking, micro is easier than macro . . .

I'm just saying, lol.

 

My bachelor's degree is in economics, and I'd say that the math requirements for macro are milder and I'd agree with the poster above who says that macro gives you a broader perspective, so that's the one I'd go with if I were you. I personally found macro easier.

 

Economics in general is math heavy from what I understand. When I took macro at my B&M junior college, everyone claimed it was the second hardest course offered at the college behind organic chemistry.

That class was difficult for me, I am horrible in math, so I got a "C" and I was thrilled to get that, lol.

 

I have to vote for micro.

At its core, economics is about how we allocate scarce resources. How that happens at the level of the individual family and the individual firm is, in my mind, much more fundamental than government monetary policy and the other macro-stuff.