ECON 3110

Professor Engers is the best professor at the Econ department at UVA. He will introduce you to the world of economics and economists see it. Take as much MATH as you can because Engers will extensively use mathematics; MATH 2310: Calculus III is highly recommended along with MATH 3310: Basic Real Analysis (this is not as important as calc 3, but is need if you want to understand the finer nuances of the proofs). A highly recommended class and professor.

Hard class, but rewarding as well.

ECON 311 is a fantastic class, and Engers is a great professor. The tests are tough, but fair.

Professor Engers is one of the smartest professors I have encountered...or maybe he just refuses to dumb the material for us. This class literally moves 3 times the pace as 301; the amount of topics covered is ridiculous. During class, it requires the whole 75 minutes to pay attention to everything on the slides and what he says, otherwise you will get lost very quickly. Strangely, the homework is from the book, which is nothing like his lectures or his tests. That being said, the homework turned out to be tedious and was not helpful at all. The people in my class turned out to be some of the smartest students I have ever met at UVa and the class average for the midterm was a 70. If you are debating between 301 and 311 then

Bottom Line: Take 301 if really care about getting an A. However, if you are really interested in microeconomics (perhaps graduate work), want to be challenged in every single class, and witness a brilliant mind at work, then take this class and fight for that B+ (curve at the end)

Homework is online, tests are very difficult, and you're expected to have reviewed the material he's going to lecture on beforehand because his lectures move so fast. I would say that if you want to be challenged, take this class but be prepared for a lot of work. p.s. always go to the discussion section even though it's not required.

Best econ class I have taken here so far!! The slides are really helpful and he is a great teacher if you are willing to make effort (i.e. be prepared for class).

Lectures w/ slides, and homework online. Make sure you read the book and look over the slides before the class or else you will be lost. I wouldn't recommend this class because it moves VERY fast. Like 3 chapters per lecture.

However it was a challenging class, but the tests were fair, and the curve is pretty good. I failed the midterm, but got a B- in the class.

I have so many mixed feelings on this course. It moves incredibly fast and the problem sets can get very difficult. Only take this class if you have a lot of time to devote to it. However, Varian (the textbook) is helpful and to the point and you will learn so much from this class. The midterm is easier than the problem sets are. The final is really hard but overall the class is curved. This class is extremely challenging, but you will get out of it what you put into it. Only take it if you are really committed but Engers is great- lectures are long and fast but interesting. Also don't be too freaked out by the readiness test, I got a 15 on it and ended up with an A in the class.

This class is definitely what you make of it in terms of time and effort, and I think the curve really does help a lot and allows you to worry less about your grade and more about learning. Once you learn how you best study for this class, it becomes more manageable and less difficult than it seems at first. The textbook is a really good one, but the lectures make up the core of the class and you really only need the textbook to supplement concepts you have trouble understanding (and the appendices are very helpful for problem sets!) - so while you really should pay attention to every lecture, that + homeworks essentially make up the whole of the class other than the exams. Plus, Maxim is very knowledgable and has a good sense of humor, so they go by fast. It's a really good class to take if you're interested in economics and is really good preparation for any other class in the field - a great first look into the real world of economics for sure!

I went into this class having taken only through calc 2 in high school. It was initially quite a bit of catch up, Going into this class already knowing partial derivatives, la grangians, etc., will be very beneficial. That being said, it's an extremely rewarding class that teaches and requires a high level of thought. My suggestion for approaching this course is to establish a regular group to work on the problem sets together. You'll get much better grades on them and will come away understanding everything much better. Ultimately, because everyone who takes this would have gotten an A in 3010, it's curved much more generously than almost any other course in the econ department.