@econoception

Zhu Hanfei

how can i better prepare myself for the A level Economics Essay section?

5 Tips
1. Get exposure to many different types of questions and try to understand what each one requires.
2. Thinking about how Economics is relevant to the real world. For example, why might some market structures be more suitable for certain industries? (in the sense that the outcomes are desirable to society.) Or for Macro -- how does the US raising interest rates affect Singapore? How does the change in price of oil affect global trade and growth?
3. Practice. Writing fast and also thinking fast.
4. Learn how to critique your own work. Try peer assessment. Get your hands on good answer keys but don't abuse them (i.e. don't memorise full answers.)
5. Choose the question wisely. I like to avoid 25 marks because they are less scaffolded. Also, just pick the ones you can answer, not the hard ones.

Latest answers from Zhu Hanfei

What is your motivation for econs?

In JC it was because it seemed like it could provide explanations to human behaviour and why society or humans are the way we are.
In Uni it was because of econometrics. I enjoyed the statistical foundations of it and through learning it I fell in love with statistics and machine learning. The theoretical foundations of statistics are highly intriguing and as a tool it is incredibly powerful.
Now, I am motivated because I want to become a great teacher. Also, I am a practitioner of economics. I'm a trader and an intuitive understanding of economics and economic thinking is really helpful when it comes to interpreting some of the news events.

Is it possible to score well enough to qualify for H3 Econs if I couldn't finish my last essay (Needed 1 more antithesis + conclusion)? I am quite sure I did not make any conceptual errors... - J1

Haha. It's over so don't worry about it. Focus on your upcoming papers. :)
But from experience, marks for econs exams can be really unpredictable and volatile. It's true all the way to university. So there's really no point in over-thinking.

Language: English