i promise to think of a good title later.

I just finished revising the basic fundamentals of the Solow Model of Growth. Of course the in-depth analysis (of how savings rate affect the economy, the instances when an economy starts off with too much or too little capital AND THE STUPIDLY LONG WINDED ENDOGENOUS GROWTH THEORY) remains to be covered. With finals less than a month away, I am reasonably satisfied with the amount of progress I am making. I am starting early; something I failed to do in my freshman year, leaving everything to the last minute and as a result my Grade Point Average suffered. It’s ironic that in this semester (of my Sophomore year), I am much more motivated to do well than I was the whole of my freshman year. There is a catch though – I have to work hard to be able to qualify for Honours. An economics degree without honours, in my view, is equivalent to not securing a Bachelors degree at all.

The top graduate schools (for Economics) are constantly on the look out for top scholars with near perfect GPA, tons of research/working/internship experiences in the field. To be able to stand a chance to compete, I need an Honours degree. I need a minimum of Second Upper Class which, at this point in time, looks like an impossible feat. I do regret the slack and absolute lack of discipline in my first year. My father puts it aptly, “You screw up your first year so badly, that you spend the rest of your time (at the institution) playing catch up.” This was exactly what had happened in Secondary School and Junior College. He feels it restricts my potential; puts a damper on it if I am desperately trying to get my grades up above average rather than striving for a near perfect GPA.

At this point I have to seriously consider the possibility of graduating with a B.Social Sci degree, get some work experience under my belt and then apply for Graduate school. Of course mathematically it is not out of bounds yet; but the tricky thing is that with every semester the modules aren’t getting easier.

However, I know I have the aptitude for it. The current module I am doing is a Level 3 module. I performed disastrously for its Level 2 equivalent. Logic dictates that Level 3 is inherently tougher than level 2. I am finding Level 3 a breeze; it has drawn plenty of gasps and odd facial expressions from my friends. Why? I asked myself. The answer is simple. This semester I have been a lot more disciplined. Living at home, as opposed to dorm, helped get my mindset into shape again. I am working hard again (not as hard as I would ideally like to, but this is baby steps towards the ammendment process), I have begun my revision early and I shouldn’t be here crafting this entry but my head is going to explode if I have to review another word from my Macroeconomic Analysis lecture note.

Speaking of Macro (as it shall be referred to from this point onward), why can’t the Professor follow the build up given in the textbook? (Mankiw, G, Macroeconomics, Sixth Edition) Makiw starts with the basic Production function, builds up the impact of Money supply in the economy, then International Trade, before introducing the Solow Model of Growth and finally the big picture of the IS-LM/AD-AS concepts. Reading the textbook makes more sense as opposed to my lecture notes. We started with the Solow Model, we hopped to Money and Banking, we did Consumption Theory and Investment and now we are doing IS-LM/AD-AS concept. Next we’ll be doing the merits (demerits) of the Short Run and Long Run macro policies and then end with Open Economy. Which means, International Trade – MY FAVOURITE DARLING MACRO TOPIC – has to wait right till the end of the semester, in exactly 3 weeks. Boo. Hiss. Throwing a tantrum.

I think I am going to take one day at a time. Do my revisions systemetically so that I am not at a loss before the final examinations. Whatever happens from thereafter, I am not going to waste my time worrying about it. Just yet.

If you still haven’t figured it out, this is a feel good/self motivational post. Because once in a while I need to tell myself that I am not going to screw things up. That I am not restrained by my past. I can do anything I want if I put my heart/mind/soul to it. And I will.