Chelmsford County High School for Girls

Subjects

Economics - Frequently Asked Questions

What is Economics?

It is the study of how to make the best use of scarce resources. This statement makes more sense when you consider the decisions made by Government which affect you directly (e.g. in less books and larger class sizes if education spending is cut to pay for defence spending). Which choice is best?

Here are a few examples of what the course looks at:

• How can we stop pollution and save the environment?
• Why are women paid two-thirds the salary of men? Why do women represent only 1% of all the directors in this country?
• "British Gas and the Water Companies are looking after the consumer?" Is this statement true?
• What taxes do I pay? Should they be cut or raised?
• What is inflation and does it matter?
• Does it matter if people lose their jobs?
• What are compact discs so much dearer in the UK than the USA?

Why study A Level Economics?

People do Economics because they are interested in current issues and because they want to be informed about what is happening in the world. They believe it will be useful at university and when they start a career. There are also some very good examination results in Economics at this school.

What subjects could Economics be combined with at A Level? What courses can be done at university?

Most subjects go well with Economics. Obviously, Geography and History but also the science and language subjects. Economics is often combined with English, History and Geography or Maths or Statistics. Matching Economics with Physics or Maths allows students to do surveying or engineering. Economics with Biology or Chemistry allows students to consider Environmental Sciences, Agriculture or Estate Management. Other university courses for which Economics is a good qualification include Social Sciences, Law, Business Studies, Politics and Government, History, Geography, Accountancy, Sociology and Agriculture.

Do I need Mathematics?

A GCSE pass is all you need and the maths involved in the subject is limited to simple calculations (multiplication, etc.).

Am I at a disadvantage because I haven't done GCSE Economics?

No. In fact this may be a positive advantage. This is because students who have a GCSE background tend to answer A Level questions using their GCSE knowledge and therefore often produce inferior answers. Students that have only experienced A Level, only have A Level work to produce their answer from. As a result it is often better. For example, a CCHS student, Helen Currie, won the Cambridge prize for economics by scoring the highest A level result in the country. She achieved this in only two years!

What happens in Economics lessons?

Economics relates to the real world and students will have a working knowledge and different opinions about how the economy works and should be changed. In lessons, discussion is very important, along with current news items on videos, role plays and simulations. Case studies of topical events form part of the written work. The course is designed to challenge you and not just tell you what to think.

If I find it difficult, does the Department help?

The Economics Department wants all its students to, not only pass, but to achieve their full potential at A Level. It will help students by supporting all those who are having problems by extra coaching and by building up the confidence of the individual concerned. If you look at the information above and the comments below, you can see that many students through hard work and renewed confidence in themselves achieve excellent results.

What do the students think about the course generally?

These comments were written by students who had taken the course.

• "Very glad I took it- my fave subject"
• "It was great!"
• "Economics was definitely my best A Level subject"
• "It was the best organised subject at A Level. We had a lot of help with revision- thank you"
• "I've really enjoyed Economics- thanks Mr M"
• "I'm recommending it to my sisters- I really enjoyed it"
• "It was my most enjoyable A Level and the course was well balanced and interesting"