Economicwoman.com

Thanks for the pointer. Math is crucial for graduate school; Mankiw provides an idea of which ones to take here and here’s Rodrik’s story about why math is essential for economics, the moral of which is:

[I]f you are smart enough to be a Nobel-prize winning economist maybe you can do without the math, but the rest of us mere mortals cannot. We need the math to make sure that we think straight–to ensure that our conclusions follow from our premises and that we haven’t left loose ends hanging in our argument.

In other words, we use math not because we are smart, but because we are not smart enough. We are just smart enough to recognize that we are not smart enough. And this recognition, I tell our students, will set them apart from a lot of people out there with very strong opinions…

I’d add to the interdisciplinary note: consider double/triple majoring (economics, finance and/or political science immediately comes to mind). On talking with your professors, especially the ones you’re likely to ask for a letter of recommendation, why not work for them as a research assistant? As for ideas, discussing them stimulates the mind, shows a student’s logic and ability to reason, and most importantly, helps cultivate a valuable relationship; asking whether something is on the exam likely signals that you’re cramming, depending on when and how you ask the question.

But, is she a “sameness” feminist or a “difference” feminist?