Thinking of doing a minor in your final bachelor year? With the minor application deadline coming soon, you might be in a bit of a pickle choosing the right minor for you. Fear no more! Estimator is here to help you! We recently interviewed a third-year Econometrics student who followed the ESE’s Deepening Minor: Economic Research for Econometricians earlier this academic year.
Why did you choose following this minor instead of studying abroad or doing an internship
My initial plan was to go on exchange. However, I didn’t meet the requirements, so I chose to do a minor instead. I was also interested in doing the FRP which FAECTOR organizes, but I had to retake some courses, and I wasn’t sure how well I would be able to combine that with an internship. In the end, the minor in Economic Research for Econometricians seemed like the best option.
How was the minor structured (exams, assignments, location), and how did the workload compare with the general Econometrics workload?
I pursued this minor in the fall of 2019, which was its second year of existence, so the following things may be subject to change since they may still be adjusting the minor according to the feedback from the students. The minor consisted of three modules: theoretical microeconomics, macroeconomics: theory & practice and applied micro-econometrics methods. The microeconomics and macroeconomics modules were given simultaneously in the first 4 weeks of the block. We had a small assignment for each module,, and the exams for both modules were held in week 4 of the block. After these two exams, we were done with the microeconomics and macroeconomics modules. We started with the final module, applied micro-econometrics methods. For this final module, we didn’t have an exam. Instead we had to hand in a research proposal using the knowledge we’d acquired. Since it’s an ESE minor, everything was scheduled at the Woudestein campus. I’d say the workload was definitely less heavy than a regular Econometrics block, but still kept me productive.
Did the minor meet your expectations? That is, did you find what you were looking for in your minor?
I honestly don’t know what I was expecting from it, but I’m definitely glad I chose it. After the second bachelor year, which was quite stressful, I was a bit burned out and needed a relatively chill minor, in which I still learned interesting things which are usefu. This minor provided exactly that. Moreover, the three professors who taught this minor are very insightful, and I enjoyed going to the lectures and learning from them.
Do you believe previous knowledge is necessary for this minor? Is this in agreement or disagreement with the entry requirements set by the university?
The university requires that only students who have a strong econometrics background choose this minor. However, I don’t feel like that is necessary. In my class, 3/4 of the students were IBEB students, and they managed to complete the minor well. I think a basic knowledge of econometrics is necessary and somewhat of an interest in economics.
Do you regret your decision, and, if so, why?
Thinking back, this minor was exactly what I needed at that moment. I got to experience a different aspect of econometrics - the research side. And while I discovered that I don’t think research is for me, I don’t think I would’ve been able to find that out if it wasn’t for this minor. This minor also made me realize that I do find economics pretty interesting. Moreover, I had to read quite a few papers during this minor, which has prepared me for all the academic reading I’ve had to do during my seminar and thesis. Lastly, I’ve been able to apply some of the knowledge acquired during my minor in the remained of my study, which is great. In conclusion, I definitely don’t regret my decision of choosing this minor!
Thank you for your insight. We hope you will get a better idea of what this minor is from a student's perspective. Good luck and stay safe!