Engers lectures at a pretty high level, and you have to pay close attention if you don't want to lose him. The HW sets are easy, but they don't really help with the tests. However, even if you do average on the midterm and final (around 60%), you'll get an A-, which is very generous.
Grade Distribution
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Sections
1Lecture (1)
This course is widely praised for its intellectual rigor and delivers a far more rigorous analytical foundation than the standard intermediate alternative. Expect a rapid lecturing pace, demanding problem sets, and exams where raw scores commonly land in the 60s, but the grading curve is exceptionally generous and reliably rewards consistent effort with A's and B's. You only strictly need comfort with basic calculus and derivatives, though actively reviewing lecture slides and collaborating on assignments will help bridge the frequent disconnect between homework and test material. If you are willing to put in the hours and want serious preparation for upper-level economics coursework, the heavy workload is absolutely worth it.
37 Reviews
Engers is very enthusiastic, very engaging and in depth when lecturing. The material in this course is very difficult and you learn a lot everyday but Engers does pretty well explaining the concepts in his lectures. I definitely recommend this course to any econ majors. If you are a math major, you will do very well in this course, for others it will be a little more difficult to do well.
Homework is completely independent of lecture. Tests aren't though. Pay attention and don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't get a difficult concept; chances are it will be on the test.
Pretty challenging class, but in the end he rewards you for how much work with a decent grade.
As it is obvious, the grade distribution is biased because the smart students self-segregate themselves into this harder course. 90% of the students in this course would probably get an A in ECON 301. But if you are right in the average of the class, A- is guaranteed. The difficulty of the course is not too high as long as you have solid backgrounds in micro economics and math. The tests are extremely difficult (in a tricky sense) and do not reflect the materials covered in homework. Homework average is probably about 90% compared to 60% test average. Prof. Engers is very knowledgeable and is well prepared but I find his lectures dry and he is hard to approach. TA is excellent and very helpful. Bottom line, I would recommend this course only if you are an A average student, would rather take mathematical version than the regular econ 301, and are looking for a challenge.
This class is by far a better alternative to 301. The grades are higher as long as you keep up with the work. If you plan to major in econ, this class prepares you very well for any class you will see down the line.
Engers is probably my favorite professor at UVA so far. He really knows how to teach and seems to enjoy his job. This class is hard and you heve to either be very smart, or be willing to to spend a lot of time working if you want an A. On the flip side, Engers gives very few low grades so it's herd to do badly.
kind of hard deciding between 311 and 301 because no one can directly compare the two. only take this if you really like math - although the math itself is pretty much differentiation, he explains a lot of the concepts via theoretical math proofs, which i didnt find helpful, applicable, interesting, or easy to understand (...left a lot of lectures having learned very little). the tests and weekly homework/book do not really correlate that much. a lot of really really smart people take this class, so even though the grade distribution is good, its like that for a reason.
One of the most amazing and enthusiastic professors I have ever had. If you want to really learn microeconomics, take this class.
Great Class, more work than 301, but a good grade distribution. It gets you into great shape for taking econometrics or game theory.