Microeconomics I · 9 ECTS

What you will learn

• Learn the economic way of thinking and apply it to social and economic questions
• More detailed learning objectives can be found in the OLAT self‑study area

Tips from a student perspective

FVOEC student experience

• Do not underestimate microeconomics. There is a reason the course is worth 9 ECTS credits. The material is interesting, but every concept relies heavily on mathematics, so follow these tips:
• Even if lectures often use simple examples, practise the methods with more demanding exercises as well.
• Lagrange is everywhere. Do not assume the chapter is over quickly—Lagrange stays. Pay close attention and memorize every step of the procedure. During revision, repeat it until you can do it in your sleep; in the exam it needs to go “very quickly”.
• Very important: solve the exercises before you go to the tutorial, ideally with a study group. We know that for some problems it is not even clear what is being asked, but at least try and discuss together which methods might apply. Looking at solutions afterwards and thinking “oh sure, I would have done that” — no, you would not. Set up weekly sessions where you go through and try to solve the week’s problems together.
• Do the mock exams. They are extremely valuable and show you the structure and difficulty of the exam. Even if no official solutions are uploaded (annoying, but accept it), tell yourself this sparks qualitative discussion and strengthens knowledge. If possible, ask friends from higher years for their solutions — though they are not guaranteed to be correct.
• Look through the archive of past exams and try to get a feel for what is frequently asked. You are expected to already know many concepts without having time to re‑learn them first.
• Repeat the self‑learning modules or the question catalogue. They are easier than the exam but still help close knowledge gaps.

These notes reflect earlier course editions. Teaching staff, assessments, compulsory coursework, materials, and permitted aids can change.