This unit introduces core microeconomic principles focusing on individual and firm decision-making in markets. It is genuinely interesting for those wanting to study economics, however staying consistent with mostly self led resources is important. Genuine understanding of concepts came from additional self led practice and not just from the lecture slides alone. The unit rewards students who apply themselves and understand concepts beyond just the definition.  

Having no formal lectures, but instead pre-recorded videos provided both positives and negatives throughout the semester. They laid a reasonable theoretic foundation for the earlier weeks of content and were genuinely engaging. While they were essential rather than optional (managing the unit without them was unrealistic), they often fell short for depth and pacing. Not many questions were involved, and content was often skipped through quite quickly. This was particularly challenging in a unit where the content was not simply understanding a formula, but rather an abstract relationship between certain ideas.

The two hour workshop did not necessarily cover the content in much more depth than the pre-recorded lectures, so attendance was not strictly necessary from a content standpoint. However, attendance was required through its ties to the weekly graded quiz (needed to be in attendance to complete). They did also provide an opportunity to engage with the worksheets, which enabled for additional practice of prior content.

Preparation for the in-class tests and quizzes centered around the completion of the pre-workshop preparation, watching all of the pre-recorded videos, and attempting additional provided material. The marking of these was fair, however with the subject being considerably more objective than subjective, there was little room for inconsistency in how answers were marked.

The final exam was closed book, covered all weeks of content, with any calculator permitted. It was the most challenging part of the unit by far, with the final exam being more challenging than practice stimulus provided. Therefore, strong preparation across all topics beyond reliance on the practice material is recommended.

Overall, the unit rewards depth of understanding over breadth of effort. It is mostly conceptual and not memorisable, so the majority of your hours revising will be spent grasping concepts instead of reciting formulas. Staying consistent is also vital, as the manageable early weeks can quickly allure students into relaxing their focus, which can be a very problematic approach in later weeks. If students build genuine understanding rather than preparing themselves to answer specific questions, they will most likely perform well in this unit.