Course Spotlight - EC204: Financial Markets and the Global Economy: The History of Bubbles, Crashes and Inflations

We sat down with Maria, who took EC204: Financial Markets and the Global Economy: The History of Bubbles, Crashes and Inflations, to hear about her experience of studying it.

 

Why did you decide to attend LSE Summer School?

I decided to attend LSE Summer School to be amongst the best professors and receive a world class education from one of the strongest economics programmes in the world. It was also an opportunity to meet people from various parts of the world and experience the vibrant city of London.

Why did you choose your course?

This course stood out to me because it centred around learning the overall history of economics. Learning different methods that have failed and succeeded in the past leading to the fall and recovery from bubbles, crashes, and inflations allowed for a stronger understanding of how to not repeat those same mistakes in the future, thus, how to find a strong solution routed in experience.

Tell us about an average day as a student on your course.

An average day of studying EC204 included an hour and a half seminar of about twenty students starting at 11:30, where material from the day before’s lecture would be reviewed, followed by a short lunch break from 13:00 – 14:00. Sometimes, during the break, there would be an opportunity to attend a Spark event offered by LSE Summer School, to further professional skills. After the break, from 14:00 - 17:00, there would be a three-hour lecture with typically over one hundred students where the majority of the class material would be taught. I enjoyed this schedule as it allowed me to have time in the morning to workout, review class materials, do homework, or even just to relax before lectures. Likewise, by ending at 17:00 there was time to have a nice dinner and enjoy the evening doing the many things London has to offer, while also having an hour or two to study and do homework if needed.

What was your favourite part of your course?

My favourite part of the course was the interactive activities and presentations we worked on in seminars. These tasks allowed us to apply what we had learnt to practical situations, helping me to better understand the material covered and know how to apply it to real-life scenarios.

What advice would you give to students considering your course?

This course covers the history of economics over about 400 years, beginning with Tulip Mania in the early 1600s. Thus, a lot of information is shared. It is very important to take thorough notes, use the PowerPoints provided to help consolidate the information, and to do the assigned readings. This is a wonderful course that will help you understand a variety of perspectives and reasoning behind how the world's economies operate today. I recommend this course to anyone who is interested in pursuing a career in economics.

What are your short-term professional goals, and how does your course contribute to these goals?

My short-term goals are to complete my finance internships successfully, create a strong senior thesis, and to be accepted into a top graduate school. With these goals in mind, this course taught me not only information that I can apply to how the world functions today, but also enforced the importance of attention to detail and human interaction. I have been able to implement these key factors into all aspects of my goals, specifically, within my research. For my thesis, I was able to apply information learned in this course to further understand how to accomplish my thesis research goals, and even gave me insight as to how to formulate my central thesis question. This course greatly expanded upon my knowledge of applied economics that I will continue to use to accomplish all of my goals.

Was meeting and talking to other students on your course easy?

Meeting and talking to other students in my course felt very easy as most people were eager to make connections. I was a student that came to the programme on my own, and easily found others who also attended by themselves. Likewise, the small seminar size allowed for connections to be made quickly due to the high level of participation that was encouraged. This participation fostered communication outside the classroom, making talking to other students much easier.

What was your favourite part of studying at LSE?

My favourite part about studying at LSE was all of the resources available. If I ever needed help with the material, clarification on assignments, or general advice about what to do in London, my class professor was happy to answer all of my questions.

How did you find the British teaching style?

I felt as though the British teaching style was very similar to the style in the United States. Typically, my course consisted of either seminars or lectures. I really appreciated having both formats as I found it very beneficial to be able to apply the information taught in the lectures in a smaller, collaborative seminar setting.

Did you feel supported by your lecturers?

The lecturers ensured that all students were accounted for and answered questions throughout the lecture, supporting everyone in the course. The three lecturers for EC204 made sure to engage with their students, answering questions in a supportive manner, not condescending. Likewise, they always began the course asking how their students felt and even used pop culture references to help us feel more comfortable.

 

This interview was written by one of our 2024 students, who are here to share their stories and help you understand the Summer School experience at LSE.