Guest Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) I have the oxford course companion and the Cambridge one for IB economics. Which one do you think is better ?? Economics is such a tough subject and it really takes time to make notes from the book. So It would more wise to focus on a particular book.The oxford one is shorter but do you think it is enough to get a 7 ?? Edited February 13, 2015 by Guest Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
veregudmen Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Either is enough for a 7, but the Cambridge one is better honestly; it has more information than the Oxford one and has better (and more) examples and diagrams.The Oxford one gives you exactly what you need and nothing more, which is good if you detest the subject and just want to get it done (like me ) but if you want to really understand the subject and find it interesting I think the Cambridge book would be better. 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultimateone Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 I don't take Economics but I think it's safe to say that Oxford is a way more assured publisher, and I have an Oxford book for all my subjects, and they're all very good. Not certain that it's applicable to Economics too, but it should be.Adding on to what veregudmen said, he states that the Oxford one is simpler and has all that you need, which I believe is actually better as it's concise and includes what you need to know as per the syllabus. Nothing more, nothing less. This is especially important as knowing too much information out of the syllabus is unnecessary and basically would demotivate you when it comes to the actual reading and studying part. I am not one to judge though as I do not take Economics, but I hope I helped nonetheless, good luck! 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EconDaddy Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) Hey, First and foremost, econ is not a tough subject, not even at HL, but this is a bit off-topic so I'll answer your question about books first. What's important is that the official IB economics syllabus was refreshed in 2011. That said, if you have the 1st edition of the Oxford book (that's the one which is titled "Economics Course Companion") published in 2007, then I wouldn't use it as it's not up to date. This version is OK, however. Likewise, it is the 2nd edition of the Cambridge one that you should use. It also matters what you use in class, because that's what you should also use for your home study (if you use one at all at school - and provided that you're not taking it online). As an examiner, I should point out that both books do a decent job at explaining what you need to know. Yet, sometimes you might need a little more to fully grasp the given topic, concept, theory, etc. What I use with my students is the Pearson Baccalaureate Economics for the IB Diploma. This is a lengthy textbook, but it is really great at explaining things step by step. should you get stuck with the other books. So my recommendation would be to choose just one of the textbooks you have, and if you really think you need further explanation at some points, get a copy of the Pearson one and consult it when you need it. Now it's time to speak a bit about the toughness of the subject. In fact, according to the most recent, 2014 May statistics (see top of p.20 in the bulletin, or p.21 in the pdf file), it's pretty easy to score well in HL economics compared to other subjects in Group 3. 13% of students got 7, (compare that with 2% at History for example), 44% (nearly half of all students) got either 6 or 7 and if we add those who got 5, this percentage grows to 73% (!), which is nearly 3/4 of all students. Of course these statistics don't help you if you're in trouble with econ... But I do, so feel free to get in touch should you need some help. I have taught HL/SL econ for years and corrected hundreds of exam papers, so I know exactly what's expected from you at school and during the exams. Have a nice weekend. Econ is easy Edited February 22, 2015 by EconDaddy 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 Hey, First and foremost, econ is not a tough subject, not even at HL, but this is a bit off-topic so I'll answer your question about books first. What's important is that the official IB economics syllabus was refreshed in 2011. That said, if you have the 1st edition of the Oxford book (that's the one which is titled "Economics Course Companion") published in 2007, then I wouldn't use it as it's not up to date. This version is OK, however. Likewise, it is the 2nd edition of the Cambridge one that you should use. It also matters what you use in class, because that's what you should also use for your home study (if you use one at all at school - and provided that you're not taking it online). As an examiner, I should point out that both books do a decent job at explaining what you need to know. Yet, sometimes you might need a little more to fully grasp the given topic, concept, theory, etc. What I use with my students is the Pearson Baccalaureate Economics for the IB Diploma. This is a lengthy textbook, but it is really great at explaining things step by step. should you get stuck with the other books. So my recommendation would be to choose just one of the textbooks you have (not the "Course Companion" of course if you only have that from Oxford), and if you really think you need further explanation at some points, get a copy of the Pearson one and consult it when you need it. Now it's time to speak a bit about the toughness of the subject. In fact, according to the most recent, 2014 May statistics (see top of p.20 in the bulletin, or p.21 in the pdf file), it's pretty easy to score well in HL economics compared to other subjects in Group 3. 13% of students got 7, (compare that with 2% at History for example), 44% (nearly half of all students) got either 6 or 7 and if we add those who got 5, this percentage grows to 73% (!), which is nearly 3/4 of all students. Of course these statistics don't help you if you're in trouble with econ... But I do, so feel free to get in touch should you need some help. I have taught HL/SL econ for years and corrected hundreds of exam papers, so I know exactly what's expected from you at school and during the exams. Have a nice weekend. Econ is easy I chose econ as i thought it is an easy subject but then i realised that it is not the case, I am kinda like a perfectionist and I really wanna make my essays perfect and presentable, but for econ, the time is so limited and i don't know what to do with it. I don't think the statistic can be trusted, everyone is different . People say maths HL is difficult but I manage it with ease, whereas I really struggle with Economics ...... But thank you so much anyway, and have a nice weekend too. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EconDaddy Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 OK, just let me know if you have any problems. I'm happy to help. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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