History HL or Economics HL?

[Jusd]

Hi,

so I'm not sure whether I should take history hl or economics hl. I'm not sure what I want to study yet but it probably will be something with law or maybe business. I don't know.

I'm interested in history but it's hard to get good grades in history hl so I'm not sure what I should do. Do universities (good ones) like history hl or economics hl more?

I'm also going to take maths hl, english b hl, history hl/sl, physics sl, literature sl and economy hl/sl.

Thanks!!

[ShootingStar16]

2 minutes ago, Jusd said:

Hi,

so I'm not sure whether I should take history hl or economics hl. I'm not sure what I want to study yet but it probably will be something with law or maybe business. I don't know.

I'm interested in history but it's hard to get good grades in history hl so I'm not sure what I should do. Do universities (good ones) like history hl or economics hl more?

I'm also going to take maths hl, english b hl, history hl/sl, physics sl, literature sl and economy hl/sl.

Thanks!!

You are definitely right in saying that history HL is really hard to get good grades in (I'm a history major right now and the history courses I'm taking at university are easier than history HL though still difficult to do really well in). It's going to really depend on the university honestly. What universities are you interested in? Because if you know what schools you want to apply to, it could help you make your decision. History HL would probably be an excellent choice for law because you develop some really valuable critical thinking and argumentative skills in history. I can't really speak for business, but if you choose to go that route, I think Econ would be more beneficial? 

Another thing you should consider is your own interests. Do you like history more or econ more? History HL is especially tough to get through if you despise the subject. I can't really speak for Econ because I've never taken it. 

Hope this is at least somewhat helpful! 

[Lixter]

9 hours ago, Jusd said:

Hi,

so I'm not sure whether I should take history hl or economics hl. I'm not sure what I want to study yet but it probably will be something with law or maybe business. I don't know.

I'm interested in history but it's hard to get good grades in history hl so I'm not sure what I should do. Do universities (good ones) like history hl or economics hl more?

I'm also going to take maths hl, english b hl, history hl/sl, physics sl, literature sl and economy hl/sl.

Thanks!!

History and Econs student here! Honestly, if you want a good overall grade, go for Econs HL because it is definitely much easier to get a higher score. However, if you really find history interesting, then just take history. Personally, I find history to be more interesting than economics.Hope this helps!

[King112]

I did Econ and History HL.

Econ is easier to score IF you understand (a) The theory (b) What the IB wants.

History would be easier if you are good at essays, critical reasoning AND understand what the IB wants.

If you want to study law, I think both are good options. Law needs essay skills, so history is certainly a plus. Econ IMO may take a back seat. For business, Econ isn't often needed (depending on your university ofc), but I feel it will give you a certain intuition and understanding. Plus, (at least at my uni), a Business major often still needs some core Econ courses, so Econ HL MAY help a bit.

The question on unis is interesting because it depends on so many factors including but not limited to (a) what you define as good (b) What course. I would google their websites for your major and go from there.

Hope this helps.

[IBantics]

I honestly think that if you're going to study history, there's so little difference between HL and SL in terms of assessment (other than paper 3 topics and slightly higher requirements) that you might as well just go all-in. I think history HL, while difficult, is definitely worth going for. I suppose it depends on what course you want to take in university as well. If you want to go down the economics/finance route, then econ HL is more likely to be beneficial, but if you want to go the english/history/other social sciences route, then I would go for history. 

If you want to study law, then I think history HL will be more useful to you. It fosters critical thinking, analytical skills, close/focused reading, and a balanced, holistic perspective of a topical issue. Skills learned in history HL (in my experience) will be more likely to benefit you in a law career, and perhaps studying a law degree as well. Of course, at the end of the day, it's up to you.