I’m graduating from Chambers College in four months. My path looks nothing like what I pictured on my first day at West Virginia University—and I couldn’t be happier.
I transferred to WVU at the beginning of my sophomore year. I had aspirations of being a lawyer. I was thrilled to be accepted into the ECON 3+3 program and was destined to be a lawyer in just five years. My first semester here I took the “Law and Economics” class. I found the analysis of the legal field using economics fascinating.
The next semester, I took two more economic electives, “Government and Business” and “Health Economics.” Again, I found those classes fascinating. Using economics to analyze a wide range of topics hooked me. I decided halfway through the semester that I was no longer going to law school. I’d realized that it wasn’t law that made me so happy to learn, it was economics. Every new application or theory made my brain work like I was solving a puzzle.
Leaving the ECON 3+3 program left me with an unclear path. Quite terrifying at the time, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in college.
“Introductory Econometrics” was the turning point of my college career. If you’re unfamiliar with econometrics (like I was), it uses economic theory and statistics to make quantitative analyses of economic relationships. I have never worked harder in any class in my life. I spent months creating an economic analysis of a voting referendum for a research paper. It was my own real-life puzzle. In those four months, I discovered that I wanted to do analysis like that in my career.
I was that much closer to answering the “What are you going to do after college?” question. I spent months attending seminars, applying for jobs, being rejected, working on my resume and interview skills with the Center for Career Development – you name it, I was doing it. I had to learn where my abilities and interests truly fit in. I am ecstatic to say that I accepted a position with Morgan Stanley as an Operations Analyst.
You can do practically anything with economics. It is a part of nearly every aspect of life. Studying economics reveals countless opportunities and paths; choosing that path isn’t always easy. If you’re in the position I once was, I encourage you to accept every opportunity for learning. Savor every step that you take, because soon enough you’ll also be four months from graduating – and maybe you’ll be on a different path than you once pictured.
Madison Troxell
Chambers College student
Economics major
"Let's Talk Business" is a series of guest blogs written by members of the Chambers College community. All views expressed in this post are the author's own.
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