My New Favorite Book

Yes, the Kite Runner is THAT good. I started it Tuesday night, and finished it late Wednesday night. It is incredibly beautiful, hopeful, and sad- it can make you want to cry. The pace of the storytelling is just right- it flows quickly and smoothly from one time to another, and keeps you immersed in the story.

I've been thinking quite a bit lately about my future plans, and a clearer picture (though still very foggy) of what majors/classes I am going to take is coming into focus. The tentative plan is to pursue a PhD in Economics- this leaves open the option of taking a job after graduation instead of going to grad school if that seems more desirable then, or if grad school admissions don't work out. Econ PhD admissions are very very competitive, and I sort of feel that if I don't get into, say, a top 20 program, I'd rather just try to find a job directly out of undergrad. Of course, it all depends on what options I end up having senior year, but pursuing the PhD leaves all options open.

That means taking the theory track of the major (as previously planned), and it means taking a fair deal of math (exactly how much math to take is something I've been very indecisive on). Fortunately, math this semester has been much more enjoyable so far than in past semesters, so perhaps I will like the more higher-level math classes. I know that stuff like Calc 3 and Linear Algebra is supposed to be very different from more advanced, and usually proof-based, classes such as Real Analysis. Right now Theory of Probability is somewhere between- more theory than before, but still more focused on problem solving than proofs. Set theory I've found enjoyable thus far (not that I have seen very much of it), but this is important, because how much I enjoy doing something is more important than how difficult it is, usually, in terms of my success in that thing.

So, to pursue an Econ PhD, realistically, I think, I need to take at least Real Analysis. They say it's recommended but not required, but when you have 5% acceptance rates, you may as well treat it as a requirement. To get a joint major in Econ + Math, I'd need to take Analysis II, plus two more math electives from a list. Perhaps Ordinary Differential Equations for one of them, and a course on formal logic for the other? I'm not sure, but I think Logic would also count toward a Philosophy minor....Some other possibilities are Combinatorics, Transformations and Geometries, and Number Theory. If it turns about after taking a few more classes that I'm (a lot) better at math than I think, I can try Topology, which has always looked fascinating to me, except that it's supposed to be extremely difficult and advanced.

So, I suppose it's still undecided how much math I will take- it depends heavily on what grades I get in my current and upcoming math classes, and on how much I enjoy them. But I'm planning for at least taking Real Analysis, probably next fall, maybe next semester, if I feel exceptionally brave. As far the Econ PhD goes, it appears the more math, the better.

As for Econ courses, I have 5 more core courses to take, of which I will take Math for Economists and Analytical Stats next semester, (intermediate) Microeconomics and Econometrics fall of next year, and (intermediate) Macroeconomics spring 2010. In addition, I need 4 electives: the course I really want to take is Strategic Decision Theory (Game Theory). I want to pursue honors in Econ, so that will add 1 to the number of classes needed- a senior thesis.

Anyway, I just figured out a math proof on my homework; a fairly easy one, but nonetheless, this makes me feel good. That is why I decided to finish this post now, which I started yesterday.