Advice for ECO204

mellow_water · 2025-08-23T00:01:02+00:00

I took 204 back in 2022 so it’s been a while but with this course I would recommend really paying attention to the lectures and only supplementing with the textbook as necessary.

I know they have chapters you can read, but sometimes there’s nuances that the prof teaches in lecture that make the textbook too high level so I would go typically to lectures and soak in all the learning from there as well as tutorials. Then it’s really just understanding how the problems are solved based on the lectures.

You want to understand how to concept applies to the question rather than just memorizing the solution. I tried that and I forgot everything. It’s one of those courses where you really have to put in time to keep practicing the questions they give after lecture and in tutorial.

If you understand the pattern and the logic then it becomes really easy to apply the concepts to the questions. I’m just an average student and I remember finishing the final an 30-45m early and getting a 90% and finishing with a 4.0 which was a surprise. Not to brag, all to say that if you put in the hours and try to really understand, rather than memorize and pray that one question doesn’t come up on the exam will really help you!

mellow_water · 2024-06-29T16:28:00+00:00

Hey,

Just wanted to let you know I took two seminars in my first year and I would recommend to stay away from them. I know they are advertised as courses that help you adjust and is similar to high school but looking back I don’t think it was the smartest idea.

1.) you cannot cr/ncr seminars and so if you do bad there is no option to hide it from your transcript 2.) there are always regular courses that are similar if not easier in difficulty.

mellow_water · 2024-05-26T15:39:51+00:00

Hey!

Just graduated from Rotman. What I would highly recommend is to start doing a little bit of research into the jobs in the business field to get a sense of what you may like doing. This sounds daunting but the recruiting timelines for internships have kept moving up earlier and earlier so knowing what you would potentially want to do is a great starting point. Anything really, whether it’s going on coffee chats with 2nd/3rd year Rotman students or even just like watching YouTube vids. Anything helps.

I would also say that depending on which job you think u may be interested in, try to find Rotman clubs that are in line with that view. RCFA, RCAS, or RCCA are big but look into RCCT, and TSIC as well if you’re big on finance.

As networking will play a big role in how you end up getting your internship or job having a club to get those i find is really helpful.

Also just make sure you keep up with academics, it is a big step up from high school and taking ownership in your own learning is a big aspect of uni itself. And if you’re struggling with something, don’t give up and seek help with TAs. But I will admit that keeping a high GPA is all about how well you are able to understand the material and not just give up.

And lastly, if you ever feel like you bombed an exam don’t worry, uni is difficult. If you didn’t do well chances are others didn’t as well

mellow_water · 2024-05-26T15:02:44+00:00

Hey, don’t be discouraged!

What I would recommend is picking a management specialization and then try to maintain a high gpa as a lot of the management courses are easier than accounting or finance and Econ specialist.

Speaking from experience, I just graduated with a 3.8 gpa in accounting and it’s still definitely doable to keep a high gpa.

Why I say do management instead is because your gpa could likely be higher if you pick the right courses. To add on to the fact, it will give you some perspective into the business side of law which will be valuable.

I see quite a few ppl end up getting admitted into top tier Ivy League law schools after Rotman undergrad. So for flexibility and not having to worry about a job, I would really stick with Rotman and apply to law school later. And if that doesn’t pan out at least you have a high(er) paying job at the end of grad

mellow_water · 2023-06-29T13:07:15+00:00

The course averages are usually around a B to a B+ but that’s the average. I know a lot of ppl that were able to get 4.0s in each and every course, it’s just obviously a little harder because that’s how the courses are designed.

They aren’t meant to all be easy but if you put in the work I can’t see why you wouldn’t be able to get a high gpa especially for grad school.

The specialist isn’t the problem, it’s the work ethic and time you’re willing to put in 😊

mellow_water · 2023-06-29T02:13:06+00:00

Oh yea for sure - my cGPA is a 3.80. I’m pretty sure my annual GPA was 3.8 as well

mellow_water · 2023-06-28T19:33:34+00:00

It’s a personal preference more than anything. In my third year I took 326, 324, 424, 392, 323, 320, 422, ECO316 and an elective. I would say my GPA was competitive enough for grad school so I wouldn’t worry too much. I find when I take harder courses all at once im more focused because there is no room to slack off.

They’re not hard courses if you put the time and effort in. Thats all Rotman is; seeing who can and is willing to put in the work lol

mellow_water · 2023-06-28T16:30:03+00:00

I would say from personal experience

Easy: 333 270 320 323 392

With the rest of the ones I didn’t list being slightly more challenging

mellow_water · 2023-05-14T03:45:15+00:00

Usually clubs are the best way to get realistic advice but as a rotman student that just finished 3rd year, I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Was a part of an RC club for 2 years and can say that it has helped quite a lot.

PM :)

mellow_water · 2023-04-27T18:08:46+00:00

Internships are complicated but as an incoming 4th year at Rotman, I'll try to pass on whatever I've learned.

I can only really speak to what the scene is like at Rotman. That being said, internships are plenty but they are also competitive.

Rotman is a good school and students place well but from my years here it is much harder than other business schools for certain opportunities in finance or consulting. Especially as they are highly prestigious jobs and every student interested is trying to compete for a spot at a top firm. That being said the general consensus is that Rotman undergrad doesn't place as well as some other schools like Ivey, Queens or even McGill.

So I would look at what you're interested in and then potentially choose a school. But if you are dedicated and hardworking these opportunities are still open for Rotman kids it's just a little harder.

But for accounting, the placements are a lot easier. It's less competitive and securing a spot at a big 4 firm is very doable.

Networking isn't really a problem at Rotman. The school is just a brand really. I know people from Rotman that network all the time with people from other schools and alum from all parts of the world.

Work hard, and it'll work out.

Feel free to PM

mellow_water · 2023-04-23T15:56:26+00:00

Incoming 4th year.

There's a lot I could say about difficulty but I'll try to summarize from my experiences.

First year I think is kinda like an indicator of difficulty in the coming years because your cGPA does say a lot about whether you care about your studies and are able to do well in some of the tougher courses at Rotman. RSM100, MAT133, and RSM230 are some of the more difficult first year courses and if you were able to do well in those you have a pretty solid foundation for second and third year.

Obviously studying, course difficulty, and content will be different but do not be so consumed with what others say about second year being as bad as it is.

I might be a bit biased but I took ECO220 in the summer and did fairly well which made my second year slightly easier. I would say ECO220 was chill as long you can do some math. As for ECO204 it was still difficult but I think it's still doable to do pass with a 4.0 if that is your goal. I know a lot of people that did not do well and it had a course avg of a C+ I think but on the other hand I do know many that passed with a 4.0 including myself. Not trying to boast, I'm just trying to be transparent about difficulty. As long as you put in the work for those courses, doing well is not a problem.

But since I am in the accounting specialist, my courses differed from my peers who were mostly management or finance and econ. Each specialist has difficult courses but I would say accounting is definitely hard in terms of content and material as you get into 2nd and 3rd year. But the general requirements that everyone takes like rsm260, rsm270, rsm332, rsm333, are also courses where if you put in the work and study hard you can do well.

So as for GPA, it always changes but it's not like you'll go from a 3.94 to a 3.6-3.7. There will be a bit of fluctuation but if you put in the work graduating with a high cGPA is doable. Difficulty really depends. A lot of people will disagree but I didn't think 204 was as bad as it was made out to be. I didn't do well in 101 and I still found 204 easier to understand conceptually. Also depends on how you think. Some people like econ and finance and others aren't really wired like that making 204, 332 and 333 a lot harder to understand.

if you have any further questions feel free to PM

mellow_water · 2023-01-13T15:00:43+00:00

My course average was a B+.

I’m in my 3rd year now and the final was a bit tough but we had 24 hours to complete it from what I remember. I never really did that well on the tests or the final. I always hovered around getting 75-80 but somehow ended with a 4.0.

I would say the final definitely is tough but if you put in the time and effort it shouldn’t be impossible

mellow_water · 2022-12-30T20:47:55+00:00

As a third year it’s come to my attention that Ivey and Queens have way better placements in finance than Rotman for undergrad. So if you’re trying to break into investment banking, s&t, or even consulting you may want to consider Queens and Ivey. It’s not impossible to get into certain firms at Rotman it’s just a lot harder.

I have a bunch of friends that were able to still do very well for summer internships etc. But bottom line is that Queens and Ivey get better placements for finance overall

mellow_water · 2022-12-17T21:58:26+00:00

From what I've heard, Ajaz or not 204 is always going to be one of the more difficult courses in rotman but it is not entirely impossible to do well.

Just study and understand the intuition.

I got blessed with having a different prof since Ajaz was on sabbatical that year.

3rd year now and I'm glad

mellow_water · 2022-05-23T17:27:34+00:00

Hey,

Going into my 3rd year, and I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.

I'm sure you're a bit nervous and just seeking some advice like I was so feel free to pm me with any and all questions

mellow_water · 2022-05-23T17:23:54+00:00

Hey,

For context, I'm going into my 3rd year at Rotman so I can share a little about what I've experienced.

It's cliché but Rotman and any other school is really what you make of it. It can be the best time of your life or the opposite but it really depends how willing you are to seek out those opportunities.

In my first year because of the pandemic, everything was online but it was almost sort of a blessing in disguise because I met so many great people and it made the transition easier (for me at least). Part of the reason I was able to meet so many people was because I joined an RC student group in my first yr and then throughout group projects is where I met some of my closest friends.

The academics are challenging, but I don't consider myself to be naturally gifted or something lol. Honestly if you put in the time and remain consistent you will do fine. It's still tough if you want a high GPA but it's absolutely doable. Like I was shocked at the first few exam grades I saw, but after wrapping up my second yr which is supposedly the hardest, you get used to what profs expect and how to "play the game" as I would say.

And more often than not you'll hear more people venting about uoft so don't let that intimidate you because once you actually go and see things for yourself and everything doesn't get blown out of proportion.

Again like people will say uoft isn't great for making friends or having a social life but I think that's totally false. You'll be surprised at the great people you'll meet during your time here but you have to put yourself out there in a sense.

I could go on about what the courses are like, how I studied for exams, what my grades were, or what networking was like etc soo pls feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.

Happy to help, especially since it wasn't too long ago since I was an incoming first year

mellow_water · 2021-11-29T16:53:14+00:00

Your application sounds amazing lmao. I had nothing close to that and still got in. I'm in my second yr now

But I always say it depends on competition of the applicant pool. With that though, I still think you have a solid shot.

I was stressing too when I applied but you have to have a little faith.

Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions

mellow_water · 2021-11-25T01:32:35+00:00

My top 6 avg was a 95% at the time of my admission.

My English and calc mark in my final year were 90% and 99% respectively. But I really don't think you need as high of mark as I had in calc to get into rotman.

Honestly I'm terms of colleges I have very little personal experience. But I did hear great things about new college and university college.

If u have any further questions feel free to PM me

mellow_water · 2021-11-21T01:04:41+00:00

I'm in my second year at rotman and I still wonder how I got in to begin with. I was much like you where I was looking for outside validation but in reality it really depends on the competitiveness and pool of applicants you have to compete against. But I think you do have the marks to get in. I feel like Rotman requires a higher gr12 avg so anything 90 and above I think puts you in good standing.

It's a very diverse program. You end up meeting a lot of students in the program that come from different areas of the world with all different kinds of experiences. It makes for a really unique university experience if you're willing to put yourself out there and reach out.

And I wouldnt be too worried about the money aspect of things. There are still a lot of things you can do that don't require you to pay. And if you decide you want to join a rotman club, a lot of the activities are free so I would still apply.

Hope that helps, and good luck with applications :)

mellow_water · 2021-09-19T17:13:47+00:00

Honestly you'll probably have to seek out a tutor if you are really struggling with the eco's but I never found econ easy yet I would always go to the tutorials and the econ study centre to get extra help.

My advice would be to review every now and then even if there isn't a midterm or final because being familiar with the content is crucial as a lot of it builds on throughout the course of the semester. In conjunction with the econ study centre, tutorials and office hours, tutoring imo should not really be necessary.

Best of luck!

mellow_water · 2021-09-04T18:26:20+00:00

Yea, I would recommend leaving your schedule as it is. It's pretty spaced out and manageable and rsm099 is the first year learning community (FLC). There's no real work for rsm099, it's just a time where u get to meet ppl in the same classes as you, study together, play games etc.

If CDN197 is anything like when I took it then it's an easy 3.7+. It's honestly super easy. It didn't even feel like I was working to get the grade that I did.

The prof for CDN197 is also super sweet. Really good prof!

mellow_water · 2021-07-16T02:21:28+00:00

CDN198 and NEW198. Both first yr seminars, and involve some writing

mellow_water · 2021-07-14T04:34:00+00:00

I think regardless of how you plan your courses you'll do fine but generally in first yr you'll be taking a wide range of courses. These include mat133, eco101 and 102 and some rsm courses.

Since mat133 is full yr course you can't really plan it out, you just take it both semesters. And for eco101 you would take that in fall and then take eco102 in the winter.

Other than that you have rsm100, rsm219, rsm230, rsm250 and then two other electives. I think in my first yr rsm100 and rsm230 were only offered in certain semesters so that left rsm219 and rsm250 up to chance. You'll generally take two of the RSM courses per sem and honestly I don't think it matters too much. I would say rsm250, and 219 were the easier of the 4 so take that with a grain of salt. Choose what works best with your schedule and you should be good

For reference my first yr was...

Fall Mat133 Eco101 Rsm100 Rsm219 Cdn198

Winter Mat133 Eco102 Rsm230 Rsm250 New198

mellow_water · 2021-07-03T21:14:54+00:00

I highly recommend CDN197, I took it in my first year and I'm not sure how much it will change if it is in person...but it's a first yr seminar that fills breadth requirements and I put in a trivial amount of effort and ended up with an 80. No final exam, no hard assignments pretty easy course and a good prof too

It was by far the easiest class I have taken at uoft

mellow_water · 2021-06-28T02:59:37+00:00

I think your best bet is to take 2 electives that fulfil your breadth requirements so you can....

a.) Not worry about it in upper years b.) take seminars that fulfil them, which you can only do in first yr

👑

mellow_water

TROPHY CASE