Ruby Lawrence
Ruby studied Economics at the University of Sussex. She is currently a Maths teacher in London.
Why did you choose to study economics?
As a teenager, I guess I just thought it would help me understand the world a bit better. Embarrassingly, I didn't really know what I was about to study, which I why I like to tell my students about Economics.
How would you describe economics?
It's really broad. I felt that, especially in the second and third years of my degree, I curated a course that really suited me - lots of microeconomics and statistics and labour economics. Those are the things that I remain interested in, while there are economics graduates who would have studied industrial trade and financial markets and the economics of sport!
If you had a time machine and could meet your 16-year-old self, what advice would you give them?
Study what you really enjoy, and be inquisitive about it. Being a student is the time in your life when you have the freedom to truly explore and enjoy a subject, so make the most of the opportunity.
What is your favourite part of economics?
Definitely behavioural economics. I found thinking about the reasons why we behave the way we do really interesting. In many parts of Economics, you have to assume that humans are rational and selfish, and behavioural economics really steps away from that.
Is there anything you would do differently if you had the chance?
I would have written a dissertation! I chose to study more modules but I missed an opportunity to learn about one thing in great depth - that sounds like a luxury now I'm so busy!