Tanvi Jain
Tanvi is a penultimate year undergraduate studying Economics, Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick.
Why did you choose to study economics?
I was first introduced to economics in high school. I was instantly interested in it, it seemed like a very different and unique subject and there was so much to explore. Fortunately, I also had an amazing teacher who encouraged me to pursue it. After looking at its applications in the world, I was excited by the prospect of studying it and chose it as my course.
How would you describe economics?
I have always been an avid reader, I love fiction and fantasy books and the way I see economics is like a fantasy world with its own set of rules and guidelines. I love that there is space for both logic and emotion in this discipline and studying it reveals how we ourselves act sometimes.
If you had a time machine and could meet your 16-year-old self, what advice would you give them?
If I could meet my 16-year-old self I would advice them not to be too stressed as making choices is a part of life, and making one choice will not define your whole future. I would encourage myself to do whatever I love and that the right thing to do will make sense eventually.
What is your favourite part of economics?
Behavioural and Industrial economics are my favourite parts! I have read and enjoyed several books related to behavioural economics like Nudge, Predictably Irrational and Thinking, Fast and Slow which I highly recommend since they are easily readable and highly interesting. Behavioural economics breaks the assumption in classical economics that all people are rational which brings out some really interesting insights. I was introduced to industrial economics in my first year of university and game theory, prisoner’s dilemma and the market behaviour of firms instantly interested me, plus it has great real-world applications!
Is there anything you would do differently if you had the chance?
Hmm, this is a hard question to answer because it can be a downhill way to regret something in the past instead of focusing on the future, but if I had the chance I would try to live out every experience I could without overthinking it. I would also invest my time in hobbies I want to love and develop.