The following Advice and Comments are all from the 1996 survey. Responses are overwhelmingly unedited.
ADVICE:
> Focus on development of analytical skills. Take as many other social science courses as possible. Work to improve communication skills. Have fun!
> Make sure you have at least two semesters of Accounting and/or a marketable minor.
> (1) Practice presenting written information in a concise manner with good punctuation and grammar. (2) Develop public speaking and presentation skills. (3) Plan on graduate school to help develop marketable skills. (4) Consider voluntary public service -- for its own rewards and contacts with other professionals.
> Be sure to include a course, early on, on the history of economic thought.
> Learn as broadly as possible, take advantage of any travel and/or internship possibilities.
> Study Mathematics and Statistics, remedial courses if necessary, but complete undergraduate Calculus, at least one course in differential equations, and a course in linear algebra. Complete two courses beyond the Introduction to Statistics. This opens up the graduate school option at all the 1st-rate universities.
> Do what you love.
> Do what they love.
> (1) Take as diverse a body of courses as possible. (2) Get involved in campus life as much as possible. (3) Have some fun 'cause it doesn't get much better. (4) Make sure Mom and Dad keep those checks coming!
> (1) Take all the math you can. (2) Have faith in a liberal arts education.
> It depends on your career path. If going into business rather than Economics, I would suggest taking a general rather than specific approach to Economics. Focus more on Microeconomic Principles instead of Macroeconomic Principles.
> Include courses that develop communication skills.
> (1) Take Accounting classes -- at least through the intermediate level - - and at least one Finance class. (2) Go to graduate school.
> Build skills that will give you the ability to adapt to the changes in the workplace in the years ahead. Be technical/analytical -- a concentration in Statistics, Computer Science or Information Technology could be a wise investment. Don't forget the importance of being able to write well (e-mail not withstanding), especially concisely and with brevity. Think of your skill set as a survival kit. The business world is in a state of transition and needs people who can see the trends, risks and opportunities, analyze them, and determine how to meet them. Build skills that will allow you to deal with a workplace/world that will undoubtedly be different at different points in your lifetime.
COMMENTS:
> I am happy to have graduated from Eckerd in Economics. It was and is a valuable experience.
> I'm so happy to have had the Eckerd experience. As a group, I think graduates of Eckerd and similar schools are extremely fortunate -- we have the tools to ride the changes of our world in a way that narrow specialists cannot do.
> My time at FPC/Eckerd was terrific. It taught me to think, it just did not prepare me for the business world. As a result, I sought an MBA which did.
> I've chosen a non-traditional path for an Econ major. I don't know that my experience would help most current Econ majors. I've used my education to be a good mom and to do volunteer work in rural Appalachia -- Treasurer of local YMCA; Reading is Fundamental (RIF) at the local grammar school; founding member and head of 3-County Youth Soccer League, fund devel. chr. of PTO; part-time employment for traditional craft people, etc. I became an Econ major so no one could say "That's not economically feasible" about my dreams. I accomplished that. I'm raising three really neat kids and have made life better for many others in this economically deprived area. Eckerd College certainly helped me achieve this.
> Its 20 years! It seems like yesterday -- well, last week then.
> I value my experience at FPC; however, the only thing I recall from the area of Economics is 'What was the effect of the discovery of America on the Russian Fur Trade?' (30 years later).
> I enjoyed my years at Eckerd, and studying Economics was a big part of that enjoyment. I didn't like all the courses, but I liked most of them. I think it's important to expose students to investment options for when they get into the working world.
> The Eckerd experience was a good one. Having worked as a teaching assistant teaching Intro to Micro and Macro in a large public university while in grad school, it is my opinion that I had a much better educational opportunity than many of my students there.
> After earning my MBA-Management, I was still not especially employable, so I took accounting courses. Subsequently, I became a CPA and Certified Internal Auditor. Now on Guam Board of Accountancy and a High School Board of Education.
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