Question re: BComm

[chasej]

Hey. I'm a prospective commerce student at UoM and was wondering if a current student could tell me how maths based the course is?

What I'm trying to ask is how hard is, if any, the maths content in the degree (specifically eco/finance majors). I'm asking because according to the UoM website there is some maths based content in the course and I want to make sure I'm not just signing up to do maths stuff at Uni as I actually want to learn commerce as commerce (bad choice of words I know) instead of constant linking back to mathematics.

Unless I've read the units taken in BComm wrong than I have gotten the impression units are much more maths based than monash.

Thanks.

[spectroscopy]

Im also curious about this,

chiming in so i get the notification when someone replies

[sluu001]

You are thinking of the word "business"; which unfortunately at melbourne is very different from. An eco finance major at melbourne will give you precious little knowledge of how a business is run and how to adequately deal with clients/customers. It is definitely the 2 most maths heavy majors in a b.comm (asides from actuary - which i would class more as a maths degree rather than a commerce degree anyway), so you will be dealing progressively with more and more maths and "probability/statistics" as you get into 2nd and 3rd year.

Economics at higher levels requires quite a bit of calculus and algebraic manipulation (since the whole concept of opportunity cost stems from this anyway). Finance may be mathematically harder or easier depending on how you view maths because it involves a lot of algebra and equation manipulation. Meaning a lot of inserting numbers in formulas given to you, but having to understand what goes where (a lot of people can have trouble visualising financial models).

If you want a more "management/business" style majors, I would recommend accounting. It is very different from most peoples view of what accounting is (incl. myself before actually doing it myself) - a lot the accounting subjects are essentially management subject with a bit of adding/subtracting involved. Compliment this with either an actual management major or a marketing major and it would be what I think you are looking for.

Also accounting, management and marketing would be the least maths heavy majors available. (melbourne does require all their students to take up QM1 in 1st year - but thats the most maths you will need to see for the degree.

Personally, I think you wont learn anything that relates to "how" a business is run, at uni. Your best bet is to actually take up employment, if you want to understand the workings of a business.

[waldo777]

I feel as though I am in a very good position to address your concerns. When I was in Year 12, while I was as determined as ever to get into Commerce at UoM, my only anxiety was the maths component. I spent basically as much time on Methods as any other subject (even though it had no great effect on my ATAR) just to make sure I got the 25 SS. I have never been particularly 'strong' at maths; it takes me a lot longer to understand concepts than in other areas of academia. However, one can't be great at absolutely everything so you just have to deal with it. A good strategy is simply to (1) allocate more time to maths orientated learning, (2) access free online resources such as Khan Academy and PatrickJMT and (3) get help from teachers/peers where needed (the latter being something I really struggle with).

I am currently in my second-year at UoM and majoring in Economics and Accounting. Here are some insights and tips pertaining to maths in the BCOM at UoM (Monash ostensibly has basically almost as much maths by the way):

-If you really want to avoid maths then major in one or two of Accounting, Management or Marketing. Quantitative Methods 1 will then be the only significant compulsory maths subject and even then if you work hard and recall some of then Unit 4 Methods probability material you will be fine.
-First year Economics subjects have virtually no maths but from then on there is a bit of calculus and algebra.
-First and second year Finance subjects also have minimal maths but most third year Finance subjects are very maths heavy.
-Even when maths orientated material is taught, it is rare for many marks to be allocated to simply 'doing' the maths. The marks are almost always in the process of using maths or the analysis of the product of maths.

If you don't feel as though UoM/Monash is right for you and/or you don't get the ATAR required, RMIT and Swinburne (particularly the former) both have great Business courses that have similar majors available just with substantially less maths.

All the best!

[sluu001]

Hey, Another eco/accounting kid! (hi 5).

I didnt realise I wasnt the only one doing these 2 majors. ^_^

[chasej]

You are thinking of the word "business"; which unfortunately at melbourne is very different from. An eco finance major at melbourne will give you precious little knowledge of how a business is run and how to adequately deal with clients/customers. It is definitely the 2 most maths heavy majors in a b.comm (asides from actuary - which i would class more as a maths degree rather than a commerce degree anyway), so you will be dealing progressively with more and more maths and "probability/statistics" as you get into 2nd and 3rd year.

Economics at higher levels requires quite a bit of calculus and algebraic manipulation (since the whole concept of opportunity cost stems from this anyway). Finance may be mathematically harder or easier depending on how you view maths because it involves a lot of algebra and equation manipulation. Meaning a lot of inserting numbers in formulas given to you, but having to understand what goes where (a lot of people can have trouble visualising financial models).

If you want a more "management/business" style majors, I would recommend accounting. It is very different from most peoples view of what accounting is (incl. myself before actually doing it myself) - a lot the accounting subjects are essentially management subject with a bit of adding/subtracting involved. Compliment this with either an actual management major or a marketing major and it would be what I think you are looking for.

Also accounting, management and marketing would be the least maths heavy majors available. (melbourne does require all their students to take up QM1 in 1st year - but thats the most maths you will need to see for the degree.

Personally, I think you wont learn anything that relates to "how" a business is run, at uni. Your best bet is to actually take up employment, if you want to understand the workings of a business.

Thanks. Thing is though I have a real passion for economics and I can see myself working in forecasting and other related areas. I suppose maths is a part of the job so I should get used to it. And thanks for the suggestion about accounting, I've actually taken up Unit 2 accounting this semester at school and I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would so that's an option. I have a really broad interest in commerce and business from management to more macroeconomics and even to law. My main concern with maths is that I'm not as strong at it as other subject areas and want to do the JD after my bachelors and therefore need a good GPA, but that doesn't really matter as of yet.

I feel as though I am in a very good position to address your concerns. When I was in Year 12, while I was as determined as ever to get into Commerce at UoM, my only anxiety was the maths component. I spent basically as much time on Methods as any other subject (even though it had no great effect on my ATAR) just to make sure I got the 25 SS. I have never been particularly 'strong' at maths; it takes me a lot longer to understand concepts than in other areas of academia. However, one can't be great at absolutely everything so you just have to deal with it. A good strategy is simply to (1) allocate more time to maths orientated learning, (2) access free online resources such as Khan Academy and PatrickJMT and (3) get help from teachers/peers where needed (the latter being something I really struggle with).

I am currently in my second-year at UoM and majoring in Economics and Accounting. Here are some insights and tips pertaining to maths in the BCOM at UoM (Monash ostensibly has basically almost as much maths by the way):

-If you really want to avoid maths then major in one or two of Accounting, Management or Marketing. Quantitative Methods 1 will then be the only significant compulsory maths subject and even then if you work hard and recall some of then Unit 4 Methods probability material you will be fine.
-First year Economics subjects have virtually no maths but from then on there is a bit of calculus and algebra.
-First and second year Finance subjects also have minimal maths but most third year Finance subjects are very maths heavy.
-Even when maths orientated material is taught, it is rare for many marks to be allocated to simply 'doing' the maths. The marks are almost always in the process of using maths or the analysis of the product of maths.

If you don't feel as though UoM/Monash is right for you and/or you don't get the ATAR required, RMIT and Swinburne (particularly the former) both have great Business courses that have similar majors available just with substantially less maths.

All the best!

Thanks so much I definately have a lot of work to do with maths to get where I want to be for it. And yeh, Khan academy is a lifesaver.

Thanks so much for the insight about the different areas in the BComm, really helps.