What subject are you studying?
I'm in the third year of an economics degree at a public university in Dhaka. It's a four-year course, and so far it's been a mix of theory, statistics and quite a lot of essay writing, which I didn't really expect when I first enrolled.
Why did you choose that subject?
Partly out of curiosity, to be honest. Growing up, I always wondered why the price of onions would suddenly shoot up before Eid, and economics seemed like the subject that could explain it. My father also runs a small business, so I'd already picked up a bit of the vocabulary at the dinner table.
Which part of your course do you enjoy most?
Development economics, without a doubt. It deals with real problems that I can see around me, like why some districts stay poor while others grow quickly. We recently did a field visit to a garment workers' community near Savar, and talking to people there made the theory feel far less abstract.
Do you prefer studying alone or with other people?
It depends on what I'm doing. For anything mathematical, I need complete silence, so I usually study alone late at night when the flat is quiet. Before exams, though, I meet two classmates in the library and we quiz each other, which is a much better way to find the gaps in what I know.
Is there anything you find difficult about your studies?
Econometrics has been a real struggle for me. The maths moves quite fast, and our lecturers assume we're comfortable with software that most of us had never touched before university. I've been working through online tutorials in the evenings, and it's slowly starting to click, but it's definitely the module I worry about most.
What would you like to do after you finish your studies?
Ideally, I'd like to go abroad for a master's, which is partly why I'm taking IELTS. After that, I'd love to come back and work for a research organisation or an NGO, something connected to poverty reduction. My parents would prefer a stable bank job, though, so we'll see how that conversation goes.
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