How useful is A level Economics?

Ooh all the clever people in sixth form who were otherwise doing English, History, Geography type subjects did Economics. I did feel sorry for them with their enormous textbooks.
I had a friend who was getting 100% in every module despite her having a neurological time consuming condition, she's at Durham, someone else is at Imperial, few at Oxford, few more Cambridge. People who took economics did well but because they were also super hard workers (still managed social lives as well) not because it was easy. ah, overachievers mumsnetters' children
anyway.

I should have done it (but would rightfully have been v scared of results day). I do actually like history (and Grishams) and there's a lot that goes over my head with me not knowing basic stuff. Money makes the world go round!

Economics as a subject is extremely interesting and useful. I know many people with economics degrees and some of them are professional economists, others work in industry, in finance and in academia. As an A level though it's useless. It's not a facilitating subject and you don't even need it to study economics at university. Which tells you everything you need to know about it, really.

Haha
The only person who refers to me as a dr is my mil and she's not saying it in a complimentary way.
I'm a stats nerd too, I just felt that economics alevel, because it has most of the the maths content stripped out, was just "another essay subject". If she's interested in the content, great. If not, then maybe history, law, classics etc would be a better fit. If it were useful for uni applications, perhaps, but in my experience it's not.

No point studying it if she isn't interested. That said, even though it isn't a facilitating subject, it seems to be more highly regarded than some other subjects (media studies, business studies, law).
It is a definite "marmite" subject. Some take to it and do well, others don't get it. What is she interested in?

I took economics A level many years ago now, can't actually remember my reasoning why now! I had an excellent teacher and enjoyed the subject, but I enjoyed all my subjects as I'm like that. It wasn't my most heavy weight choice, and the maths involved wasn't that complicated at all.

I find it useful in life, as I understood macro economics which means I was always much more engaged with economics/politics as a young adult than most of my peers. I found that helpful. It didn't hinder my university choices but this was a long time ago before the list of facilitating subjects was in written existence.

Tarka, please tell me you can say 'let me through, a doctor... (Of economics)'.

I did like it but I'm also a stats freak. I am a very boring person...

Ps. It is a bit boring, she's right.

Oh yes, I only did the ones I was interested in... Whyyyyyyyy did my parents not tell me?

Bloody arts degrees...mutter, moan...

I took a level economics and now have a phd in economics. Unless she's interested in the subject I wouldn't bother. It's not particularly highly regarded in itself. Maths would be much more useful and open more doors.

I took it because I thought it would be useful, and it would show that I could do something slightly mathematical (I wanted to do drama but was worried it would look like a soft option for uni applications).

I was bored witless, struggled to revise for the exams because I was bored, and (presumably because I didn't take much in due to aforementioned boredom) I'm still not very good when economics-y stuff is on the news.

It was my lowest grade by a long way, and I really regret choosing it.

Not as useful as A-level Maths.
You don't even need it to get on to most undergraduate Economics courses.
My perception of A-level Economics is that is a option to be chosen as a third or fourth subject, assuming that the student is doing at least two facilitating subjects.

It's not a facilitating subject, so if your DD wants to go to a top university she should take that into account.

Telling students to only take subjects they are interested in isn't the best advice as it could close doors to them doing what they want to do later down the line.

I loved it. I did it for Higher then it popped up as a subject in its own right (also useful in social history) during my degree. I really enjoyed it as a subject.

I've only met one person with an economics degree though (in PR).

I also took Economics A level about a hundred years ago, and have also never regretted it. The knowledge and understanding I gained from studying this subject has been useful on many levels, both in work and out of it. I think a basic understanding of the fundamentals of macro and micro economics would stand you in good stead on more or less any career path you could think of.

I don't know if Lipsey is still the main text, it is an horrendous looking tome full of graphs, but I had a great teacher (Mr Evans) and never found it boring. Definitely worth thinking about IMO.

To be honest if she's really not interested I wouldn't try and sell it to her. At A level she should be doing stuff she's genuinely interested in.

At my DD's school, they sell it to them on the basis that the Economics Dept do a trip to New York every other year! Sorry, not much help.

They also advise at DD's school that, if you do Economics, it is advisable (but not essential) to also do maths.

It is very useful for a general understanding of what they bang about on the news so much - why interest rates matter, how a crash happens, what makes us spend our money on some things and economise on others, why we can't just print more money to make everyone richer etc.

I did it over 25 years ago and the concepts have stayed with me because they are relevant to what goes on in the world.

Not sure that's selling it to you or her, but I don't regret choosing economics, it was really interesting!