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Advice from someone who marks the exams.

Which courses are worth taking, which study tools actually work, and how to prepare for AP and IB — written by a PhD economist who teaches this for a living, and who has no affiliate links to protect.

LatestJune 12, 2026How to read economics graphs: the five rulesEconomics graphs are compressed arguments, not pictures. Five reading rules, each demonstrated on an interactive graph you can move yourself.Read the piece →
June 12, 2026Every AP Micro graph, explained — with interactive versionsAll the graphs the AP Microeconomics exam expects you to draw, each with a draggable version you can experiment with before you try it from memory.June 12, 2026Every AP Macro graph, explained — with interactive versionsAD/AS, the money market, the Phillips curve, and the rest — every must-know AP Macro graph explained, with interactive versions you can manipulate.June 12, 2026How to get a 5 on AP MicroeconomicsThe score math, a long FRQ walked through point by point, and the exam habits that separate the 4s from the 5s.June 12, 2026How to cram for AP Economics: the 7-day planOne week out and behind? A professor's honest triage plan — what to drill, what to skip without guilt, and why sleep beats the all-nighter.June 12, 2026The IB Economics IA, explainedThree commentaries, 45 marks, unlimited drafting time. The marking criteria, article selection rules of thumb, and an 800-word structure that scores.June 11, 20267 Khan Academy alternatives for economicsKhan Academy's econ videos are solid but passive. An honest review of 7 alternatives for AP, IB, and college economics — most of them free.June 11, 2026The 9 best apps and websites to learn economics in 2026No news apps, no note-taking apps — just the tools that actually teach economics, ranked for AP and IB students, college courses, and self-learners.June 11, 2026How to learn economics on your own: a step-by-step roadmapA sequenced, free curriculum from zero: what to learn first, checkpoints with practice problems, honest time estimates, and the books worth reading.June 11, 2026How to study for an economics exam: what actually worksRetrieval practice, blank-page graph drills, spacing, interleaving — the learning-science toolkit applied to economics, plus a two-week countdown plan.June 11, 2026Why am I bad at economics? 7 fixable reasonsGraph illiteracy, memorize-mode studying, vocab overload, math anxiety — a diagnosis for each cause, with a concrete fix you can start today.June 11, 2026How much math do you need for economics?Level by level — AP and IB, college intro, the major, grad school — with a worked example at each so you can self-assess.June 11, 2026Can ChatGPT teach you economics?Where AI tutors genuinely help, where they confidently fail — graphs, arithmetic, invented citations — and a workflow that uses them safely.June 11, 2026How to self-study AP Macroeconomics: a 10-week planA week-by-week plan to self-study AP Macro from zero: the six units in order, which graphs to drill, and how to register for the exam without taking the class.June 11, 2026How to self-study AP Microeconomics: a 10-week planA week-by-week plan to self-study AP Micro: the six units in order, the graphs that decide the FRQ section, and the exam registration logistics.June 11, 2026Is economics hard? An honest answer from someone who teaches itWhat actually makes economics hard — graph fluency, counterintuitive logic, cumulative structure — and what makes it click for real students.June 11, 2026Is AP Economics worth taking?Pass rates, college credit policies, workload, and who should (and should not) take AP Micro or AP Macro next year.June 11, 2026AP Micro vs. AP Macro: which is harder, and which first?Content, score distributions, and difficulty compared side by side — with a clear recommendation on which order to take them in.June 11, 2026How to get a 7 in IB EconomicsDiagram fluency, real evaluation, prepared real-world examples, and a weekly study system that fits around your other five subjects.

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