We sit down with Dr Amrit Amirapu to dive into his journey to Kent, his respect for colleagues and students, and his passion for economics. Join us as we explore his favourite books, podcasts, and invaluable advice for freshers and students facing exams.
Why did you choose Kent?
I decided to come here because Kent had a strong tradition of Development Economics. Tony Thirlwall was here and I particularly wanted to work with Zaki Wahhaj. Tony passed away last year and Zaki has left but we still have a really strong Development Economics research group, including Irma Clots-Figueras, Anirban Mitra, Rinchan Mirza and Penelope Pacheco-Lopez, among others. It’s worked out better than I could have imagined.
What’s your favourite thing about Kent?
Easy! My colleagues and my students!
What’s your favourite book at the moment?
I have three favourite books: Catch-22, 100 Years of Solitude and Moby Dick. I also love The Magic Mountain and anything by R K Narayan.
What do you listen to on your commute?
Childrens’ nursery rhymes (not my choice)
Are there any podcasts you are enjoying at the moment?
Yes: “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell me” and “This American Life”
What tips can you give to freshers when they are first starting University?
- Have fun and invest in your friendships
- Read widely (especially high quality fiction)
- Learn as much as you can outside of you field of study
- Get help to improve your math skills (e.g. go to the SAS drop-in math workshops on Wednesdays
Improving your math will help you with everything else – including just thinking. I was a high school math teacher after college so I know that everyone can improve their math if they get help and are willing to work a little bit.
What are your tips for staying on top of your studies at University?
I could give you a tip but I’d rather say this: you will fall behind at some point. That’s okay! Don’t be embarrassed – when you realize you are behind, go and see your professors/module conveners and ask for their help in catching up. There is no shame in it – no matter how far behind you are.
What tips can you give for preparing for Exams at Uni? Any revision tips?
Spend more time working out problems than listening to lecture recordings. It’s easy to sit in a lecture and feel like you understand what’s going on. But if you can’t do a problem when faced with a blank piece of paper (and no notes), then you haven’t really grasped the material.
What advice would you give your past self when you were first starting University and would you do anything differently?
Other than ‘buy tech stocks’? Yeah, my advice to myself would be: sit your butt down and work a little harder during the term. Also, don’t write off Economics! Unlike physics (which is what I ended up studying), the models are meant to be unrealistic. A good model should be unrealistic but useful (there is a reason for this – which I explain in the first lecture of ECON5000). Also, Economics is not just about money – the questions are varied, fascinating and extremely important (e.g. Why are some countries so much richer than others?).