Carnegie Mellon University

Eric Huang

B.S. in Economics (Concentration: Strategy and Markets)
Additional Major in Chinese Studies
Minor in Business Administration


What I appreciate most about the Undergraduate Economics Program is the community.  The program provided me with many things, but perhaps, most importantly and unexpectedly, I learned how to have fun.

Why are studying economics?

Economics is the study of scarcity and allocation of resources. It has wide-ranging applications, not limited to macroeconomic topics that one might hear on the news but also to how to fairly assign non-monetary goods to people, designing auctions. It helps train one's brain to think critically and be evidence-based.

Do you have a favorite economics course? 

73-341 Within the Firm: Managing Through Incentives - I really like the class because it was also a class that showed how the economic concepts and theory learned in introductory level classes applied to real world scenarios. The class itself is case-based, so you also get a glimpse of the business side of things, something good for those interested in going into consulting. The professor, Professor Kushnir is also amazing - one of my favorite economics professors, he really cares about his students.

Do you have advice for incoming CMU students?

Don't get caught up in what you expect to do in college; instead, embrace the uncertainty. 

Do you have advice for students studying economics?

I suggest exploring as many areas within economics that you can.  Take as many electives as you can.  The faculty are wonderful. So introduce yourself to them, and form a connection. 

Describe your typical weekday morning

Wake up around 9:30 a.m. (10:00 a.m. the later semesters as I've had fewer early classes), either a Yogurt, granola bar or grabbing breakfast in Tepper. (For first two years it would be Exchange back when Tepper was still in Posner)

Describe your typical weekday afternoon

A little bit of each, depending on the days, workload. For instance, this semester I don't have classes on Fridays so would alternate having work sessions and coffee, lunch meetups with friends. Other days, if I can, I enjoy either Tazza or Starbucks breaks between or after classes.

Describe your typical weekday evening

My night-time routine varies greatly. When I don't have club meetings or class work, I like to see my friends and grab food off campus. My favorite restaurant in the area is Noodlehead, but I also love Turkish Kebab House on Murray. When I do have a lot of work to get done, my study location of choice is an empty conference room in Tepper. If I'm lucky, I can snag the one on the fourth floor with good views of the city. :)

Describe your typical weekend

Usually sleep in to 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. Whenever I can, one of my favorite 'weekend' and 'Pittsburgh' things to do is brunch with friends at Pamela's! Afterwards, either office hours (for 15-112), club meetings, or work/study sessions where I try to go to some cafe for those sessions.