Economics is important for individuals, as economic decisions affect their quality of life.
Economics is important for firms, which need to remain profitable in their activities.
Economics is important for governments, as they want to make good decisions about economic policy.
Economics is important for society as a whole, as resources need to be used to the best possible effect.
Economics is about how the decisions made by individuals, firms and the government affect the way in which resources are distributed in a society. It is about how we deal with the problem of scarcity.
We all make economic decisions every day of our lives, and economics can help to improve our decision making. Economics offers a way of thinking about the world that enables us to make the best of what we have.
No, economics is about much more than money. It helps us to understand decisions whenever there is a choice to be made between alternatives.
Economics links with sciences through its overall approach (and the use of mathematics), but it is also about the decisions made by people, and in this respect links in with the social sciences. At many Universities, it is possible to study Economics in conjunction with other subjects such as Management, Politics or Mathematics; this enables you to divide your time between the two main subjects.
At my institution, the proportion of women on Economics programmes is typically about one-third, but the proportion of students achieving First Class or Upper Second degrees who are women tends to be higher than this.