Cornell ECON 1110: Introductory Microeconomics
ECON 1110 is Cornell's introductory microeconomics course — supply and demand, elasticity, consumer and producer behavior, market structures, and welfare and policy — taught in large lectures and required or recommended across many majors. It pairs with ECON 1120 (macro).
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Cornell University. This is an unofficial study guide.
Build my ECON 1110 study planWhat makes it hard
Grades come largely from prelims and a final that favor application: shift this curve, compute that elasticity, compare market structures. The questions are quick individually but cover everything, and curved grading means 'I generally got it' lands mid-pack. Students who skip graph practice because lectures felt clear are the standard casualty.
What you'll cover
- • Supply, demand, and market equilibrium
- • Elasticity
- • Consumer and producer surplus
- • Costs of production
- • Perfect competition and monopoly
- • Market failures and policy
The ECON 1110 study guide
How to study for Cornell ECON 1110, step by step.
- 1
Practice application from week one
ECON 1110's grade rides on exams that test doing — shift this curve, compute that elasticity — so study time belongs in practice problems, not note rereading, from the start.
- 2
Draw graphs by hand until automatic
Supply-demand shifts, surplus regions, cost curves, market structures. Recognizing a correct graph is easy; producing the reasoning behind it is what the questions actually require.
- 3
Drill elasticity computations for speed
Elasticity questions are quick individually but cover everything, and the curve rewards pace. Practice until the calculation and its interpretation both come without hesitation.
- 4
Build a market-structures comparison sheet
Perfect competition versus monopoly — assumptions, demand curves, outcomes, efficiency — side by side. Comparison questions are a fixture, and crammed models blur together.
- 5
Let Fennie run the prep
Upload your ECON 1110 syllabus and Fennie's Daily Plan paces the chapters with graph and problem practice scheduled before each prelim, plus practice questions in exam format generated from the actual material. Free to start.
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How Fennie helps with ECON 1110
Fennie's Daily Plans pace ECON 1110's chapters with regular graph-drawing and problem practice scheduled before each prelim — the application reps the exams actually test. Chat through curve-shift scenarios and market-structure comparisons until the reasoning is automatic, then drill with generated practice questions in exam format.
FAQ
Is ECON 1110 at Cornell hard?
Moderate — the concepts are intro-level, but curved exams reward precision and speed with graphs and scenarios. Students who practice application questions outperform students who reread notes, almost mechanically.
How do I study for ECON 1110 exams?
Work practice questions in exam format: curve shifts, elasticity calculations, and market-structure comparisons under time. Draw graphs by hand until automatic — recognizing a correct graph is far easier than producing the reasoning, and exams test the reasoning.
Should I take ECON 1110 or ECON 1120 first?
Either works — they're independent. Many students find micro (1110) more concrete as an entry point, but if your schedule favors macro first, there's no real penalty. Many programs expect both.
Pass ECON 1110 with a plan, not a cram
Upload your ECON 1110 materials and Fennie generates a Daily Plan paced to your deadline — plus chat, flashcards, and quizzes built from the actual course content.
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