In the NEC National Economics Challenge Regional Competition held in December 2023, 55 students from four grades in our school participated in the Pre Entry Level, DR Elementary Level, and AS Advanced Level challenges. Finally, 21 students won 24 awards in this regional competition.

The National Economics Challenge (NEC) is the most influential economics competition for high school students in the United States. It is organized by the Council for Economic Education (CEE) and attracts about 15,000 students to participate each year, with more than 20% of NEC finalists admitted to Harvard, Yale, Stanford and other Ivy League universities.

 Since its introduction to China in 2016, the competition has covered more than 20 provinces and regions, and more than 300 schools.

 The goal of NEC is to stimulate students' interest in learning economics and cultivate their problem-solving ability, helping them develop critical thinking skills and improve their academic ability.

 The competition is divided into three levels according to the level of economic studies: Pre, DR and AS. In addition to examining students' knowledge of macro and micro economics, the DR and AS groups are also tested on international economics and current affairs.

As the last business competition of 2023, whether it's a "freshman" entry-level student or a "seasoned" business major, everyone has a unique experience in participating in the NEC National Economics Challenge.

 Let's listen to the voices of the contestants!

For me personally, the NEC is not like a competition, but more like an index to guide economic learning.

 I "accidentally" joined the NEC group last September, and now I am very grateful for the "accident" that brought me a little luck.The biggest challenge in the G1 year of participating in the NEC is that there are a lot of blind spots and gaps in knowledge that need to be filled. The course of economics often makes me feel a sense of light at the moment, and it is this feeling that pushes me to seek more and engage with content outside the classroom.

 The NEC is not only an activity set for business students, but also has a relatively wide acceptance group. Everyone has some kind of relationship with others and society, and the feeling I get from economics is that it is a language that explains these layers of relationships.

 Even if I only learned a part of macroeconomics superficially, I gradually have an outline of some abstract vocabulary used in the news, which is probably the biggest harvest.

Xiyu  G1 ZHU

NCE competition is organized in groups, where students exchange questions and experiences with each other, learning from each other's strengths. The preparation training class mainly focuses on explaining the real questions, and students communicate with each other before asking the teacher questions, which is very efficient. The process of preparing for NEC is equivalent to the preview and review of knowledge in class, which will not consume too much energy while consolidating the foundation and expanding the practice.

 NEC is a national knowledge competition, which enables us to contact and understand the characteristics of American education, expand and improve our understanding of diversified knowledge, and then improve our performance.

 Business is a brand new subject for students in Grade 9 and Grade 10, and it is crucial to listen to the teacher in class. Outside the classroom, students should consult with their classmates who learn well about learning methods, and actively participate in various business competitions. Participating in practice is more helpful to master and apply what they have learned, as the so-called "practice makes perfect".

 Hannah G2 ZHANG

From the pre-competition training to the actual competition, NEC has given me a lot in helping me learn business and grow as a person.

 In the preparation stage before the competition, the teachers carefully prepared exercises and various materials for us, and during the ECA time on Tuesday, they explained knowledge points and answered questions for us. We were very enthusiastic about learning, and even at the weekend, we often communicated about problems.

 On the surface, the team members took the exam separately and achieved their results by their own efforts. However, in fact, each team member's achievements were inseparable from the mutual help during the pre-preparation and the encouragement among teammates.

 We are full of confidence for the upcoming China Station.

 We believe that with eclectic thinking and good teamwork ability, we can go forward bravely, whether in business competitions or in the actual business challenges we will face in the future.

Yunus G2 ZHANG

Because I was particularly interested in business, I did not hesitate to participate in the pre-level of the NEC National Economic Challenge in the first year I began to study economics. Before the exam, other members of my group and I invested a lot of time and energy in reviewing and preparing for the exam. Fortunately, I met several good partners who could go hand in hand, and we worked together to advance to the NEC National Economic Challenge China Station with excellent results. This preliminary competition not only inspired me to have an unprecedented interest and enthusiasm for economics, but also taught us the importance of teamwork.

Kelsey G2 XIE

During the training for the preliminary competition, I was always confused about a question, but the teacher took the time to explain it to me, which finally helped me have a thorough understanding.This also made me understand the importance of being able to question in business studies.The responsibility and patience shown by the teacher when helping me answer the question moved me a lot, and also gave me more courage to ask questions about what I didn't know in the future. 

I also found out in the preliminary competition that sharing learning materials with others is a good way to benefit everyone. By sharing some learning materials with my team members, my team members and I were able to learn more efficiently, which laid a foundation for our successful promotion to the national competition.

 This preliminary competition not only inspired me to have an unprecedented interest and enthusiasm for the subject of economics, but also taught us the importance of teamwork.

Zora  G2 WANG

During the preparation for the competition, I sailed in the ocean of theory almost every day, seeking the lighthouse of knowledge.This experience not only exercised my analytical ability and agility of thought, but also gave me a deeper understanding of the complexity and depth of the field of economics.

 During the competition, there were both waves of tension and rapids of anticipation in my heart. In the face of many high-level opponents, I felt the weight of the challenge, but also experienced the joy of knowledge competition. At that moment, I felt as if I stood on the peak of knowledge, competing with like-minded competitors, which was priceless.

 I would like to express my special thanks to all the teachers, whose support and wisdom not only provided me with a strong backing during the preparation for the competition, but also provided me with a source of motivation to forge ahead in the competition.

Daniel L6 PAN