My name is Rachel Ruiting Liang, and I am now a sophomore in Agricultural, Consumer Economics with concentration in Policy，International Trade and Development，and also double major in Food Science and Human Nutrition and minor in business.

Two years ago when I was applying for college, I applied for lots of different majors and programs in different colleges. When it get to the day making the final decision, I picked “Agricultural Consumer Economics” in University of Illinois. I am thankful to the decision I made because ACE fits me really well and give me the chances to learn something that I really like. Agricultural, Consumer Economics is a science of applied economics that focus more on applying economic theories to the real life problems.   With my concentration in International trade and the course works in Economics and business， I am seeking for world-wide opportunities in Food Industry and Hospitality Industry .

Our major offers nine different concentrations that make a big difference in what you think. You don’t have to be in the real agricultural courses if you have no interests in them，the 9 nine different concentrations with the program can be in business，financial planning or policy and law oriented. If you are interested in Accounting，ACE has Agri-accounting for you；if you are interested in pre-law，you can be in the public policy and law concentration. All of the concentrations make you more marketable by offering several agricultural or consumer related courses in your four-year college life. Besides, the college of ACES offers a lot more small size classes (20~40 people) that professors and TAs are more approachable, which makes it easier for us to communicate with the faculties.

Agricultural，Consumer Economics is a type of applied economics. I like the design of the course work because it provides me the basic courses just like business and traditional economic students, but for the advanced level courses are more focus on my interests. 

The course works I had in freshmen year also prepared me for my Internship during the summer of my freshmen year. I was an intern in Food and Beverage Department in Crowne Plaza hotel of Intercontinental Hotel Groups for three months. I combined what I learned in ACE and what I learned from Food Science and Human Nutrition in my internship. I learned customer services, risk management, and hospitality management and event planning. Most importantly, I get the chances to talk to lots of successful entrepreneurs and learned the ideas that I can never grasp from the books.

It was a great real world experience that I will never forget.

Being a sophomore and taking courses with ACE, I feel like I really like the design of the courses. I am taking intermediate micro economics, world food economy, microcomputer applications and accounting.  The science of Applied Economics gives you more than one thing, you can have more than just business or just economics. I believe this combination can prepare me better for both my academic plan to go to graduate school and my future career.