The idea of writing a book took root in her mind when she realised that AP resources, at least for Microeconomics, catered for the students who already had an understanding.
Published Oct 29, 2025 | 11:02 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 29, 2025 | 11:02 AM
Sanyogita Bobba with her book. (Supplied)
Synopsis: A US-born Indian teenager, 16-year-old Sanyogita Bobba, authored a 5 Scoring Student’s Guide to Advanced Placement (AP) Microeconomics. This is also the first AP Microeconomics textbook written by a student for students.
A US-born Indian teenager has done something few her age would ever dream about — authoring a 5 Scoring Student’s Guide to Advanced Placement (AP) Microeconomics. This is also the first AP Microeconomics textbook written by a student for students.
16-year-old Sanyogita Bobba has also achieved a perfect 5/5 score on the AP Microeconomics exam, conducted by the College Board in the US.
Speaking to South First, Sanyogita, who is pursuing her 12th grade in Hyderabad, said that she took up AP Microeconomics in the ninth grade. Normally, students take this up in the 10th or 11th grade.
She said economics was a new subject for her, and she had to figure things out on her own. The idea of writing a book took root in her mind when she realised that AP resources, at least for Microeconomics, catered for the students who already had an understanding.
“I had my notes, and my notes were quite thick. When my friends started asking me for the notes since they were going to take it in the 10th or 11th, I got inspired to write a book about it since I realised that so many of my friends were loving my notes, and I thought why not share it,” she said adding that the idea to write a book all began from her notes.
Interview: Author Xavier Augustine on the relevance of ‘The Global Indian’
The crafting of the book
Sanyogita Bobba.
Sanyogita began writing the book when she was around 14-15 years old, and published it when she turned 16. Sanyogita was born in the US and stayed there for 10 years. She came to India in the fifth grade, and this year, she will complete her 12th grade from Indus International School, Hyderabad. She wants to head to the US for college but return to India after that.
While AP courses are part of the curriculum in the US, it is not in India. She had to study on her own using her own resources and a couple of textbooks she bought.
“I always knew that I wanted to go back to the US for college, so taking AP courses would make me a more competitive applicant for University, and AP Microeconomics stood out for some reason. After that, I have done six more AP courses,” she said..
Her textbook covers the full Advanced Placement Microeconomics curriculum and serves as a comprehensive, exam-focused guide. It features worked examples, over 80 detailed economics graphs, practice questions, and chapter-end drills to reinforce learning.
“The first few chapters of my book basically explain the AP Microeconomics exam. As someone who had no idea what AP courses were, and took them up, I did not even know how the exams worked. The first chapter is all about that. I also talk about the math in AP Microeconomics, like how to calculate percentages,” she told South First.
She also has a chapter on test-taking strategies. She cited an example where she explains that if you do not know an answer in the exam, the candidate should pick one letter and stick to it because statistically, that increases their chances of getting it right.
Making it a reality
However, writing a textbook requires time, research and a lot of reviews. Sanyogita said, “In the 10th grade, I began mapping out the book on a Word document. When you begin writing a 160-page textbook, it is quite overwhelming. Slowly, once I had the headings and had broken down everything into chapters, I started adding sub-chapters and explanations. I also have around 85 graphs in my book.”
She said drawing all those graphs was time-consuming. She had to draw them on paper and then use Adobe Illustrator to make a digital copy. This took a lot of time to complete.
Once her 11th grade began, she used a platform called Overleaf, where she used LaTeX code to design books. “The entire 160 pages took around 8,000 lines of LaTeX code,” she added. Interestingly, she taught herself coding in the 11th grade to make the book — using YouTube to figure it out.
“I realised I could not publish the Google Docs file. I had put so much effort into it, and it did not look good. Essentially, it looked like a Google Docs file, not a textbook. Canva did not look realistic since I had to do every page over and over again. It did not make sense at all. Then I came across LaTeX online and watched some YouTube videos about it and thought, ‘Yes, let’s use it. ‘”
One of her biggest challenges was the size of the project. There were just notes with no structure, bullet points, and she had to bring out a story from them all. LaTeX code was also challenging for her. She explained that even if she messed up a single comma, the entire code would collapse.
Also Read: Dhanujakumari’s journey from waste collector to University syllabus
The positive reception of the book
AP Microeconomics by Sanyogita Bobba. (Supplied)
Publishing the book was another challenge. “I wanted to make sure the book was available internationally. In India, I found a publisher named Notion Press, and in the US, I thought of doing it through Amazon KDP. However, both wanted different things, so I had to change the textbook to their respective needs. I actually had to design two different covers because one was accepted in India and the other was accepted by Amazon,” she added.
Speaking about the reactions she received after the textbook was published, she said all her teachers were happy for her. She added that her economics teacher was really proud and kept saying that she was his first ever student to write a textbook.
“When I first told my friends I was doing it, everyone thought I was joking. When I actually got the textbook to school in September, everyone was really happy, and it was fulfilling after that journey of writing that book.”
Now, several educators have praised her textbook, including those from Azim Premji University and BITS Pilani. “Honestly, this feels incredible because these are established people and great institutions. It’s great to see them be positive about the book and the support I got. I did not expect such positive responses,” she said.
Delivering a message to others, Sanyogita said that you are never too young to do anything. “When I first started writing the textbook, I honestly did wonder if anyone actually was going to use this. I am a student, so why would they trust me? I did think about just publishing it as study notes. However, it was the support from my friends and family that pushed me to do this.”
“If you have an idea and you know that whatever you are working on would do well, then you shouldn’t be afraid to share that and do more work on that, regardless of your age,” she added.
Sanyogita’s textbook is available in paperback and hardcover on Amazon, Flipkart, Barnes & Noble, Notion Press, and other select educational stores worldwide.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
