I learned macro economics on my own then in my Ivy League school. They did not teach me anything I did not know. Just pick up a book on general finance and economics to understand what affects markets, then watch the news, the movement of the indexes and gain an understanding of how it works (basically it goes up and down - buy low sell high). If you want to trade for an extra income or a living (nowdays this may be the only option available for graduating students) do that and dont analyze too much. I find it is counterproductive to analyze too intensly, because all the analyzis could be ruined by some news that comes out. Patience and discipline vis a vis your trading system will bring you profits. I have to admit that I am not as profitable as I would like to be, because I am not executing my system with discipline. I get too emotional and loose it. Understand that there are as many traders on NYSE that have HS education as the ones with MBA's and PhDs. Trading stock is not a matter of degrees, it is a matter of personality.
As far as college course take computer science, and programming.. This way if you change your mind about daytrading or fail at it, you have a good set of skills for a trading job on the buyside or in program trading. MOst of what you need to be a good day trader is from the earlier mentioned authors books, not widely studied in college. besides computer couses, economics , stats, can be useful
How important is the knowledge of computer hardwares as opposed to the programming/software side fo it.?
Yup, all the computer, math and finance stuff you can load up on. Then go to law school. That way, when you see other traders go bust, unable to pay bills, see their futures account wiped out by a bogus price spike, lose some $ investing in a downturn, little trouble with the boss, wife beats feet, etc. - it won't bother you a bit because you'll be able to beat it or get the $ back one way or another. Then, you'll know two great truths: (1) Once having been exposed to the legal system, most people would sooner chew their own leg off than go back again and (2) big corporations have all the money in the world to spend but not all the money in the world to spend on just one case. Geo.