Professor Elisabeth Sadoulet (sadoulet@are.berkeley.edu)
GSI Clair Null (clair@are.berkeley.edu)
Lectures: Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-11 am, 141 Giannini Hall
Sections: Wednesday 9-10 am (109 Morgan Hall)
4-5 pm (116 Haviland Hall)
Office Hours
Professor Sadoulet: Friday 4-5:30 pm (213 Giannini Hall)
GSI Clair Null: Friday 9:30-10:30 am (317 Giannini Hall)
Additionally, on Mondays before problem sets are due Clair will have another office hour from 2:45-3:45 pm (317 Giannini Hall).
Syllabus
Daily Assignments
Handouts
Problem Sets
Exams from previous years
ANNOUNCEMENTS
· December 6
In lecture today, Professor Sadoulet gave a little bit more information about the final.
· December 5
I want to clarify a few things about the old exams and preparations for the final.
1. the class used to cover more time-series material whereas this year we spent more time on panel data than in previous years
2. specifically, since how to test and correct for serial correlation will be covered in the last lecture, there will not be questions on that material on this year’s exam (though you are responsible for knowing what serial correlation is)
3. we did not cover instrumental variables this year, so you can ignore any old problems that mention them
4. the regression printout on the old exams may be confusing since it was from a different software package than Stata, but it’s not so different that the confusion should prevent you from being able to do the problems; for this year’s exam regression output will come from Stata so just be sure you know how to read the important numbers that way
5. notice from the old exams that there will be both quantitative problems as well as problems that are more word-y (asking you to describe how to do something or explain a concept)
Also, in section today I mentioned a job opportunity at the Federal Reserve (using your econometric skills!). I was a research assistant in the Fed’s International Finance Division before coming to graduate school and I loved it. I’d be happy to chat with you more about the job if you’re interested. Applications are due Jan 31. Check out the website for more information.
http://www.federalreserve.gov/careers/ra.htm
· November 27
Since several of you have asked, I wanted to clarify that answer keys for the old final exams will not be posted. We solved several problems in section on 11/21 so you might want to try to find someone who was there to study with. I am happy to work through problems in my office hours and at the review session. However, the day before the final I will not outright solve problems in my “crisis” office hours; you can ask specific questions but don’t expect full solutions from me at that late point.
With the end of the semester approaching, here is some scheduling information:
Weds 12/5 5-6pm Clair’s pre-problem set extra office hours (Giannini 201)
Thurs 12/6 9:30am PS6 due
Fri 12/7 9:30-10:30 Clair’s last regular office hours
Weds 12/12 6-8pm final exam review session (place TBA); PS6 returned
Fri 12/14 11:15am-12:15pm Clair’s “crisis” office hours (see note above)
Sat 12/15 8-11am final exam (159 Mulford)
· November 8
I strongly urge everyone to work through the activity that Clair prepared for Section yesterday (available on the Section Materials page). It is essential that you completely understand the workings of dummy variables and interaction terms and the questions on her worksheet are a good way to confirm that you really know the material. If you’re not sure about any part of that worksheet, I encourage you again to come to either Clair’s or my office hours for extra help. –Professor Sadoulet
· October 25
Clair’s office hours for tomorrow are canceled. If you were planning to see me, send me an email and I can arrange a different time to meet with you.
· October 16
The midterm is next Tuesday (10/23) during class. It will cover all the material we have seen in lectures, including this Thursday’s. You do not need to bring bluebooks, but you should have a small calculator. Old midterms are posted on the course website; at least one problem on the midterm will be from these exams and at least one other one will come from the practice exercises, so working through these examples is the best way to prepare. Clair will have a review session on Sunday (10/21) from 6-8 pm in our regular classroom (Giannini 141). Since this is after hours for the building, she will have to let everyone in - BE PROMPT (or have the cell phone number of someone in the class who is willing to leave the review to open the door for you). Clair will open the main door to Giannini at 6. We will spend the first 20-30 minutes outlining the concepts we have covered, but the rest of the time is just for you to ask questions, so come prepared.
· October 2
Clair will return Assignments 1 & 2 in section on Wednesday. On Thursday (10/4) from 2-3 (either in her office or down the hall) she will have extra office hours to go over the first two assignments and clear up any confusion for those who did not do well. She will not discuss any new material (including Assignment 3) at these special office hours.
· September 18
Problem Set 2 is now posted (as of noon) and I think the problems with our website when viewed from wireless internet connections are fixed. I have posted my log files from yesterday evening’s Stata tutorial sessions on the Section Materials part of this website. There are also some other pointers that I should have mentioned but forgot to yesterday along with the log files.
· September 16
Remember that we will have a second Stata tutorial session tomorrow (Monday) in 1535 Tolman from 5-6 pm and 6-7 pm. This is a computer lab where Stata is installed so everyone can follow along. However, if you plan to use your own laptop to do most of your homework, you might want to bring that so that you can practice in the exact same environment that you will normally be using. We will review the commands I introduced at the first session and also talk about some new ones that you might find helpful for the homework.
· September 6
Problem Set 1 was corrected at 8:30 am today (the new version is now posted). If you have already downloaded it, the corrections are that problems 1a and 1d should ask you for the probability density function (instead of the probability distribution). In problem 1a we’re talking about the conditional probability density function.
· September 4
Textbooks on reserve
The library wanted to have all of our textbooks in one place rather than split between two branches, so they are all at Moffitt now. You can search Gladis under “Sadoulet” for the instructor or under courses “ENVE 118” (apparently they use different abbreviations for departments). The call numbers are:
HB139.W665 2000
HB139.W665 2003
HB139.W665 2003 copy x1
MOFF 116 copy 1, 2, and 3
· September 3
Location for Intro to Stata Session (Wednesday 9/5, 5:30-7)
We have had difficulty scheduling a room but we will try to meet in our regular classroom (Giannini 141). If it is occupied we will look for another room in the building (I will leave a note on the door of 141 for late-comers if we are somewhere else). Also, since this is after-hours, there is a possibility that Giannini will be locked. If that is the case, I will come to the main door of Giannini to let people in at 5:30. If you know you are going to be late, you should arrange to buzz a friend’s cell phone to ask them to let you in when you arrive.
· August 25
Registration
As of posting this information, there are still some spots available if you register under the IAS course number, though the ARE course number is fully subscribed and even has a waitlist. The two course numbers are associated with exactly the same course and will count equally toward your graduation requirements if you are an EEP student.
Text
We will use Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach, by Jeffrey M. Wooldridge. The most recent edition is the 3rd, but earlier editions are acceptable substitutes. There will be 6 copies on reserve at Moffitt Library and 3 copies on reserve at the Business & Economics Library. Reserve call numbers will be posted here when they are available.
Software
Problem sets will require you to use a data analysis and statistical software program called Stata. We will provide access to the software on three computer terminals in the College of Natural Resources’ Student Resource Center (260 Mulford Hall, Monday-Friday 9 am - 5 pm). Students who are not in CNR can obtain a computer account in the SRC for the duration of the semester (details will be provided during the first week of classes).
If you want to purchase your own copy of the software for your laptop or home computer, a single-user one-year license through Berkeley’s GradPlan costs $48 (Small Stata is sufficient for this course). Software is delivered to campus for pick-up within a few days of online purchase. See http://www.stata.com/order/schoollist.html to purchase (select CA, then UCB, then product code SMSOFTAGS).
Clair will hold an optional Introduction to Stata session on Wednesday Sept. 5 from 5:30-7 pm (location T.B.A.) to go over some of the basic commands you will need in order to use the software.