ECON 3720

The review below is pretty spot on. If you want as much info as possible, read that. Otherwise, the tl;dr of this course is that you need to attribute the proper amount of time to doing all the little pieces or you will get lost and be unprepared for the midterm and finals. This is *not* the most difficult class in the Econ department, I have no clue why people say that. ECON 3110 (with Maxim Engers) was by far a more technically difficult course, even if he's average GPA is inflated.

Michener is an honest, kinda monotone, nerdy dude. Personally I loved him, but even I had trouble staying awake during the two and a half hour lectures. THIS CLASS IS MORE STATS THAN ECON, so know that if stats isn't your strong suit, be prepared to spend more time than average studying for this class.

First of all, don't take this class if you don't need to. Time-consuming, difficult, and I felt like I left the class with little to no actual skill in statistical analysis besides being able to follow the logic of manipulated lab data. Second, be ready to devote a lot of time to it. What really helps in this class is putting in the effort in looking at the readings. Go through each one multiple times, following along with the data and making sure you really understand what's going on in them. Aside from that, reading the textbook and paying attention in lecture aren't super essential. Michener is pretty funny at times and the only thing I enjoyed about lecture were his stories, which were awesome. Otherwise I pretty much tuned him out. Discussion section is also unnecessary if you're doing the labs well and reading the handouts. Make sure to turn your labs in on time, and be careful about saving data on school computers! I got zeros on a few labs because I accidentally uploaded a blank copy thanks to the storage on school computers. Last, the practice tests he posts are MUCH easier than the real midterm and final, so be sure to study much more than is on those. Overall ended up with a B, which is all I could ask for.

Great course overall. Learned a lot about using STATA and overall econometrics. The professor is very fair and is one of the better teachers at UVA. Still, like the review earlier, he has absolutely no chill. He will not accept excuses for late HW or cheating. He actually brought a few students in our class up on honour charges for cheating on the midterm. Personally, I think this is great because it really encourages you to try your best and ensures an even playing field. Still, if you take this class you need to put in the work or you will have a very difficult time. Labs take around 4 hours each and are due most weeks. Midterm is very straightforward although our class had a hard time with it; the average was a 60. The STATA final is challenging with a very large standard deviation in grades. It was almost a uniform distribution so this can destroy your grade if you blow it off. Study all the past labs and be able to do them rapidly. The in class final was also mildly challenging and focused almost completely on the second half of the course. Overal, put in the time and you will get the grade you want.

Difficult class but if you're an economics major (which I assume you are) you should take it with Michener because he will give you the best foundation for econometric thinking and analysis moving forward. The skills you develop in this course will pay off. Be diligent with the labs and read his handouts. Don't buy into everyone ragging on Michener because even though he is a dry lecturer if you can pay attention in class he gives great examples that help you understand tough concepts that you need to know to do well in the class. If you need coddling don't take this class, be ready to work.

I genuinely did not think Michener cares about whether his students pass or fail, BUT the final grades prove he wants everyone to pass. The averages on tests are in the 60s, which clearly mean he is not testing the correct things or his teaching is poor. The midterm is mostly free response while the final is multiple choice and emphasizes memorization and properties of estimators (be warned). It sucks but you'll make it through. Be sure to take the time to do the entire rough draft for each lab so you will have complete understanding of the material and your group meetings will go quicker. For my class, an 80% overall raw score got you an A, and anywhere between 59%-65% raw score got you a C. It’s doable. You’ll pass if you put in effort. Best of luck.

Yes, this is a hard class. No, I wouldn't take it for fun.
But it is very useful and DEFINITELY take it with Michener.

I actually enjoyed this class. I think the key to doing well is really understanding what kind of class econometrics really is and what Michener really wants people to get out of it. In my opinion, memorization is the key to the class. Don't get too scared off by how difficult some of the conceptional topics can seem. I doubt most people (including me) truly can grasp what exactly the error term really is. With this said, I memorized the handouts, did the homework, and went to class and pulled an A. In some sense, I don't think this class is about how "smart" you are or not. It's definitely more about consistent effort. My biggest advice is don't get too intimidated by some of Michener's tangents like when he'll start doing Calculus on the board, just stick to the handouts! For the tests, memorize the fine details in the handouts and the textbook. I know some people don't recommend reading the textbook but I feel like it really adds context to the handouts so, if possible, try to read both! I honestly think Michener is a fair professor and he does provide the tools to succeed even if the class can be very tedious.

Michener is an incredibly boring lecturer, to be sure. It is very easy to zone out or fall asleep in his class. But the textbook he uses combined with his handouts on Collab are honestly really effective at conveying material, even if you didn't follow his admittedly complex lectures. The lab/group work is enormous though, be ready for a massive problem set basically every week of the semester. They are not even remotely fun. This class is valuable in that I feel very comfortable on STATA now, although the STATA exam is a whole other beast to be reckoned with. And he WILL try to trip you up on the exam. You have to go into them knowing the material backwards and forwards because he will throw you a curveball on every question.

Unless you want to be an Econometrician, do not take this course with Ron Michener. At this University, I've experienced both awesome and bad professors/classes and have never once felt inclined to write a review until now. The average GPA from my section was 2.38 (can be found on VA Grades) while other sections taught by Colmer/Farmer were generally slightly above 3. This class was agonizingly difficult and Michener really doesn't do anything to help you out. Out of 80 students, around 15 either failed or received D's. Michener's class is very STATA heavy, and I felt like I learned a lot about using that software, but overall the pain vastly exceeds the gain. If you are an ECON major, take this with someone other than Ron M. unless you really want to run the gauntlet.

If you absolutely must take this class with Michener, then memorize the handouts and try to learn them before lecture. If you go into lecture without any preparation you will not get anything out of it.

The short answer is that Michener is fair. He's an absolutely no-bullshit guy who structures his class to demand consistent effort. The upside to this is that if you put in the work, especially on labs and memorizing handouts, you will be rewarded on the midterm and final.

Do the labs meticulously - this will help you fully digest course concepts and be ready for test day. Memorize the handouts, as details are very important.

His lectures get a little boring and it can be kind of hard to figure out what you need to listen to, but if you stick to what's on the handouts and in the textbook, you should be fine. Boring guy but goes over what you need to know if you can push through it.

Don't try to turn things in late and don't mess up the lab turn-in process. Many people see this as unfair and unnecessary, but it shouldn't be a problem as long as you stay on top of it.

Didn't really watch the videos but they can be helpful if you need to go over how to do something in Stata.

Additionally, learning to use Stata is very helpful and it is a neat tool to have at your disposal.