ECON300 in 16 Pages

During the spring of my freshman year, I was enrolled in Quantitative Methods of Economics. I attended three classes per week: the first two classes covered topics relevant to econometrics, while the other was a data-based lab that introduced me to statistical computing tools. By the end of the course, I became proficient in Stata, a general-purpose statistical software, and completed several assignments through the platform.

I can now summarize and analyze large sets of data through Stata programming. I can present these findings through various mediums, such as histograms, bar charts, dot plots, and scatter plots. With the help of the Quantitative Analysis Center tutors, I learned to refine my graphs, adding appropriate titles, labels, and colors to present the data in an appealing, understandable manner.

Furthermore, I’m able to process and transform datasets when necessary. If, for instance, I need to analyze a specific range of data, I can limit the observations included or even remove unneeded variables. My final project for the class was an empirical analysis paper, complete with an interpretation of real-world data and several visual representations.

My 16-page final paper considered the effect of educational attainment on the number of children a woman has. As a prospective environmental studies major, this topic was incredibly important to me: many of the world’s most pressing environmental issues stem from the influence of our growing population. I evaluated three literary sources whose findings corroborated my studies. I also sourced data from IPUMS (United States) on women’s marital status, educational attainment, number of children, and labor status. I created two tables in Stata: Table One displayed my variables and provided a preliminary analysis of them, and Table Two considered the relationship between education and fertility. My statistical programming skills allowed me to run a regression analysis to examine the causality between my independent and dependent variables. I ultimately concluded that increased educational attainment decreases the number of children born to women. The semester-long process taught me valuable technical skills that I’m excited to utilize in future economics and analytical work.