1. Problem sets do not have to be typed, but please turn in homework that is neat,
easy-to-read, and well-organized. Pay attention to proper spelling,
grammar and punctuation. Try to prepare your homework to a standard that
would be acceptable to your supervisor if it was a document related
to your job. If you make mistakes, you should either erase completely
or start over on a new page to avoid turning in completed homework with
mistakes crossed out (1 point penalty). Do not use "white-out" except
for very minor mistakes. One suggestion would be
to solve all of
your quantitative answers first, and then prepare your final copy.
Remember that the burden is always on the writer to make sure that his/her
writing is clear to the reader. Up to
15% of the total points can be deducted for problem sets that do not follow a
proper, neat and businesslike presentation that is easy to follow.
Your solutions should read like a written report, and if you submit electronic solutions, I
strongly recommend using Word and not Excel. You can only use Excel if you guarantee that: a)
the text is readable, i.e. a minimum 12-point
font size, b) the scaling in the Page Setup is set to 100% of normal size and not reduced, and c)
the print option is set to portrait, and not landscape.
2. Identical problem sets are not allowed and will be marked down if submitted, i.e. you will share the points. Working in groups is OK, but each student should turn in their own 100%, completely original work without any copying any of your essays from the notes, the textbook, or from other students. For example, there should be absolutely no instances where the exact same sentence appears in the problem set of two or more students. To further clarify, if work is prepared electronically in Word or Excel, the exact same, identical work (e.g. same essays, same tables, same diagrams or any identical text or spreadsheets) should not be submitted by two or more students. Also, there should be no cases where essays are copied from the notes, the textbook or from any other sources (e.g. Internet).
3. Essays and explanations should be written in full sentences with proper punctuation, not in shorthand or using symbols, arrows or abbreviations. In most cases, an essay of a minimum of one full paragraph of at least several sentences will be required to completely answer the question asked and qualify for full credit. One or two sentence essays will not receive full credit.
4. Problem sets will be handed out in class, and will not be otherwise available on my website or through Blackboard. Problem sets are due at the beginning of the class period on the day that they are due, and an assignment may be considered late if it is not turned in at the beginning of the class period. Working on the problem sets during the class period on the day they are due is strictly prohibited. If you do not have the problem sets completed, please turn in whatever work you have done at the beginning of class. Penalties for late homework will increase during the semester, and are counted by the number of each late calendar day after the assignment due date (not the number of class periods).
5. Show all work to support your final answer to receive full credit. For calculator solutions, you can show the calculator keystrokes that you used to get your answer.
6. Multiple pages MUST be stapled together with ONE staple only, in the upper left hand corner (1 point penalty), no paper clips please.
7. All numbers should be labeled with appropriate units, e.g. 4%, 4 years, $4m, etc. to avoid penalty of 1 point for every 4 unlabeled numbers.
8. NO red ink please.
9. Clearly and carefully label all graphs and diagrams, with appropriate units or labels on each axis and other parts of the graph, and be sure to make graphs large enough to be readable.
10. Please use full-size sheets of standard (8 1/2 x 11 inch) size paper without any frayed edges, i.e. please do not use paper torn out of a notebook (1 point penalty), and please do not use legal size paper. If problem sets are not typed, please use only lined paper. Please write inside the margins of the paper, and be aware that any writing outside the margins will not be considered. Under no circumstances should any solutions be turned in that are written on the original problem sets handed out in class.
11. No plastic folders please.
12. Complete and detailed solutions for each problem set will be gone over in class, but will not be posted or available in hard copy or soft (electronic) versions subsequently. In addition, I will try to indicate the correct solutions on your assignments when they are graded. Therefore, it is very important to: a) complete each problem set, b) show your work on each problem, and c) attempt to answer all problems on each problem set, so that I can assign partial credit and indicate the correct solutions for you. Also, it is important that you pay close attention to the solutions discussed in class, since copies of the solutions will not be available otherwise.
13. You should present all solution in the correct order from the first problem to the last problem, please do not change the order of the questions when you prepare your answers. Also, please clearly label each part of your answer with the appropriate letters (a, b, c, etc.), and please do not combine solutions to more than one section together (e.g. do not combine a and b together, answer each part separately).
14. There is only one question that I cannot answer about the
Problem Sets, and that is some variation of the following question: "Here is my
completed work for one of the questions, this is my solution, do I have the
correct answer?" Other than that one question, you can always ask for
clarification on any of the questions or the general procedure, formulas, etc. To
clarify, think of the Problem Sets as take-home, open-book, open-note exams
that cannot be pre-graded before they are submitted!
15. Please limit the use of color in your problem sets for tables, graphs
and figures, etc.
16. Do not use any footnotes.
17. Do not include a cover page.