How hard is Statistics?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am starting my ADN program this Fall. After that I am going to go directly into an RN-BSN program. I need Statistics as a pre-req so I'm going to take it during this summer quarter. I have not taken any college math since my senior year in high school, which I took pre-calc at the local community college. That qualifies me for Statistics, there is no time limit on the math at my school. I do not like math but it was the only subject I got A's in back then, but it was a struggle. I have all 4.0's in my pre-req's now, but had a 2.9 cum with my first BA. I have to say that having finished A&P and Micro both with a 99% average, am I being silly to be this scared about Statistics. I have been putting this class off because my math in the ADN program is considered higher than Statistics so I only have to take it for BSN and Master's level. Why am I so scared? Should I be? Will the math part be like riding a bike? Whenever there have been math, like dilutions, and converstions in Chemistry I was able to do them once I sat down at home but if I thought about it in class it was way over my head.

Specializes in SRNA.

I took my stats class this spring. I had an awesome instructor!! She really helped make it all click. I got an A and it wasn't too hard. The actual math portion of the class is pretty light...you don't need any sort of fancy calculator or anything.

What really helped me was to learn how to do the problems before trying to understand why I'm doing the problems. Because you're learning how to interpret data from research studies, or surveys, or whatever...it's very easy to get caught up all in all the details about why you do something a certain way or the interpretation of a result, or just the terminology can be confusing.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Great free resource for making statistics comprehensible (if you have the time):

http://www.learner.org/resources/series65.html?pop=yes&vodid=71066&pid=139#

Click on the video icon to the right of each of the 26 programs.

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I am halfway thru my summer Stats class, and I have an A. I think it's fun! I hate math, but I always seem to excel in math classes. I almost vomited walking in the first day, I was so worried! It's not as bad as I thought, you just have to keep up--like everyone else has said

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Specializes in LTC.

I thought stats was pretty easy. I took it when I got my first B.A. in psychology and took a stats class that was for psychology students instead of just the general stats class offered by the math department. I think it depends a lot on your instuctor though. My class was taught my one of the psychology professors who was very understanding of the fact that some of us had severe math anxiety. He let us use our notes and text book on the test because he didn't want anyone to fail because they didn't memorize all the formulas or something silly like that. However, I had a friend who took the regular stats class offered by the math department and has a horrible time with it.

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how come in some schools stats isn't required? i took it as a senior and when i talked to the lady who helped reqister for classes she didn't say anything about stats?

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i find that ADN programs don't require stats, however nearly every bsn program does. Thus I assume if one is doing a ADN-BSN bridge then he/she will also need stats

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Stats was easy for me finished with a 99 average, but I don't think every instructor is the same.

Hopefully your instructor allows you to use a resource sheet with all your formulas. If not, then just work on remembering the formulas because that's all stats really is.

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Why would a nursing student need to take statistics? It's not required at my college, I'm wondering what it has to do with nursing?

It's a generic requirement for BSN.

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I'm also getting ready to take Stat in the summer. Is there anyone who likes Stats I can email if I have any questions or trouble?

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Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

Whew. I feel lucky to have somehow crawled out of statistics with a B. I'm so glad I took it years ago, not knowing I would one day want to be nurse and need that class. I remember being really concerned about maintaining my high grade point average, but at the end of that trauma, that B was like gold. This is the only class I have ever been faced with a test that I couldn't finish in the time allotted. I had to shrug my shoulders and hand it in with questions unanswered. I still remember that feeling. I have NO idea how I managed a B in that class.

Having said that, I think the professor matters. It also matters how you deal with math along with the content of the class. I sometimes wonder how I would do if I took the class at my current college, several years after taking it the first time. I'm better at math now and etc. But there is no way I'm curious enough to put myself through that again.

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I have generally struggled with math. I'm more of a language person. I decided to take stats online...big mistake! I got a 74 on the first test, then a 46 on the second. I went in, got help and studied my rear off! I got 100% on the final and pulled out with a B. I think if you keep up, practice all the problems as much as possible and get a tutor if you aren't comprehending, then you will be ok. Good luck!

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I hated math, never was any good at it, but I absolutely loved my statistics class. For some reason I found it easy to understand and got an A in it.

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