Statistics

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Oct 2, 2005

Just make sure you do a lot of practice problems before the test is my only recommendation. I got an A in Stats and I just made sure I did lots of practice problems and got with my instructor about the ones I kept messing up on.

Good luck!

suzanne4, RN · Oct 2, 2005

Are you permitted to use a calculator for your exam? If so, there are business calculators out there for doing statistics problems, but you do need to know how to set up the problems. As stated above, the more that you practice, the easier they will become.

LAAngelsFan · Oct 3, 2005

I took Statistics last semester and I took a year in high school. I got an A both times, although . . . I LOVE math! My tips . . . Invest in a calculator that does Statistics. I highly recommend the TI-30XII! I think it's like 15 dollars or less. Don't worry about doing badly on the first test. In my class last semester, a lot of people did horrible on the first test. But, this is true in all classes. You had no idea what the teacher's format was like! If you're teacher is cool, ask for help during his/her office hours. Math teachers usually are pretty cool about helping their students out. Tutors help too!!! Oh, and my teacher encouraged study groups, which helped a lot of people. You would be surprised how many other students are just as frustrated as you are. Hang in there!!! :icon_hug:

nursemomruns · Oct 3, 2005

Anyone have any tips on passing Statistics class? All I need is a C because what you take after applying doesn't count for your entrance GPA, but I still have to make that C. I got a 72 on the first exam. It was open book,but in statistics if you don't get it the book doesn't help. I didn't do badly, we only had 25 questions and I missed the percentile questions. any tips will be appreciated. :uhoh21:

Make sure you understand the concepts so you know why you're doing what you're doing with the formulas. If there is a workbook available for your text, I suggest getting it and using it. Write your formulas on index cards to help you get through calculations quickly. Someone here suggested a book called, "Statistics for people who (think they) hate statistics" by Neil Salkind. I saw that book and it looks like there are some simple explanations for some things, but they kind of skim over things like post hoc tests and are skimpy on SPSS info.

Most importantly, statistics classes tend to build as they go. Meaning you need to understand this week's material before you can understand next week's material. So, if there is something you don't understand, get it clarified right away. It sounds like you are still working on central tendencies and descriptive stats? I am betting that by the time you get to some inferential statistics, it will start making sense.

kayel · Oct 3, 2005

Okay, I have a kind of dorky Statistics question. I took it 19 years ago .. I don't have to take it again and I got an A so I don't even want to upgrade but .. I really don't remember anything from the course itself. Does anyone have any suggestions for a costless refresher? I think I can likely get peer tutoring at the university but if it's something I can do on my own, more's the better.

Thanks for any input!

sunnysideup09 · Oct 3, 2005

Try this link. It was very helpful and easy to understand when I needed some extra explaining also.

http://davidmlane.com/hyperstat/

Christine, RNC, BSN

Anyone have any tips on passing Statistics class? All I need is a C because what you take after applying doesn't count for your entrance GPA, but I still have to make that C. I got a 72 on the first exam. It was open book,but in statistics if you don't get it the book doesn't help. I didn't do badly, we only had 25 questions and I missed the percentile questions. any tips will be appreciated. :uhoh21:

Nathalie · Oct 3, 2005

I took it last semester and I got an A. I dont even know how I got an A. It was all chinese and I did not understand anything. In then end is when it all made sense to me. Before that I never understood anything. I would spend hours studying but when test time would come it would seem so awkward to me. I passed the test before the final and than I got an A on the final. He gave us half the test to take home and than some guy stole the test, ashamed to say, so we got the answers before hand. What did help me was the TI- 83 plus or the TI-84 calculators. They are pretty expanseve. $100 for TI-83 plus and about $120 for TI-84. They are really worth it tho'. I borrowed mine from my friend so it didnt cost me anything. I looked online for good practive problems. What we found was that out teacher used the high school AP exam questions from previous years as our test questions so thats how we would get the answers to our test questions, extra credits, and homework. Try studying those. Apparently alot of teachers use them since they are college level questions. Good Luck to you. Statistics is hard and God knows why we have to take it but we do.