How hard is Statistics?

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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.

I did ok in algebra and such, but people say that stats is a lot different. True??

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
I did ok in algebra and such, but people say that stats is a lot different. True??

Its almost not math. (think thats why I liked it the best out off all my math classes:lol2: ) It is hard to explain, you'll see. My teacher taught college algebra as well as statistics, he said "You'll never use 90% of the stuff you learn in an algebra class, you will use everything you learn in this class."

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

I have not taken a statistics class yet, but I will. I find statistics fascinating. I've studied a bit on my own. Those who have taken statistics will notice that my sign-on name is a statistics term. It's my fav word and I spelled it wrong!

Anyway, I think many might find the class interesting because it's more 'real world' and has such interesting applications. Compared to say...polynomials in algebra...GAG.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

Statistics is not bad if you have a descent professor. As an undergrad I had a lousy professor. In graduate school I had a good one and I finally understand most of it! In fact, I recently finished an internship doing statistical analysis in a Health Care setting and I did extremely well. Good luck.

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

I took Statistics and dropped it. It was a Saturday course and the instructor was lousy. He started in the middle of the book and it was way over my head. I could't understand anythig. I thought is it just me or is this guy an @$$? When we went out for break all the students were shaking their heads and said the teacher was terrible so I knew it wasn't just me. I've never gone back. When I'm going for my BSN I will take statistics then from a different instructor and not a Saturday course that is short term.

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Thanks everyone for your comments. It really helped going into this class. I was sooooo nervous. I have a great instructor and got 100% on my first quiz and just got my first test back and got 100%. He says it is going to get harder for the next 4 tests, which are every week. We'll see how it goes. I'm taking this class during summer quarter but it definitely is a good break from all the studying required in a&p and micro!!!!

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Maybe it was the teacher(he was awesome) but I thought it was way easier then Algebra. Good luck :)

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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?

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
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?

Every BSN program I have ever seen requires statistics. It is necessary knowledge for understanding research and studies.

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I would rather do a geometry proof than anything in statistics. Of all the math courses I successfully completed (I dropped calculus my first semester of college...I got a 32 on my first exam...the class average was like a 45 or 50!), my two semesters of statistics probably left me the most absent-minded. Statistics requires a different state of mind than other math courses. Some people get it and some people--like me--just don't! It's not impossible, but for me, it wasn't the most interesting or enlightening subject. Good luck!

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Stat is easy. We need it for the research classes. It is required for the BSN program since it covers more research. It does make sense though.

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I dropped it twice. Decided to get my bachelor's degee in health science, the math pre-req for it is finite math, which I already passed with an "A". I just couldn't get my brain around statistics, even though I'd never had any problems with Algebra, ect.

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