I Hate Statistics!!!!

alexillytom · Jul 30, 2004

Oh, I am so afraid. Taking it in the Fall and have heard nothing good about it.

DeanG · Jul 30, 2004

82.4% of college students claim they hate statisitcs. 2 out of 5 Math majors hate statistics. With out them I could have not posted this reply, oh and Cosmo would be boring.

mariedoreen · Jul 30, 2004

LOL GMD! I have to say that out of all the classes I've taken, Statistics was at the bottom for feeling like I'd learned anything meaningful. The most I got out of it was the importance in taking a deeper look at statistics that are put in front of us.. they are often designed in such a way as to skew the information towards a certain slant. So, cool, but I could have gotten that down in less than an hour. As far as the rest of it, I felt like I was learning a foreign language and was never quite sure which formula went with which "problem" and why. I was always able to pull it off, and through total hard work was able to leave the class with an A+ but can't say that I got a lot out of it unfortunately.

Fox · Jul 31, 2004

Hello,

Do anybody know any websites for Stat?

Thanks

nontrad1964 · Jul 31, 2004

I liked stats, but never made it through algrebra. Stats uses real life stuff and that makes it seem more logical to me. I had that attitude that math will never be used in real life sinced trying to learn algebra in junior high.

Well, while in the middle of the course i was reading a newspaper article and the theory of it all made sense. It mentioned that the research data may have been skewed by external events. I had such a great sense of pride understanding the concept they stated in the article.

I talkd to a BSN and she said lots of the info in nursing journals is in that form.

shyne · Jul 31, 2004

I didn't really care for statistics either, but I was lucky to have a very easy teacher though.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2004

Psychology based statistics course? Could you tell me what that is.

I took this during school. It was basically a stats course through the psychology department rather than through the math department. I believe the focus was more on graphing research studies than on actual mathematics, so our nursing school recommended to take this course instead of the math one if possible. They felt it would better prepare us for graduate school should we chose to do that later on.

I hated every second of it. We had a grad student teaching the course as part of her program, and the woman had no clue how to TEACH. She just rambled on and on with her back to the class, writing on the overhead or board, and not paying attention to 90% of the class looking dazed and confused. When we would ask questions, she'd get frustrated that we didn't understand something that was so easy for her. HORRIBLE teacher, HORRIBLE class. It's one of the reasons I have no desire to go for my MSN - I'd rather shoot myself in the foot than deal with statistics again.

By some miracle, I passed the course with a C+.

ETA: I should point out that I'm a "math" person normally who got B's in honors Calculus in high school, but I still do NOT understand statistics. BTW, I hear they have a "Statistics for Dummies" or a "The Idiot's Guide to Statistics" out there now - check them out!!!

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Jul 31, 2004

I never felt like I "got" statistics. I did OK--got a B, and then was a teaching assistant in the course! Terrified I wouldn't be able to answer a student's question, I prepared like mad for each lab section I was responsible for. My students actually said they understood stat lectures because of our lab!!!

Wish it had worked that way for me!

Later, I felt like I really didn't get it well enough to trust myself, so I retook the class. It stil didn't mesh.

Could be, it really is simple and we are making too much out of it. It's easy to be put off by the Greek symbols, but really, that's not much different than learning any other part of language.

Bottom line: it seems to help me sometimes when hearing or reading statistical reports in the press, when I am in an editing mode and alert to catching errors. It does help when I am reading a journal article or online article, and some measure of central tendency (I remembered something!) is mentioned or discussed. It helps a little with critical thinking (although I think I got that pegged mostly from research class and being a thinker in general).

But mostly, when I get around to doing research, and I hope I get there someday, I'll know when I go to get help from somebody who knows what they are doing, that I didn't have to recall all the little nuances at the drop of a hat.

And you won't have to either.

Stat classes taught in schools of social work are usually a little less challenging. Or you might try an online class if your school has them or accepts them. At least then, you are spared the boring lectures (our prof used to come in wearing a gorilla suit, etc.--it helped a little), and you can test when you are ready, not when the calendar or the clock tells you to.

Good luck!

GracefulRN · Aug 5, 2004

Thanks. I'm planning on taking statistics next semester and you're not making me feel any better about it. I've heard nothing good about it. But it must be an important course. :)

Sorry 3rdShiftGuy, but you'll get through it, just keep repeating "I can do anything for 16 weeks, I can do anything for 16 weeks" until it becomes your mantra. This is no gaurantee that at some point you won't slip into a"There's no place like home" madness, but it might help you from going completely insane.

Graceful

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 5, 2004

Sorry 3rdShiftGuy, but you'll get through it, just keep repeating "I can do anything for 16 weeks, I can do anything for 16 weeks" until it becomes your mantra. This is no gaurantee that at some point you won't slip into a"There's no place like home" madness, but it might help you from going completely insane.
Graceful

Thanks Graceful! I'm looking forward to it......not. :rotfl:

GracefulRN · Aug 5, 2004

i think i agree with the previous poster. i have yet to take stats... i can take it anytime during nursing school. but i'm not looking forward to it at all.
if you don't like statistics then you just don't like it! i don't think you need to force yourself to love it. you have an a in the course...that says a lot right there. if i were you i'd be happy about it and i'd keep on moving!
btw, it is commendable you want to really understand and appreciate this course.

thanks babyrn_06

i just figured since everyone has to take this !@#@$%%$#%#%@$ course there has to be some logic behind requiring it.

good luck with it. it is a character builder.

graceful

GracefulRN · Aug 5, 2004

Psychology based statistics course? Could you tell me what that is.
I'm taking a regular statistics course now (final next week). It's ok. Can't say that I like it or don't. I always do well in math. Just don't want a job where that's all I do. :chuckle

Well Michelle95 my course had a lot of experimental design and interpreting psychological experiments from journal publications. That part was OK. It is just the mindless plug in X get Y that chaps my hide. I am glad I took the Psyche based one instead of the math.

Aftere 2 years of college calculus the math wasn't the problem. It was just that I took the course online and I never got a feel for how this was going to make me a better nurse.