Statistics
can be pretty intimidating, especially during exams. You might
wonder why other students constantly get a higher score than you. It all goes
down to the different learning techniques most of the time. Strategies
and study tips for statistics students can separate the top
students from those who have low performance in school.
Study Tips for Statistics Students
Here
are some of the strategies and study tips for statistics students. These have
all been proven effective in improving the student’s memory retention,
understanding, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Relaxation Techniques
More
than 70% of the students are experiencing Math anxiety problems. It
is not to be taken lightly, mainly if your course deals with math all of the
time. You can do relaxation techniques to surpass your math anxiety,
such as meditating, listening to your favorite song, or even a simple breathing
exercise. College organizations are well aware of this problem;
thus, they offer counseling and advice to those students suffering from math
anxiety.
Make it a Habit to Review your Exercises and Homework
Review your homework and school exercises. Spot your mistakes and analyze what went wrong. Try to focus more on the lessons you fumbled, and after you perfectly understand the lesson, you can move on and review your other studies. Take it one topic at a time. Never disregard the basics since they will serve as your solid foundation.
Don’t Just Memorize, Understand It
It
is essential to memorize definitions but don’t just stop there. Try
understanding these terms and see if you can cite an example of them in
real-life situations. Remembering the word is just the beginning of it. You
will need to be able to comprehend these materials in various ways. Try to
explain the terms using your own words.
Create a Study Group
Form
a study group. Be sure to find an honest study group, and you will
not just waste your time gossiping about the latest trend in pop culture or
about the update of the hottest guy or girl on campus. Challenge
each other in answering challenging statistic problems.
Know the Steps
Problems
in statistics will make sense if you understand them from both
endpoints. You can’t just memorize the steps of solving the problem;
you must understand the process of solving the statistical
problems. Answer problems in your textbook, homework, quiz, and even
on the internet as many as possible. Remember, you do not need to
memorize the formula, but you must understand the concept.
Your Instructor is Your Friend
Always
remember that your Professor is your teacher and not your enemy. Attend review
classes if you have one. Visit him during a vacant period and ask him the most
challenging question you can’t understand. Do not be shy to ask
questions during class discussions.
Manage Your Time
Distribute
your review time accordingly. It is not advisable to review for
straight 5 hours each week. Separate it into an hour a day and take
time off on the 7th day of the week. Remember that all work and
no play make Jack a dull boy.
Succeed in Your Statistics Class
If
this is your first year taking a statistics class, you will learn that things
are not as easy as they seem, especially if you hate numbers. You need to get
used to the idea of encountering different formulations. Nonetheless, we will help
you survive by following some of these tips.
Attend All Your Class Within the First Month
Some
people may think that this may seem too obvious. However, you will be surprised
at how many students fail in this matter. Based on the statistics, about
25%-50% of the students will drop out or change their course within the first
month since they believe they are getting behind. It will be difficult for you
to miss a topic in the statistics class during the first few weeks since all
the basic principles will be discussed that will help you tackle the more complex
task later on. Think about it as your standard math subject during your younger
years. If you fail to understand addition and subtraction, you will find
multiplication and division complex.
Choose Your Calculator Wisely
Choosing
a TI-89 or TI-83 calculator in your statistics class would be best. There’s a
chance that your Professor will require you to do things manually during the course.
However, what’s more important is during the test. You will soon find out that
a graphing calculator is extremely valuable. Also, know that these calculators
allow you to save formulas, which will make things more convenient for you.
Take Advantage of the Excel Features
Another
tool that you will find invaluable during your first year in the statistics
class would be Microsoft Excel, especially when designing graphs and charts.
Creating some graphs, even the simple linear regression, can be pretty
overwhelming for the first-year student. With the dynamic feature of Excel, things
have become more manageable. With this, you can easily alter the inputs after making
the graph. It will give you an insight into how some factors can influence your
chart.
Learn the Definition
Statistics
are primarily composed of numbers, but you should not easily disregard the
theories and definitions since they are equally important. Your first-year
class will mainly include the discussion of elementary statistics, which will serve
as your foundation for the more intricate task later on. Think of this as following
a recipe; if you don’t add the right amount of flour, you can’t bake a tasty cake.
Do Your Homework Early
Finally,
you should never leave your homework left undone. It would be best to complete
all your assignments the night before your class. Some may think that it is too
obvious, but for new students of statistics, missing homework is too familiar
to them. Reports also said that those who deal with their homework on Sunday
night receive the lowest grade. In your first week, you might think that things
are too easy, causing you to neglect your assignment, cram, and make apparent
mistakes. Later, when the homework requires some lengthy explanations and
computations, you will be overwhelmed. Remember that it is quite common for statistics
students to spend half an hour on a single question. Imagine getting stuck on a
particular question; it will take you forever to complete your assignments.
Our
strategies and study tips for statistics students are not
meant to scare you. We simply want to give you a short glimpse into the
university life you chose. By following some of the tips here, you can avoid
some of the common mistakes that the students often commit.
I would have to say that creating a study group works for me. Just make sure to strictly follow a schedule. Otherwise, your tume will be wasted gossiping about all things possible except the stat lesson.
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