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Behavioral Statistics in Action Book Cover Image
Behavioral Statistics in Action, 3/e
Mark W. Vernoy, Palomar College
Diana J. Kyle, Fullerton College


Tips to Succeed

Tips to Succeed

Doing well in any college level course requires a lot of work, and statistics is no exception. Successful study strategies involve setting priorities, allocating sufficient study time, and taking an active approach to the course material. The following are suggestions to help you establish a study strategy that works best for you.

1. Attend all lectures.

The information you learn in a statistics class is cumulative. Comprehension of topics and concepts learned in the beginning of the course is imperative for understanding the topics and concepts presented later. Missing a class, even one, may cause difficulty with the rest of the course material.

2. Prioritize and organize your study time into daily and weekly patterns of effectiveness.

Study time (and selecting the time of day in which you learn best) is a key element to success in any class, especially statistics. You must have time to read the book, review notes, do the practice problems, visit the online learning center, and complete all the homework problems. When students maintain regular study hours, utilizing the timeframes in which they learn best, study sessions are more productive.Considering the time demands placed on most of us, finding a regular time to study may seem difficult. In addition to scheduling a routine study time, a good time management strategy helps in many ways. For instance, you will know in advance when you are the busiest and you can plan to get things done ahead of time so your study time isn't disrupted. We all have wasted or dead time here and there in our lives. When unproductive time is minimized and good time strategies are followed, stress is reduced and most people feel better and are more productive. The links listed below are good resources to evaluate the time demands on your life and identify wasted or dead time. The surveys and worksheets will help you establish a realistic time schedule with regular study sessions. When your study schedule is set, you may find it helpful to record these times on a "Study Schedule" form.

The Basics of Effective Learning: Evaluating Your Schedule
Bucks Community College
Includes a time evaluation worksheet and a weekly schedule form.

Time Management Tips
George Mason University
Offers a Personal Time Survey and Study Time Formulas

3. Study in an environment conducive to learning.

Where you study is important. The study environment can have a major impact on the quality of your study. Distractions interrupt your concentration. Poor lighting or inadequate desk space are deterrents to efficient study. A good study environment is a tool for good study practices. The link below may be a useful resource to help you evaluate the places you study and decide what is the best study environment for you.

Study Environment Analysis
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
An online questionnaire with automated scoring.

4. Take an active-learning approach in class and to studying statistics.

Actively pursue understanding in class. Listening is critical. Listen carefully to your professor; pay close attention to the concepts and look for familiar themes and patterns. Don't try to write every word your professor says verbatim. Listening is more important. When there is a break in the explanation or discussion, summarize the information. You may find a concept diagram is useful and easier to understand outside of class. If you have difficulty understanding a concept in class, don't assume you can figure it out later. Ask questions.Moreover, come to class prepared to work all the demonstration problems along with your professor. Each chapter in Behavioral Statistics in Action has visual summaries of the computation formulas. These summaries are available on this website and can be easily printed. Bring the visual summaries to class to follow the professor's demonstration and computations. Later, when you do the homework, you will have this additional resource with your notes.Bring your book to class and follow along in the book as the professor lectures. When you take notes, include the page numbers from the book. Use the same pattern of note taking throughout the entire class. This will allow you to easily understand notes on previous chapters. Lastly, make a habit of reading through your lecture notes after each class to make sure they are easily understood.Outside of class, keep paper, pencils, and a calculator handy where you study. As you read the chapter, work all the numerical examples in the book. Highlight important concepts and write questions in the margins of your text. When the professor discusses this area of the material, ask questions. Copy and rework the problems demonstrated in class. This adds invaluable practice. When you complete a major section of the book, take the concept quiz and find out whether you know the concepts sufficiently to proceed to the next section.

5. Use your resources.

Students have at least three resources for information about statistics: your professor, the book, and student colleagues. All three can be helpful, but your professor can be extremely so. Don't be afraid to approach the professor. Ask for help as soon as you need it, clear up questions as they arise, and ask questions in class if you don't quite understand something. Not only do statistics professors know the material backwards and forwards, but most of them have experience in pinpointing the cause of students' confusion.Make friends with students in your class quickly and form study groups. These students are a good source of information. If you miss a lecture or don't quite understand a small point, a student colleague can sometimes provide a comment that will eliminate the problem. In turn, helping fellow students will benefit you too. When you shed light on specific concepts for other students, you further clarify those concepts for yourself. Take time to get to know your fellow students.

6. If you have math or stat anxiety, you aren't alone. There is help.

Most universities understand the debilitating nature of this problem and provide excellent programs and support groups to help. Take time to check out the sources of help on your campus. This may be one of the best decisions you make as an undergraduate.

7. Maintain a sense of humor.

Yes, humor and statistics go together quite nicely. As a matter of fact, many professors do their best to put a little humor in their classes. Why? Humor reduces anxiety for most people. In a statistics class, anxious students may have difficulty focusing on topics or listening in class. When you have time, check out statistic humor. A good source for statistics stories and jokes is Gary C. Ramseyer's Archives of Statistics Fun, http://www.ilstu.edu/~gcramsey/FunArchives.html

 

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