Probability and statistics

Category: Cram Session

Post 1 by V.I. p (Zone BBS Addict) on Wednesday, 10-Jan-2007 12:20:10

Hi all!
I have a friend who is in the process of taking prob. and stats. Any ideas on how a v.i. person can pass the class and make this stuff easier to learn. (websites, books that make it simple, etc)
Any tips or personal experiences at all would be great.
Thanks,
V.I. p

Post 2 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Wednesday, 10-Jan-2007 18:10:13

I found stats very hard, and in fact, didn't understand it till I got to tests and measurements classes where I had to apply the stuff. That was years ago, and happily, there are way better tools than there used to be. Kurzweil has a statistical calculator built into it, and I believe the latest version of Keysoft also has one. Good luck.

Lou

Post 3 by blbobby (Ooo you're gona like this!) on Wednesday, 10-Jan-2007 23:59:05

I personally found stats a breeze, but that wasn't the first indication that my parents had that there was something weird going on here.

Seriously, the trick to stats is firstly, learn when to apply the particular stat, and secondly, memorize the formula. Don't worry about why the formulae works, or you'll be weirder than I was.

Bob

Post 4 by tunedtochords (Zone BBS is my Life) on Thursday, 11-Jan-2007 5:51:50

I agree with blbobby. Stats was actually the only form of math I ever got, haha. (I took a college level course while in high school because I knew that precalc or calc was beyond me.)

The notetakers out there (braille note and pacmate) both have scientific calculators that do statistical functions. And as far as drawing graphs goes, the good old Perkins brailler was what I used for that stuff.

Post 5 by blbobby (Ooo you're gona like this!) on Thursday, 11-Jan-2007 7:46:28

When I took stats back in the dark ages, I had to use a braille slide rule which was as accurate as George Bush's assessment of the war in Iraq, (not very accurate).

However, the American Foundation for the Blind sold a rubber mat that had the x and y lines drawn on it just like a piece of graph paper. You used map pins to mark positions on the cartisian plane, and rubber bands to show the slopes etc. It really helpped me understand how various formulas turned out very eligant and beautiful graphs. I never would have understood the beauty of statistics without it.

Oh yes, there was also a very patient math instructor who took the time to re-shape my negative attitude toward math to a love.

Bob

Post 6 by V.I. p (Zone BBS Addict) on Thursday, 11-Jan-2007 12:04:07

Thanks, I'll pass on the info!