Is an intro statistics class in college difficult?

Question

I would especially like to hear an answer from people who tend to struggle at math, as while I'm not awful at math I'm not great at it. I just want to have an idea on what to expect from this course, as it's required for my major.

Answer 1

Usually not. Yes, there's some basic algebra, but it's actually pretty easy at most schools. Most schools have an into statistics class for math/science majors, and another for those who aren't in those majors.

I'm bad at math. Never took calculus. I thought the class was easy. The math part doesn't go much further than figuring out mode, mean, and median. Otherwise, a lot of the rest of the class goes into how statistics are used in things like research. Not really math related stuff.

Now, my engineering roommate saw the stuff I had to do. I think he said the math I had to do during that whole class was basically covered in the first chapter of his "real" statistics class.

Answer 2

No. It's really not. Most of the math can be done with a graphing calculator. (TI-83s have the functions that you'll need for like.. binomials, probability, normal distributions, etc. All you need to do is remember how to do all those functions on the calculator.) You might learn how to do statistics on a computer, too, I'm not sure. It varies from course to course.

And statistics is mostly for analytical purposes. That means there's minimal math and mostly words. You have to be good with words in order to clearly analyze experimental results. And having a good memory helps. There is a lot of vocabulary.

Since it's an intro course, I'm sure you won't be covering extremely difficult topics requiring calculus-level math. But there is still a possibility that you will struggle with this course because of the mathematical concepts. The probability, especially, is kind of challenging because it's not quite straightfoward, and you need to really understand it in order to use other programs, such as a calculator, to solve for certain probabilities and reach certain conclusions. If you have any problems at all with the math, make sure you seek help right away. Don't think that you'll figure it out later. Even if you may, it's best to get help. It'll be a lot easier for you and much less stressful, too.

Do you have a course overview? Look over that, see what you'll cover. Preview your textbook, do a couple of problems before class everyday. And also, talk to people who have taken the class before.

Good luck! Statistics is actually a really fun course. It's quite rewarding once you get to higher levels and can actually apply it to everyday life examples.

Answer 3

That is a tough question -- because lots of classes call themselves "Intro to Statistics." They usually fall into one of the following categories: 1. Intro Stats for business majors -- usually accessible to people with High School math. Calculus is not needed. 2. Intro Stats for Social Sciences -- pretty much the same -- maybe watered down a little. 3. Intro Stats for math/science majors -- usually an advanced Math class that requires two years of calculus. Look at the prerequisites and see if you qualify.

Answer 4

I am an average math student and I made an A- in statistics at the university level. I did not think it was especially difficult.

Answer 5

yes.........i dropped it 5 times b/c I was afraid of failing it and the no credit/credit option had passed. I hate math and am majoring in something that has nothing to do with it. I suck at math.

Answer 6

im TERRIBLE at math. but when i took stats this past semester, i got a B. which i didnt expect. honestly, it depends on your professor. if they teach well, you should be fine as long as you pay attention. it wasnt as hard as i was told.