Statistics 2244 UWO Advice for 2017 Winter

[IAmAbsolute 1]

Stats 2244 - Just how hard is it? I've heard that this course is very difficult for the fact that lecture does not completely capture what students are expected to know in order to be successful on exams. After researching online and hearing from students who took it in the most recent school year, it seems that Prof Waugh expects students to do outside reading and that she assigns way too many textbook readings that do not overlap with material from lecture - yet students are still required to know all of it. Not to mention her apparent tricky wording on exams and low 60 exam averages.  

 

I have the option to switch this course for Math 1229 by taking Stats next summer before 3rd year. This would decrease my workload significantly this upcoming semester and allow myself to focus more on orgo/biochem/micro/phys. However, this 6 week course would interfere with my MCAT studying. Would studying for Stats in the summer while also MCAT studying be a bad idea? And does anyone have tips for the course besides doing outside readings, staying up to date on homework, and doing practice exams. I really don't want to take a hit to my GPA for one course, but I also want to dedicate time next summer to research and the MCAT. Thanks in advance

[SLC6A4 12]

The course isn't that hard that you should actively avoid it. Lectures are the only thing you need to pay attention to, don't bother with readings. It's a difficult course not because of the content but because stats is purely application, meaning those strict memorizers will do poorly. I found stats honestly very easy, but I also like critical thinking courses.

[PopShoppe 16]

This course single-handedly reduced my cGPA by 0.10. It is a difficult course, I will not sugar coat it.

That being said - a lot of this result is my own fault. I went into the course without understanding the difference between stats and math. I figured that this course, like most math courses, was one where you could do the readings, memorize the formulas, do every practice question available and expect to do well. That is not the case. The exams are tricky in the sense that the profs challenge you to really apply your understanding in new ways.

After failing the 2nd midterm because I didn't change my study habits from what I listed above, I decided to take Prof Waugh's advice and actually go to office hours when I was struggling. I was in her office so much 2nd semester that she knew me pretty well by the final. She is a nice person and will help you if you seek her out. There are so many resources that the profs offer, including their own time, that most of the students in the class neglect to use. I can't recommend going to office hours enough.

If you understand this going in, change your study habits from memorization-based to a more application-based method, and use the resources the profs recommend you use instead of just doing readings and textbook questions, I think it's possible to do very well. 

And as SLC6A4 said go to lectures. The textbook for the most part is useless (I used it initially as my sole studying method against the prof's advice and clearly didn't get the results I wanted)

I only wish I had another crack at it...