7 Interesting Facts I Bet You Never Knew About Acing Statistics

At some point during your college experience, you may be required to take a statistics class. This is especially true if you are working towards a business degree. Once many students realize there is math involved, they automatically feel discouraged. Throw in some word problems and needing to filter out pertinent information and all hope of passing with a better than average grade seems lost. However, statistics class does not need to be that dreaded period of the day. The following is a list of tips to keep in mind to help you through this very important course.

1. Learn the Basics

A solid foundation of the basic concepts and terms is extraordinarily important in any class. Without this solid ground to stand on, you will surely find yourself falling behind and having a hard time keeping up. Revert back to grade school and make a set of good old flashcards to memorize key terms. Practice formulas and basic problems to strengthen that foundation so that when the class moves into harder territory, you are confident in your skills and knowledge and everything will just fall into place.

2. Be Prepared

Come to class with all of the materials you need to do well. This will be one less distraction so that you can focus and participate more effectively.

3. Ask Questions

Your teachers are there to help you succeed. They want to see you pass because it shows they too are successful in their goal of teaching you. If you have a question or do not understand a term or process- ask. This will not only help you build your own solid foundation but it may even benefit a student who was too shy to ask the same question.

4. Pay Attention

In our world full of distraction, technology has created plenty of discreet ways for us to get to fun and interesting places to lose our focus. Bringing all of the materials and making it to class means nothing if you spend your time texting friends or perusing social media. Instead, when you sit down, make it a point to turn off your cell phone. Take in-depth notes so you have them for studies later, participate to keep yourself honed in, and really give yourself the chance to absorb what you are being taught.

5. Do Not Cram

Maybe you can get away with it in other classes, but it is nearly impossible to be truly successful in math-involved classes by cramming. Besides giving you added stress, it does not create solid foundational knowledge that you will retain for use in the future. You will have plenty of notification of that upcoming test or quiz. Use that information to set aside ample time to practice for it. You will find that come the day of the test, you are confident and can breeze right through it.

6. Study Buddies

See all of those other people sitting in the room with you? They are trying to do well in the class too. Forming a study group is a great way for you to help each other out and get extra practice in. Many find that with other students in a more relaxed environment, they aren’t as tense and nervous about asking questions. You are able to work through your rough spots and help others through theirs on a more personal and individual basis.

7. Take Time Out

All the studying in the world won’t help if you burn yourself out. If you have participated effectively in class, done your studying, and feel prepared then don’t forget to give yourself time to relax and refresh. A clear mind on test day will actually help you recall all that information much easier and help you be more focused than if you are fighting fatigue.