Intro to Statistics: Quantitive Studies (QS)

Introduction to Statistics MATH-1040

This course is recommended for students in programs desiring statistical literacy, including but not limited to Social Science, Behavioral Sciences, and Nursing (college may require 1040 or 1050). This class includes descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Topics include sampling design, descriptive statistics, linear regression and correlation, probability, sampling distributions, and hypothesis testing and confidence intervals.

Pre-requisite: Math 0990 (0980) with a C or better or placement through the SLCC placement process.

Completing the skittles projects throughout the semester allowed me to apply the skills we were learning in class in a more direct way. I learned a lot about how to read, interpret, and produce statistically significant data. I was even able to apply some of the skills acquired from this course for another project of mine in a different class this semester--a student survey as a method of primary research. Because I was taking this course, I was better equipped to interpret the data from my survey and explain its significance as a method of research.

 I can also see a myriad ways that understanding statistical data will improve my work in the realm of homeless services. For one thing, as a member of management I regularly attend meetings with VOA's data team and now I feel more equipped to participate in the discussions of those meetings. I can better understand the value of the information they are presenting to us because I better understand how they got it. This was truly the perfect math class to have taken for my academic and professional goals because it allows me to put math into practice in a real world context.

As the Special Project Coordinator, a large part of my role is problem-solving and this class has given me a lot of practice in order to hone those skills. My biggest takeaway from intro to statistics is that math has vital applications in all sorts of contexts. I never thought that pursuing a degree in writing and humanities would necessarily lead to this conclusion, but I can see now how statistics can play a role in nearly every discipline.