Have you ever wondered how much time you spend in the bathroom at school? Or the number of times your teacher has said "car" in front of you. We will give you a hint: it is more than twice as much as either of those questions.
Statistics are everywhere. It is not just on the AP exam and credit report, though they play a vital role. Statistics are used to calculate everything from average yearly temperatures and rainfall totals to traffic patterns and public health data that can help save lives.
High school students often struggle with that subject. So, here are a few things you can do to get better at high school statistics.
#1 Learn the Formulas with Intent
A formula is a system of symbols that represent the relationship between two or more variables in a mathematical expression. They're shorthand, allowing you to compress an equation and make it easier to read. For example, the formula for calculating a line of best fit is y = MX + b, where m stands for "slope," x represents "independent variable," and b represents "dependent variable."
That may seem intimidating at first but don't worry: formulas can be learned just like any other skill. First, pick out one important formula from each chapter to memorize. When studying statistics over time, you'll start recognizing these concepts everywhere! If you still struggle with remembering them, then try making flashcards or creating your cheat sheet with any relevant definitions and examples on it.
#2 Clear Out Confusions
If you are confused, ask your teacher for help. Teachers are there to teach you, and they want you to understand the material so that you can do well on the exam and learn effectively. If you don't understand something, speak up! If a question is confusing or unfair, bring it up with your teacher. You may be surprised at how willing they are to reword or change questions so that students have an equal chance of success.
#3 Do Your Statistics Homework
If you are doing your homework assignments, you are doing a lot. You are learning new concepts and applying what you have learned. You are also learning how to study, which is very important.
Never copy from someone else if you are stuck with your statistics homework or assignment. Instead, seek help from your tutors or teachers. You can also reach out to expert statistics tutors on online learning platforms.
These experts can guide you through the homework and assignments. They can also help you learn better by pointing out what you are doing wrong. They can even suggest alternative methods of solving particular problems.
Many online learning platforms also offer access to notes from established universities. Browsing these note banks can be instrumental in helping you understand complex concepts and solve homework assignments on your own. The notes are usually uploaded by diligent students, which means you’ll always have access to the best-quality study materials.
#4 Take Notes in Class
The first step to getting better at statistics is understanding what’s being taught. To do that, you need to take good notes in class. Your teacher will give you the information you need for your homework and tests. But you have to write it down!
Most high school math teachers are pretty good at explaining concepts and showing examples, but sometimes they forget to explain key vocabulary words or formulas. If there is something that seems confusing or missing from your notes, ask your teacher about it so they can fill any gaps in your understanding.
#5 Practice Statistics Problems
Do you know how it feels when you have a friend who's good at something, and they help you with it? That's what that section is about.
If you want to get better at statistics, find someone interested in the same things as you. You might be surprised by how many of your friends are into numbers and probability! If there isn't anyone like that around, look for someone willing to talk about math (and maybe teach it). With some luck, they'll also be able to explain things enough for beginners like yourself.
#6 Understand the Terms
To get a handle on new vocabulary words and terms, you can use flashcards. If you have traditional flashcards, write the word on one side and its definition on the other. Or if you’d like to put your spin on it, make a list of the words that confuse you most and then try to come up with different ways to remember them.
#7 Review Your Notes Every Day
Reviewing your notes is a great way to learn. If you leave the material for a day or so, it will be hard to remember what happened in class. That is especially true when there's so much information being thrown at you. Even if you think that something doesn't seem important at first glance, try to write it down anyway—you never know when something might come up in future lessons and help make sense of other concepts!
Reviewing your notes will help you remember what was taught in class. It also helps retain what was learned so that that information can be used later on during exam time or remembered long after school has ended (and hopefully long after high school).
Once you do all that, you can rest assured that you will get better at statistics in no time.