How Can Statistics Help Students?

Anyone who has ever studied statistics will know one thing for sure. It is very confusing, Students are left scratching their heads at what they have to study. Students often complain of statistics help as one of the vaguest, random topics they have ever gotten their hands on. 

So what is statistics and why is this the case?

Statistics is the field of science in which we learn from data, This is the simplest definition there could be of the subject. Even if you’re not a student of statistics, you often run into it. Imagine you’re having an argument with some of your friends about anything, what do you do?  Normally, it would not be a wrong assumption that you will bring up different facts and figures to support your stance. These facts and figures precisely are obtained from statistics, 

It is an important science which is behind many discoveries in science, collect data of different scientific activities, make decisions based on that data and make predictions, 

The usage is just not limited to science, Statistics is used to predict and observe trends in almost every sphere of the world. Businesses, politics, social strata, etc….all of them are roped up in statistics in one way or the other.

What do students complain about?

Students often complain about statistics. Their complaints usually range from not understanding what is being taught to them to it being taught out of context, having so many exceptions, and the subject contradicting its own principles here and there. 

Sometimes, these complaints trouble them so much that they decide to take homework help with statistics.

Why?

The issues that students face about statistics being taught out of context are valid ones because the fundamentals of statistics are rooted in research examples. One of the aspects of statistics is that concepts and theorems are applied exclusively. This means that there is no one combination that can be applied to two different problems. Hence, the concepts have to be taught out of context so that the students can learn to apply them independently. 

This is also the reason that students don’t start to understand the subject until much later when they start doing research, 

This calls for the question, why should they even study statistics?

Why should students study statistics?

For starters, statistical knowledge helps you in using proper ways to collect data, present analyses, and collect different results. Hence statistics can help you understand any topic more clearly. Statistics is the way in which students will be able to navigate the problems that are there with any data at hand and also perform critical assessments of what others present.

It is fair to assume that with the growing popularity of dynamic learning where different disciplines cross paths with each other and are not limited to their own bubbles, a student must conduct some form of research in their curriculum. Statistics efficiently help with conducting research. When you do research,  you collect data. And make no mistake, the amount of data for such research is humongous. Without the knowledge of statistics, it is impossible to make an educated decision. However, statistics will enable you to at the very least make assumptions and predictions using knowledge about inference and probability. Without statistical tools, any large data will remain highly uninterpreted. 

Statistical knowledge enables students to read and comprehend journals. Most journals are heavy with technical readings which are meaningless if you don’t have the vocabulary to read them. If you are able to extract meaning out of those readings and critically analyze them to form an opinion, it will be a great tool for you in your life ahead.

Statistics help you to develop critical thinking skills and analytical skills. Any firm, organization, or institution of any kind will love to have a person who has a great analytical sense. Any such person is an asset to their team. Therefore, developing such a skill set through statistics will help you achieve greater success in the world. Most of the undergraduate coursework relies on such skills. Even if your scholastic assessment would not judge you on your statistical knowledge if you are not studying it as a subject, extracurricular activities which give a boost to one’s CV will always take critical and analytical abilities into account, 

Having a base of statistics also helps you in becoming a literate citizen and more importantly- a consumer. There is no denying that statistics often can be and are forged just for the sake of an argument. And no one contests such statistical arguments just because there is a large stack of numerical statistics attached to it. These types of discrepancies exist not only in normal arguments but in marketing as well. The level of misuse portrayed in consumerism when it comes to statistical data is really alarming. This spreads false information and lulls the consumers into a false sense of securities, duping them of actual good services. 

With a deft base of statistical knowledge, students can find a way to meander around these to become more informed and logical citizens and consumers.   

These are the ways in which statistics can help students. Whether you take these reasons seriously or not, is up to you.

Good luck with statistics.

Also read:- Primary KS1 and KS2 SATs: Updated Guidance for Parents 2022