Re: why is probability and statistics a hard subject?

On Wed, 7 Nov 2007 23:11:14 -0800, "Nasser Abbasi" <nma@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

I am taking a course in probability and statistics now. It is at the level
of upper division / first year graduate.

This is the hardest course I have ever taken so far, Yet, I am not sure why
it is hard.

Looking at the math on its own, it is hard, but manageable, upper level
calculus I would say. But for some reason, I find the whole subject hard to
do well at.

May be it requires more experience? more insight? more problem solving
practice? I do not think it is the math skills which is the problem, I think
there is something inherently hard about solving problems in probability and
statistics, which is hard for me to pint point.

Like some other repliers, I suspect that your teacher is not
a thoroughly "good statistician", or you would not feel this way.

One of the basics is to learn the vocabulary. Are you paying
close attention to definitions?

For a different sort of introduction to the "problem solving,"
maybe you could take a look at S. Siegel's 1956 book on
Nonparametric Statistics. (After 30 years, a newer edition
came out, with a co-author; but you don't need the newer
version for this exercise). The book does not touch the calculus
part, I think. It is organized as a "cookbook" of problems
with so-many groups; and dichotomous or ranked data,
which may or may not be "matched data."

It will introduce you to much vocabulary, and might provide
a substantial framework.

Another suggestion, for figuring out "what's it all about" - find
SM Stigler's books on the history of statistics, like "History of
Statistics. The measurement of uncertainty before 1900."


I was wondering if others have felt the same way about this subject. And if
you have, did it become easy for you later on? and how did this happen?


I know that I was interested in research results before I ever
learned much statistics. So, what I was learning seemed useful.

I also discovered, along the way, that when I could not follow
a particular textbook, it might help a LOT to find a similar book
(same shelf in the library) and browse it, for an alternate
introduction.


If you don't know how these results are ever used, it might
also be helpful to find a book like "Readings in Statistics in XXX",
for whatever XXX is your field.

--
Rich Ulrich, wpilib@xxxxxxxx
http://www.pitt.edu/~wpilib/index.html
.

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