Posted by Joanna Oman
As a follow up to my previous article “Who said business statistics was fun” I want to talk about relationships of the statistical kind. When life puts us under pressure we evaluate our relationships and whether we can proceed with or without them. Life did put me under pressure: in two, well more like one, days time my relationship with statistics will come under the ultimate scrutiny. It’s the big day: EXAM.
We have gone through many stages, statistics and I… It all started off a few months back with wild hate of the most passionate kind. It tried to get to me, get under my skin, tried to push me against the wall, it made me crazy with explosive emotions, there was a lot of screaming, crying, huffing puffing, and physical activity (mainly convulsions and teeth grinding when I tried to understand it).. a typical start to any relationship.
I tried to resist, I fought it off very hard, but I knew I had to give in one day, that I had no choice but to let statistics take over me. I started to resign myself and endured a regular soirée, just the two of us, a few evenings per week.
I wimped more than cried, as the evenings gone on. When I knew it was going to happen that evening I would quietly accept what was coming. When statistics and I took over the sofa and table in the living room, the air just kind of stood still, as we went on from one exercise to another, me occasionally throwing my books, calculator, pens off the table, in one last attempt at rebellion, one last show of (dying) strength to resist, I started to… well …become more tamed.
As the evenings went on, statistics became nicer to me too. Not the usual aggressive techniques of trying to break into my brain without any cooperation from my side, with crazy functions, formulas, fuctorials (!). Instead it took on a milder, slower approach, letting me open up my mind to it gently, slowly, just a little bit so.
After months of denial, today I accepted that we are like an old married couple, who grew to live under the same roof. I understand why I have to endure the small and big quirks of statistics, and it begun to understand how to present itself to me, so I do not turn into a demon when it comes near me. We hate each other still but, calmly, accept each other’s ways…
It doesn’t know it, but this Sunday will be the last time we meet. I decided. It’s over. We had our downs and less downs, and now it’s time to say goodbye with one last, heart stopping, blood freezing public rendezvous in the exam room. I hope we will finish on a good note. Not easy in relationships as you know, but I hope this time it will be forever. I hope I won’t break down, I hope I will be strong, focused, cold-blooded and decisively cut the relationship once and for all – in under 2 hours, as I’m on schedule. I want to cut off all contact, burn all our relationship memorabilia (notebooks, functions sheets, coursebook), wipe the slate clean.
I already invited my girl friends to help me get over it, help me celebrate my new found freedom with lovely food and baileys – girls best friends. I never want to think about statistics again – ever!
Wish me luck!
TASMAC London School of Business News 
Madhukar reddy Konagari
September 3, 2011
Don’t worry my friend, You will be fine. I have read your previous article about how you felt. I can understand you because I have written statistics for the third time last month. You will definitely pass this time if you just calm down and think Strategically.
Mr. Renato had said before left, that he might consider theory from first 2 chapters. He also specifically said that all the formulae will also be given in the exam. All you need to do is identify which formulae should be applied for a particular problem (easier said than done). but this will be a great help.
identifying and applying the formulae will only be difficult only in the case of probability. the last chapter regression will definitely have a theory question (1 theory question from regression has been in every exam conducted by Tasmac).
the remaining chapters that you can learn and can expect in the exam would be Confidence Intervals. this is been my favourite chapter. this is comparatively easy from other chapters.
the next easier chapter would be normal distribution.if you practice some examples everyday until the exam you should be fine.
the remaining hypothesis and other are tuff. (some people said that hypothesis was easy) anyway if you analyse you current strengths:
1) theory from first 3 chapters.
2) confidence intervals.
3) Normal Distribution and
4) theory from regression.
5) formulae given in exam
You have a great chance of passing. if you can identify the formulae & write it down and solve (regardless of correct or wrong) by doing in steps. you will get marks because marks are given to steps in mathematics.
Finally, Mr. ABU is a very KIND man.
He will understand and probably will not treat correct your answer paper critically (ask marketing III sem students. they would have already forgot what marketing is & what they had learnt in previous 2 semesters thanks to Staju and his philosophy “critical analysis”).
my friend, you now have every reason to believe that you can pass.