What are my thoughts and feelings about statistics? Why do you think you feel the way you do about statistics? What can we do as a class (or individuals) to appreciate statistics more fully? What is the purpose of statistics, if any?
I’ve never been a math person. It’s not my forte. I omitted taking a stats class in college thinking I would never have to take it since it wasn’t required for my degree and then 5 years later, it’s a prereq for my MSW. Go figure. So I wasn’t too happy about that but barely managed to get through it, with the help of a lot of my math smart friends.
Then, when I realized I had to take this class too and read the title of one of our books, mr stomach dropped again. I thought I was over stats!! I think I feel that way because some of the numbers and letters get really confusing to me and when I try to read the rules of stats, it just turns to jargon; it’s like it’s in a foreign language. Some people are right brained and some are left, and I’m whichever one does not involve science & math.
I do think and know that they are important and I’m very grateful that there are people out there who enjoy doing the statistics. It’s really important, especially in the field of SW, bc it can give us insight on what interventions, programs & services are or are not working. If they’re not working, stats can also help us narrow down why it isn’t work or for who it isn’t working.
To be honest, I don’t think there is a way to make statistics easier for me. Even the books that are supposed to be “not math people friendly” are really difficult for me to get through. I’ve always been and always will be a more literature and reading gal than math and science and I am okay with that.
Justyna Wolek 