<p>I took calculus my first semester with a really hard professor and got a C+. I want to take another math class this semester and I'm trying to decide between retaking the calculus class, taking the next calculus class, or taking statistics instead (all of them with the same professor). Which one do you think would be the easiest? Which one would be more worthwhile to take? What is statistics like? By the way I don't need any more math for my major, so this is strictly for fun and to keep my math skills up haha.</p>
<p>Statistics. I do support calculus (it was my single favorite math class in high school because it drew together all the bits and pieces of algebra, geometry and trig that I had learned before. It felt like the grand unifying theory that all of high school math had been building towards!) but statistics is much more useful for a non-mathematician/scientist/engineer.</p>
<p>Be sure to take a statistics classes meant for non-math majors. You’ll get all the good stuff without any of the annoying rigor.</p>
<p>Can you give us more information on what kind of a degree you are in and what your plans are after graduating?</p>
<p>I would say that in order of increasing difficulty it is stats, retake, and second calculus course, however when I say stats is easiest I do that assuming they are all same year level and I’m talking about stats only by hearsay. I have however taken a lot of calculus, and people who have taken stats or economics as well as calc, usually say calc is a harder.</p>
<p>As for usefulness, calculus is usually important if you plan to go into any kind of job involving math analysis, and in particular any jobs in fields related to rates. What I mean by that is insurance, taxes, loans, stock market, science fields, computer science, programming etc. Calculus is important if you want to work in these fields. Stats is also important in these fields but it is a less rigorous and hence easier than calculus. I think stats will help more with jobs related to census, polls, journalism, psychology, basic business, etc.</p>
<p>What is most important as you can see, is not which course is better, but what are you hoping to learn, why, and then which course best fits that.</p>
<p>If you want just some basic math skills for like doing your own taxes, saving, and investing on a small scale, I suggest stats and possible even consider economics as a possible third alternative.</p>
<p>I hope this is helpful.</p>
<p>Thanks so much! I’m thinking of an English degree or business (possibly neuroscience but only like a 15% chance haha). Based on your replies it sounds like statistics would be my best bet. There is a statistics class for business majors which is easier, but I actually want to take the “real” one. I know my calc grade wasn’t the absolute best, but I’d rather learn than get an A.</p>
<p>Statistics is applies to a lot more than just math. I used concepts I learn in stats in geography and biology!</p>
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<p>Really? Can you provide an example of what you mean? I can kind of figure in Biology (despite the fact that I’m still surprised by it) but I have no idea how in Geography you use stats. </p>
<p>Maybe it depends on how it’s taught but I found that I never retained anything from my stats classes simply because it isn’t really useful. I have a lot of trouble seeing where I could possibly use this anywhere. It’s use hasn’t been reinforced in any other class I’ve taken so I just lose it. In addition, at least in my class, we never really got to the basis of what differentiates all the hypothesis tests from each other and what exactly you’re looking at. It was all just “If you see a problem like this, use this. If you see a problem like this, use this other thing.” Simple pattern recognition. </p>
<p>If you’re only choices are Calc or Stats, Stats may be more useful for a BBA since you probably have to take it anyway. But I’m not understanding this pro-Stats bandwagon.</p>
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<p>The one for engineers/science majors requires calc 2 at my school, so you might want to check the prerequisites. It’s probably better to take the more advanced one. As an econ major, I had taken calc, so I could’ve taken stats for engineers/scientists, but decided to take the business version. I didn’t get too much out of it since the class spent a lot of time on really basic topics like descriptive stats and only barely went over things like regression.</p>
<p>Stats is easier. But only if you know the formulas and actually know how to do all the problems. Having a bunch of formulas does nothing if you don’t know what to do with it. Otherwise, stats is quite easier. Calc, in my opinion, is harder due to the heavier workload and calculations…</p>
<p>I also used stats in phil, which saved me from learning a lot of vocab.</p>
<p>In geog, I used stats for graphs, blind/double-blind experiments, more vocab.</p>
<p>Statistics will be useful in any kind of biological science or social studies subject.</p>
<p>Choose an introductory statistics course with math prerequisites that match the math you are comfortable with.</p>