<p>I'm currently taking stat 134 with Purves. It's by far the hardest class i've taken at Cal. I have so far been a straight A student, but i might be heading for a C in this class. Had i known i would be struggling, i would've dropped. But it's too late. The midterm is on thursday and I feel helpless. I don't even know what to do since he doesnt exactly follow the book, and his classes are very basic and easy. Needless to say, it's anything but when it comes to homework and exams. </p>
<p>Any suggestion guys?</p>
<p>Maybe solving a lot of problems would help me, but i don't know where to get his past exams. Do any of you have any of his past exams? Does the SLC have it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>there are old midterms in the back of the pitman book. Also, you should goto the SLC. The tutoring is top notch for 134. The best way to study for stat 134 is really to just do problems over and over so that you can develop the intuition to solve problems without having to know what chapter the problem is from.</p>
<p>you are overly concerned about your grade rather than the learning. I encourage you to take the book to the bathroom and do your bikram yoga with it and chant “hare hare” “Kirishna Krishna” then will you understand your studies better. </p>
<p>Also, you can take it P/NP if grades are a concern to you. BTW, you will do FANTASTIC on your upcoming midterm this way. I gurantee it!</p>
<p>@jetforce: I’m hoping to major in Stats. This is my first upper division statistics course. I’m finding the transition very hard.</p>
<p>@omar12: why so bitter dude? at exactly which point in my post did i say i don’t care about the material? are you telling me to not care about my grades?</p>
<p>Advice for his exams: Make sure your short answers, if any, are thoroughly explained, as if you’re teaching kids (like his lecturing style), and end the paragraph with a concluding sentence to get full credit. SLC is helpful, and so are the practice exams he distributes in class.</p>
<p>I took 1a, 1b, 53 and 54. Right now I’m a sophomore. The midterm didn’t go so well. But looking back i think i could’ve done a lot better, had i not been so nervous and careless.</p>
<p>I have plans to go to graduate school. I have to care about my grades to a certain degree.</p>
<p>Math 55 would have been very helpful for STAT 134.
Also, you should try more textbook problems if you feel you need to more practice. I dont know where there’s more tests, but the MATH DEPARTMENT establishes an EXam Archive.</p>