Reflection
During the Spring 2020 semester at Longwood, I have learned numerous things. Almost everything I have been taught has been important and can be used, in some form or fashion, throughout the rest of my life. I learned how to set up an experiment and create and test a good hypothesis. There are many formulas to test hypotheses and datasets. These formulas can be done by hand and/or electronically. I was educated on how to use the programs R-Studio and SPSS. These programs can help individuals find out information and statistical data.
Using R-Studio, I learned how to input datasets so I can use all of the different formulas. It also helped me find the basics such as mean, median, and mode. As I became more comfortable with this program, I was able to navigate more advanced techniques such as a t-test, Pearson’s correlation, and ANOVA. For t-tests, I learned the command and how to input the correct variables. This allowed me to see if there was a significant difference between the two variables in my hypothesis. I also learned the command for Pearson’s correlation. I was then able to see and test the relationship between the two continuous variables. In R-Studio, I also learned how to use ANOVA. For ANOVA, I was taught the command to use in R-Studio. I can use this information to determine if there were any significant difference between datasets that have more than three variables.
Another program I became proficient in was IBM’s Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). SPSS taught me how to make graphs for all of the different formulas. Using SPSS to make a graph is a much easier way to read and interpret data. Inside SPSS, I was able to make graphs, to find the basics, such as mean, median, and mode and more advanced things, such as for ANOVA, t-tests, and Pearson’s correlation. SPSS is a great way to make graphs for datasets.
Throughout the semester, I was able to complete the statistical formulas by hand. Learning to do them this way is necessary, because in the working field, you may not have access to IBM’s SPSS or R-Studio. In class, I was taught many statistical formulas, such as t-tests, Pearson’s correlation, and ANOVA. Solving these equations by hand can be a bit tough, and may take longer to complete, but there is a benefit to solving them this way. Solving these formulas using the programs does not show you the step by step that are used. You simply plug in the data and the computer does the rest for you. The benefit to completing the formulas by hand is that you can learn and see every step.
I think that learning statistics and formulas should be necessary for every student earning a degree. Statistics are used every day, by everyone, in some form or fashion. At the beginning of the semester, I remember Dr. Pederson telling her class that everyone wants to know the stats about many things that are happening day to day. Many times, individuals don’t even realize that they are even using statistics!
Statistics help us read data. Without statistics, there would be many individuals who would have a hard time looking at data and interpreting it. Statistics can be very complicated and at times, may require a class and a lot of practice to get it right. After just one semester and learning numerous different formulas, I am nowhere close to being a proficient statistician. Being able to read and interpret data will help make things make more sense and people less confused at what they are looking at.
At the beginning of the semester, Dr. Pederson told us that in today’s society, people do not care about data, they only care about the statistics. While there are many people that like data and collect it, there are also many individuals that do not care, or even think about data. The only thing that non-statisticians care about are the stats, and the trends. They do not realize that some statistics, based on data, help create new laws, regulations, and maybe even new ways of life.
While many college students do not think that statistics are important, I for one can see how I can use this when I graduate college and go into the workforce. When I graduate from Longwood University, my goal is to become a police officer. I can use statistics to see and follow crime trends. Police officers can use statistics to see where more crime occurs in their jurisdiction compared to other places. This way they can see where they need to focus more of their resources. Police officers can also use statistics to see what time of year crime happens the most. Crime rates can change with the weather and the time of year. If police can predict crime trends, then they can plan ahead and be more prepared for that next time and place. For example, more crime tends to happen during the holidays. If officers can see this with statistical data, then they can plan ahead by not allowing as many officers to take vacation during this time so they can be ready based on their statistical predictions. Being able to use and solve statistics is a very important skill and looks really good on a resume because many agencies are looking for people with this skill.