Monday Musing

Dropping my photojournalism class was one of the best decision I've made this year. Hands down. The whole taking-classes-this-semester-decision is debatable, as well as taking on another puppy..but what's done is done and we just have to plow through those, but having a lighter course load has been, well, relieving.

So now my Math class get to be the hardest thing on my plate. According to...well everyone...Statistics is Fun, and everyone LOOVED statistic. Which is good, and to be honest..once I get the formula's, I kind of like it too. However the way this course is set up is extremely overwhelming for me.

My Calculater...taken with my point and shoot that I recently un-earthed.

First we have the online component that our teacher set up.

• Homework we don't have to turn in.
• Homework we DO have to turn in.
• Her chapter notes
• Power point presentation 
• Formula notes (at least six pages worth)
• Calculator Instructions 
• Activity Keys  

Then we have the online component that comes with the book which includes:

• Video Presentations 
• Tracked Exercises
• The Books exercises that aren't tracked (graded) 
• Section Homework
• Chapter Homework
• Chapter Tests & Quizzes 
• Instant feedback and step by step instructions through problems.

And at least a couple of other things, I haven't even begun to try.

Is it just me or is all that information really overwhelming? Each week, I have decide which direction I'm going to go in. Focus on what my teacher wants, or get instant feed back. I'm the type of person, if I'm going to get it, I've got to do it over, and over, and over to solidify it in my brain. I've got to understand it inside out and upside down. I have to know what makes it work. Unfortunately I don't have time to do that. By the time I "get it" I've got HOURS to complete the assignment and turn it in.  Enter Stress.

Oh. And don't get me started on text book terminology. 

The  rare event rule for inferential statistics states, that if under a given assumption, the probability of a particular observed event is extremely small,conclude that the assumption is probably not correct.

Sure I know, they have to sound smart (even if they also have no clue what they just said), i mean I do it too. However I do understand that sometimes it depends on the way you think. Could they not have just written:

The rare event rule for (goes to look up what inferential means..ouch yeah we'll keep the word) inferential statistics state, that if the probability of the observed event is small, the, it would be a good bet to assume the prior assumption is not correct.  

I realize that I might have just said something complete different, but ....at least I understand it..right???

But I digress. As usual. Most of the time, I go with the book's online component. It's been a life saver, having an actual human speaking in ENGLISH, has been unbelievably helpful. But it does take valuable time away from working on the homework I have to turn in.  Speaking of homework, I'd put a LOT of work into this week's problems, as it was finally something I could "get" without using too many brain cells. It was due today, so I was all kinds of proud of myself for getting it don early.

However, it wasn't until I'd been home for a couple of hours, when I realized I'd saved the file to my WORK computer. You.HAVE.GOT.to.be.kidding.me. Not to mention I'd also left the computer software we use in said work computer.

I panicked for a couple of hours, trying to figure out how I was going to do all these problems without the afore mentioned software, and started re-doing all my work. However i quickly discovered I could download the software from the internet and a quick glance at my class website revealed...my teacher had EXTENDED the deadline!

Hallelujah was the only thing I could think!!

Anyway, now that i have some extra time...I really should be studying..

TTFN!