Ever felt like the mathematical mean is playing hide and seek with you? Totally normal. Maybe you perfected the art of skipping math class back in grade 5 or had a teacher who made numbers seem like a foreign language. Hey, we’ve all been there, done that.
But here’s the thing: ignoring the basics isn’t the best plan. Do you really want to be that grandpa scratching his head over stats while the grandkids giggle? Not a good look.
Take it from me, I learned basic statistics for O/Ls and A/Ls in my first two years of undergraduate studies. Passed all my exams with good grades. Today, as a PhD student, I’m trying to understand what standard deviation is for the very first time. Learn from my journey—don’t find yourself in the same boat.
Let’s not go down that road. I’m here to spill the beans on the quickest, easiest way to get your head around even the trickiest tricks in 2024.
Alright, buckle up, folks. Let’s take a wild ride through the land of…
🚫 unreliable sources
- Youtube/Websites – Now, who doesn’t love their Indian YouTube Guruji more than their senior professor from the uni, right? But hold your horses; before you hit play on that tutorial, remember this: even a 5th grader can upload a video or perhaps maintain their blog (just like yours truly). Sure, those techniques might seem correct and easy to grasp, but they’re about as reliable as a coin toss in a hurricane. They might give you the right answer occasionally, but don’t count on it being the whole truth. Remember, folks, fundamentals first!
- ChatGPT/Gemini – Ah, the wonders of AI. But here’s the kicker: if you’re diving into the deep end without so much as a paddle, you’re in for a world of confusion. AI might make life easier for the savvy, but if you’re still scratching your head at the basics, it’s about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Need a visual? Think of it like trying to navigate with Google Maps without knowing which way is up.
- Peer Discussions – Now, don’t get me wrong, your batch-top might seem like the oracle of all knowledge. But let’s face it, sometimes even the best of the best can lead you down the garden path (especially if they’re the ones leading the pack). So, keep those wits about you, folks, and don’t believe everything you hear in the hallowed halls of academia. Wink wink.
Now, let’s steer our ship towards the shores of…
✅ reliable sources
- Reference Books – Ah, the trusty old reference books. If you’re enrolled in a degree program, chances are you’ve stumbled upon these gems in your unit outline. Here’s the scoop: most lecturers don’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to preparing their notes. Nope, they turn to these bad boys for guidance because, let’s face it, they didn’t dream up those theories themselves. So, if you’re feeling a bit lost in the academic maze, these books are your North Star.
- Reputed Books – Don’t overlook the power of a good old-fashioned library hunt. Whether it’s the university stacks or your local public library, you’re bound to strike gold with some reputable tomes. Why? Well, because these books have been through the wringer. Educators, editors, publishers, and sometimes even professional frameworks have given them the thumbs-up. Sure, they might not always align perfectly with your class notes, but hey, different strokes for different folks, right? Consider them your trusty sidekick in the quest for knowledge.
- Searchable Online Library – Now, let’s talk tech. Ever found yourself drowning in a sea of search results, desperately trying to find that one elusive nugget of information? Fear not, my friend, for services like Knovel are here to save the day (Simply sign in using the university credentials). Picture this: you’re on the hunt for insights into “solar radiation”. Instead of sifting through endless websites and book pages, Knovel will find the exact subsection, page, or definition from different books and articles available online. So you can easily go to that part of the publication and grasp what you want, rather than going through all the pages.
💪🏼 Let’s Start
I’ve learned a term called “Standard Deviation”, I’ve answered questions and passed the exams, but I never properly understood what it meant or how to apply it practically. Now, I need to revise my memory and learn it properly for the first time.
💡 Identifying the Need:
I already know it is related to statistics, and I could possibly use it to get an idea about a set of data. I’m trying to learn the fundamentals of it.
🔍 Finding the Resources:
As I explained, you can go look for a book on statistics in the library, or simply search online for a book recommendation. However, if you don’t know much about that particular theory or term, you might not be able to find a matching book. In that case, you can, with zero guilt, use a ChatBot to find the relevant resource for you.
Always use the correct prompts. Take a look at the following two responses:
📚 Accessing the Resources:
You can easily find that book in the university library or its e-library. Otherwise, you can try to find a PDF. I prefer PDFs because it’s easier for me to have a few books opened on the PC at once, so that I can continue reading whenever I’m free. Also, search, highlight, and copy the important parts, to quickly find them later.
🏁 The Start Point:
In this case, I’d recommend skimming everything from the beginning because you need to understand terms like “mean,” “mode,” “medium,” “variance,” and such before understanding what the standard deviation is. Humans are born thinkers and learners, but they always try not to learn something that they think they already know. But you’re here because you lack something. So be patient and read.
This is not the case if you’re trying to find something for research. For example, if you want to learn about “Cooling Towers,” you’d rather find books that talk about “Cooling Towers” using something like Knovel, and refer only to the relevant parts. Skimming through the entire book would be a waste of time.
⚠️ The Last Chance:
At this point, you’re trying to learn this not to pass the exams and impress your parents, but to impress yourself with knowledge. So don’t think about a second chance. Take your time and understand the theory.
✍🏼 Practice:
As you learn or revise the theory, you can take a piece of paper or your tablet to do some sample calculations. I always find books with a lot of examples, so I can learn things easily.
🤷🏼♂️ When you don’t understand:
If you find yourself struggling to understand any part of the book, always give the blame to the person who recommended it. Have a look at the following:
I referred to Statistics in Plain English. But I don’t understand what they explain here. “It is important to note that the normal distribution is what is known in statistics as a theoretical distribution. That is, one rarely, if ever, gets a distribution of scores from a sample that forms an exact, normal distribution. Rather, what you get when you collect data is a distribution of scores that may or may not approach a normal, bellshaped curve.” Explain it with examples.
Now you know something, but you have doubts here and there, So you can easily ask your AI friend to explain. They are smart enough to give you tons of examples and answer follow-up questions. Caution! You must be smart enough to argue with it or else find a different resource to clarify if it’s giving you doubtful answers.
🤖 Technology FTW:
Finally, I have been able to successfully learn a lot of things with the help of AI Chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. But I repeat, always compare their answers with your reference book, and try to apply them in sample calculations to verify the accuracy.
🎁 Share Responsibly:
Promote knowledge sharing to foster collective growth and ensure accurate dissemination of information. Sharing insights not only benefits others but also reinforces your own understanding. Remember to give credit to the author and ensure credibility when sharing information.
And there you have it, folks. A step-by-step guide to mastering new concepts with finesse in 2024. From identifying the need to accessing reliable resources, and finally, practicing and sharing responsibly, we’ve covered it all. I hope that was clear enough to guide you on your learning journey. If you have any suggestions or insights to add, I’m more than happy to edit the article. Until next time, happy learning!