I graduated in June of 2015 with a bachelor's degree in theoretical mathematics. I've since been tutoring mathematics at a community college. As an undergrad, I took two semesters worth of probability and statistics. Now, I have ambitions to continue my education because I found those courses particularly interesting. However, I'm afraid that I may have forgotten some of the material that I previously learned. The good news is, I've had the opportunity to tutor students in elementary stats. Even if it's rudimentary, I figure it has to help. Additionally, I've been studying my books and watching lectures online. So, the material hasn't become completely foreign to me. I'm not concerned with the difficulty of the subject. For me, it's about becoming familiar with the problems again. I plan on visiting a school within the next few weeks to learn about the program from an advisor. (This particular school only requires one previous semester of statistics, the usual calc sequence etc.) Is there anything more I could be doing? Am I taking the necessary steps? One of the reasons I joined this forum is to immerse myself into the subject. Are there any other resources I can look into? I apologize for the long-winded post. Thanks.
Interested in MS in Statistics. Advice appreciated.
- Thread starter Buckeye
- Start date
I graduated with an M.S. in statistics last month. My advice would be make sure you've reviewed your calculus sequence well--at least up to double integration and identifying limits--and reviewed matrix algebra before starting your master's program. It sounds like you've had a good start with probability and statistics and are comfortable re-learning topics that may not be fresh. You're correct about tutoring helping you reinforce what you've learned. That experience should help you know where some of your master's courses are going, such as when you learn about hypothesis testing and statistical methods. You'll learn those topics at a deeper, mathematical level in your master's courses compared to undergrad, but at least you'll get the "big picture" from the start. That is what I experienced from tutoring.
I'm saying the above for several reasons. First, I, too, fret over forgetting some (and sometimes many) concepts after time passes. It just happens but practice and repetition is the only way to keep some skills sharp. Second, when I started my master's program, I was ill-prepared and I didn't realize it. Sure, I had all the math prerequisites, but the courses were taken here and there over five years. My undergrad intro stat class was pretty watered down and I was never exposed to ANOVA. My probability class skipped over moment generating functions. I was a TA for an undergrad math class and that consumed too much of my time that I needed to study mathematical statistics, linear models, and brush up on my weak areas of calculus.
So, your background sounds fine to me for starting a master's program in statistics. Your math undergrad background should help you and you won't be distracted by the theorems, proofs, and calculus steps. You're already doing some prep and watching videos. Coursera has some good, free statistical courses you could look into. Perhaps an overview learning how to use R will help you right out of the gate when you start your program if you don't already use R. Good luck!
I'm saying the above for several reasons. First, I, too, fret over forgetting some (and sometimes many) concepts after time passes. It just happens but practice and repetition is the only way to keep some skills sharp. Second, when I started my master's program, I was ill-prepared and I didn't realize it. Sure, I had all the math prerequisites, but the courses were taken here and there over five years. My undergrad intro stat class was pretty watered down and I was never exposed to ANOVA. My probability class skipped over moment generating functions. I was a TA for an undergrad math class and that consumed too much of my time that I needed to study mathematical statistics, linear models, and brush up on my weak areas of calculus.
So, your background sounds fine to me for starting a master's program in statistics. Your math undergrad background should help you and you won't be distracted by the theorems, proofs, and calculus steps. You're already doing some prep and watching videos. Coursera has some good, free statistical courses you could look into. Perhaps an overview learning how to use R will help you right out of the gate when you start your program if you don't already use R. Good luck!
Congratulations on graduating and thank you for posting! The good thing about my undergrad book is that it discusses moment-generating functions, joint density functions, hypothesis testing etc. There's a chapter on linear regression as well. So, at the very least, I've been exposed to these concepts. I haven't had the chance to use statistical software, but I did take one course in Java. I'll be sure to look into R. Thanks again!
