Statistics
MA 150 at Worcester State College
Professor: Christopher Benestad
Schedule: Tuesdays from 6-9
Grade Achieved: A
Overall: The class was far less difficult than I expected it to be. The professor made it simple for anyone to pass the class with a 70 or higher. He went through each concept thoroughly, provided many examples of problems, and answered questions throughout the lecture. I would recommend this class to anyone simply needing to get through Stats with a decent grade.
Instructor: The instructor was interested in the material but understood the perspective of those who were not (like myself). He tried to add a sense of humor and casual feeling to the classroom, though his efforts often fell on apathetic ears.
Grading: The grading was very favorable to the students. He offered an in-class quiz at the beginning of each class covering the material from the week before. Only 10 out of the 12 open notebook quizzes would count towards 70% of the final grade. There was one lab, which was an A to anyone who followed the instructions and then the final exam was cumulative but he provide an almost identical review sheet and went over the answers and took questions right before the final.
Materials: The book was very useful as a supplement to in-class notes. However, I never touched the CD it came with. You could use an older edition of the book with no issue in this class. I would highly recommend getting a graphing calculator, it does all of the math for you. I purchased mine used from a pawn shop for only $30.00.
Notes Technique: I recorded the lecture in my notebook very carefully, knowing that I would be able to use those notes during the quizzes. I also, added to the lecture notes, definitions and concept phrases from the book.
Study Technique: To study for the quizzes, I looked over my notebook beforehand. To study for the final, I completed the scrimmage sheet provided and reviewed the use of my graphing calculator.
