Skittles

Reflection

To make Frequency Tables, Pie Charts, Histograms and Boxplots, what’s that?

Well, I learned how to those this year using computer programs such as Excel, Word

and StatCrunch. In the beginning of the term, we mainly covered the study and

understanding of those charts in chapters two and three in our textbook. But later

on when we used this in the Skittles term project. Then, it became necessary to put

those skills into action. This is my third time taking this course and these charts and

graphs have been my biggest hurdle. Every time in the past, I have been so

exhausted by the third test with the volume of statistical mathematics to learn, than

I have not been able to tackle my fear of them and this project.

In the past I have only used memorization as a method to learn this material

before each test, but with this Skittles Term project, it helped me to get out of that

boxed in way of thinking. I had to learn to apply this. It was a practical, real world

test of data collection, organizing and displaying of data through tables, confidence

intervals, and hypothesis testing of my bag of candy and the entire class. In short, a

process called statistics-a succession of steps that leads to a goal.

This is a backbreaking math course, and one must use all use all or some of

our different resources we have available at Salt Lake Community College. There is

the math tutor center under the library with great free tutors to help everyday of

the week. There is a Math 1040 Test study guide in the student store that has a

collection of final tests and answers that can be studied. There is a companion
course for Math 1040 that is smaller class setting that gives the more timid students

to feel comfortable to ask questions. The college holds test review classes before

tests 1-4. Those have been really helpful for me.

Also, I have learned to communicate with my classmates and not be afraid of

them. Part of this is due to the fact that I don’t want anyone else to take this class

again like me. This is my third attempt to pass this class, so I try to share with my

classmates the tricks that I have learned on this journey to pass this class. I have

tried to spread the word about the need to memorize the by-hand and calculator

method to learn formulas through the use of 3x5 flash cards. We exchange how-to

texts on homework assignments. We study together every Saturday and invite

everyone. But in the end, I am just trying to learn the fundamentals of statistics class

just like everyone else. So I hope that everyone does well, but I can’t hold every

ones hand in homework completion.

This course has taught me to never give up and try harder than I have before.

This course will not break me. I will achieve a good grade.