Stats 2B03 - MacInsiders - Student-run McMaster University Help Forum

phana2

STATS 2B03
Statistical Methods for Science
Prerequisite: One of Grade 12 Data Management U, STATS 1A03 or registration in Level II or above of a program in the Faculty of Science
Instructor: Dr. Aaron Childs
Lectures: Three 1 hour lectures per week + one (optional) 1 hour weekly lab
Marks Breakdown:
5 Assignments/Labs - 15% (3% each)
2 Tests - 40% (20% each)
Final Exam - 45%

Instructor
Aaron Childs is the man. Pretty much everyone who has him as a prof would like him. He explains things very clearly, writes neatly on his overheads, and lectures at a nice pace. In lecture, he's happy to answer questions and almost every class will use one of his class punchlines. Here are some examples:
"Isn't this stuff great?"
"And then I kicked his/her ass."
"I guess that's it."

Lectures
It is pretty crucial that you attend the lectures in this course. Aaron Childs will not be posting his notes online. Although if you happen to miss a lecture, you could always get the notes off a friend, but with this course it's just not the same unless you're sitting in class taking them yourself. The weekly lab is totally optional. At the lab, there are computers set up with Minitab (the computer program for assignments) along with TAs who can help you with the lab or any other course related questions. You can also go to your lab to pick up your marked assignments.

Assignments
The assignments are fairly easy to do and consist of a combination of questions that involve the use of Minitab and some that do not. They are about one page double-sided and there is usually one do every other week. The assignment worksheets are found in the courseware, and when you finish your assignment you just tear the sheet out of the courseware and hand it into the drop boxes in Hamilton Hall.

Tests
The tests in this class can be quite tricky. You have to be very wary of the wording of the questions to make sure you use the correct formula. A formula sheet identical to the one in the courseware will be provided on each test, so you generally don't have to memorize much at all in this class. One of the best ways to prepare for the tests is to do the practice tests included in the courseware. The actual tests are very similar to the practice tests, and if you can do the practice tests and understand them, you will be pretty solid for the real test. The tests consist of about 20 multiple choice questions, plus one mark for filling in the correct version number on your scantron and you have 75 minutes to complete the test.

Exam
The final exam is cumulative and has about equal weighting on all of the material covered in class. The exam consists of 40 multiple choice questions and you have 3 hours to complete it. Unfortunatly, there was no extra mark for filling in the version number on the exam.

Overall
A very good course to take. It's pretty important to keep up with the work and attend class regularly in order to do well. Overall, the workload is not to heavy, and the notes from class are all you need to study from, along with the practice tests in the courseware.

Andrew Phan
BSc II

jachill · 06-10-2009 at 10:36 AM

Hey, I just have a question, I've never taken a stats class before but it's recommended for my program so I'm wondering what the material is like? I've take MATH 1LS3 and MATH 1A03, if I can handle those classes fine, do you think I'd be ok in stats? Is the material similar to normal math? I have no idea. XD

anubhagat · 06-10-2009 at 09:51 PM

i found stats 2b03 to be quite different from calculus or any other math course. it is totally doable, i think, without any calculus background at all. the math is quite basic and involves simple plugging into equations.

daisy · 06-17-2009 at 07:21 PM

This is not on the list for "elective courses available to Level I students" in the calendar, but if a person has taken Grade 12 Data Management U they are eligible to take it...so does this mean if I have my Grade 12 Data Management U, that as a first year McMaster student that I can take this course as an elective, or do I have to be a second year student?

kenneth526 · 06-17-2009 at 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daisy

This is not on the list for "elective courses available to Level I students" in the calendar, but if a person has taken Grade 12 Data Management U they are eligible to take it...so does this mean if I have my Grade 12 Data Management U, that as a first year McMaster student that I can take this course as an elective, or do I have to be a second year student?

Correct. As long as you took MDM4U, you can take stats 2b03 as a first year.

daisy · 06-17-2009 at 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenneth526

Correct. As long as you took MDM4U, you can take stats 2b03 as a first year.

Thanks for the quick reply!

lankan_4lif · 08-22-2009 at 12:18 AM

How difficult is this course compared to Grade 12 Data Management? How much of this course is a review of Data Management?

manaya · 08-30-2009 at 08:30 PM

i heard data management was a joke in grade 12 ... shud b interesting this one =)

P.S: How important is the textbook ?

anubhagat · 08-30-2009 at 09:07 PM

you use the textbook to do some assigned (optional) homework problems and also to refer to statistical analysis charts, which can differ from different sources...you probably will not use the textbook a great deal though, all the test questions are identical to the sample questions provided in the lab manual...

if you can find someone with a textbook willing to let you photocopy the charts at the back of the book you'll do just fine without the text.

lankan_4lif · 08-30-2009 at 09:08 PM

Hey, can you answer my question that I posted?

How difficult is this course compared to Grade 12 Data Management? How much of this course is a review of Data Management?

anubhagat · 08-30-2009 at 09:11 PM

i didnt take Grade 12 Data Management and still found this course very easy...

that being said, i cant really tell you how much of it is a review of Data management, but for life sciences it is a great course, and very useful in terms of practicality

lankan_4lif · 08-30-2009 at 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anubhagat

i didnt take Grade 12 Data Management and still found this course very easy...

that being said, i cant really tell you how much of it is a review of Data management, but for life sciences it is a great course, and very useful in terms of practicality

Thanks for the info. Did you guys cover permutation and combinations? As well, did you guys do like binomial and normal distribution, probability like conditional probability, z-scores (normal) and stuff?

lankan_4lif · 08-30-2009 at 09:17 PM

As well, are the labs really easy or moderately easy? As well, is it possible to do well on the labs and not show up except when you pick up or drop off your assignments?

anubhagat · 08-30-2009 at 09:20 PM

haha the labs are a joke! they are not mandatory, you can go if you need help but they are very self explanatory...it is very possible to do well on the labs and you dont really even need to go pick them up unless you're curious as to what you did wrong...last year we picked them all up at a review session at the end of the term....marks are always posted online, soon after handing them in

anubhagat · 08-30-2009 at 09:21 PM

oh...one of the reasons you might go to the lab is if you decide not to purchase the minitab software, in which case you could go to the lab and use it there.