Students should PROBABLY take AP Statistics

Students+should+PROBABLY+take+AP+Statistics

Drew Hoffman, Eastside Multimedia Director

A few weeks ago I sat at my desk reading over my transcript and reviewing my high school career.  As I did this, I contemplated the courses I have taken throughout high school.  I didn’t just sit there thinking about the teachers, the curriculum or my classmates.  I thought about the usefulness of the classes and what could possibly be used in the real world.  Going through each class, I found that many lessons and ideas will never be used in my career path, or any career path I have a desired interest in.  However, there was one class that struck my attention.  The material I have so gladly learned in this class can be used in almost any profession, not simply the ones I seek interest in.  That class: AP Statistics.

No, no, it’s not just learning about the chances of picking a red marble over a blue marble or something along the lines of those lame SAT questions.  And no, you don’t sit there calculating batting averages or ERAs all day.  This class is all about in-depth material.  Do you want to know the chances of obtaining a disease?  Have you ever wondered how a simple survey can be wrong in so many ways? AP Statistics answers these questions and a plethora of others.

Good luck trying to find an occupation that doesn’t use statistics or probability, because there are very few out there. One assumes that this course cannot be adapted into being a lawyer. Lawyers must be familiar with taxes, no?  What is involved with taxes?  Statistics and probability are, of course.

How about a gardener? It is evident that this career does not scream AP Statistics. However, gardeners need to know when a plant will grow to a certain size, or the general statistics of  types of plants?

There are also the occupations that compile statistics and probabilities for a living.  Stock market analysts set projections, which require lots of probability.  Financial analysts must also have a background of statistics as well.

People in the sports industry should be familiar with the terminology and math behind certain statistics in the sports they cover.  Policemen should know statistics behind laws and violations.  Statistics are everywhere, and all humans should have a common understanding of them.

Not everyone might be interested in being associated with the stock market or a company’s financial plan, but whatever job you end up with, I guarantee that a knowledge of averages is required, and a background in statistics and a knowledge in dhi dividends will be beneficial to your future.