Q. What are the prerequisites for the course?
A. You need to be a sociology major and you must have Soc. 231 as a prerequisite. According to UWO regulations, you are responsible for ensuring that you have successfully completed all course prerequisites. If you do not have the requisites for this course, and you do not have written special permission from your Dean to enroll in this course, you will be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. The powers that be have informed us that this decision may not be appealed.
Q. How much math is required for the course?
A. The math required in this course does not go much beyond that expected in Soc. 231. You should be familiar with the summation operator (Σ or capital sigma), exponentiation, and what taking the logarithm of a number means.
Q. How computer literate do I need to be to take this course?
A. You need to be familiar with some version of the MS Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP operating system. Experience with a statistics package such as SPSS or SAS is a definite asset but is not essential. You will be shown how to use SPSS to do simple statistical analyses as the course progresses. Either package is quite capable of performing the analyses required in this course, but we will be dealing with SPSS in class. If you are already familiar with SAS, or are looking for an additional challenge, feel free to use the SAS system to do the assignments if you wish (see the SAS tutorials off the home page). You do not need to purchase a statistical package or computer especially for this course, but a student license for SPSS is available at the Computer Store. Both of these packages are available on computers attached to the SSC network.
Q. Should I buy a used or earlier edition of the text?
A. If you can find a used copy of the text, then by all means purchase it. Currently, we are using the 3rd edition; do not purchase an earlier edition. There are sufficient differences across editions to make it difficult to follow the material.
Q. Do I need a tutor for the course?
A. The material in Soc. 300 is different from that presented in most other courses. Don't worry if you find it challenging ... most students do. If you have difficulties, see your TA or make an appointment to see your instructor early. Since the course material is cumulative, the longer you wait to get help, the more difficult it is to get ahead of the material. Interestingly, we generally see very few students except in the weeks immediately before the midterm and final exams. Regardless of the availability of their TA and the instructor, some students will still ask for a personal tutor. This is expensive, but we will try to provide you with a list of names if any are available.
Q. How important is it to do the homework assignments?
A. The best way to learn statistics is to do statistics. Learning statistics is similar to learning a second language--the more you practice, the better you get. In fact, we often find that students taking languages, sciences, or music do particularly well in the course because they are used to working regularly instead of letting things "pile up" until just before the exams. The weekly questions help to diagnose your understanding of the material. If you find some elements easy to understand, then do only one or two problems. If you find some elements to be particularly difficult, you might want to see your TA or instructor about getting additional practice problems.
Q. What is the format of the exams?
A. The mid-term and final examinations consist of short answer questions, definitions, and some problems for which calculation will be required.
Q. What is the best way to study for the exams?
A. Many students have difficulties with stats and methods because they do not have the proper study skills. You cannot hope to read and retain an entire chapter's worth of material in one sitting. Trying to "cram" the weekend before the exam, which is often a successful strategy in many courses, is a recipe for disaster in statistics. Your best procedure is to spend a small amount of time on the material every day. Spend at least 20 minutes a day reading and doing the assignments. Do not attempt to comprehend a whole chapter of the text in one sitting. Go over the entire chapter initially to get the overview. Then, read each chapter section by section and focus on the material in those sections. Finally, go over the chapter once more to again see how everything fits together.If you find you have problems understanding something after having done the above and attending classes, then see your instructor or your TA. Often, a two minute discussion will clear up the difficulty.
Q. Why do I need to take this course?
A. The trite answer is that the course is required for an honours degree--if you don't want an honours degree, you don't need to take it. The longer answer is that statistical analysis is such an integral part of our culture and our modern economy, that statistical illiteracy is a hindrance to your personal and professional growth. Social science has become an important part of our everyday lives, even for those who are not directly involved in research. A quick glance at today's newspaper will likely find some stories that involve research findings, crime statistics, poll results, and the like. Being a more knowledgeable and critical consumer of these statistics will hopefully improve your contribution as a citizen. Furthermore, statistical literacy is valued by many employers, in many different fields.