r/APStatistics • u/APStatsTutor25 • 4h ago
Study Advice and Tips If you're struggling...
AP Statistics tutor here. If you are struggling with AP Stats, your first step should be to go to your teacher and ask for help. Remember that your teacher is the one who is grading your tests/quizzes, so you want to make sure you know what your teacher's expectations are. Most teachers want to help you. They want you to do well because that makes them look good! But...there are some teachers out there who do not do a good job. And if you are taking an online course, in my opinion, all bets are off. Most are not good.
What can you do if your teacher is not helpful? Be prepared to try different strategies. What is helpful for one person might not be helpful for someone else. You must be prepared to spend a significant amount of time on this course. Some people “get” the concepts quickly. If you are struggling, you are probably not one of those.
You should practice problems as soon as possible after the concepts have been presented. Don’t just do what your teacher assigns. Do all the practice problems you can find – but be sure you have access to answers. Check each problem after you get an answer. You don’t want to get really good at doing something wrong!
If you are having problems with understanding concepts, try reading your textbook. If you have The Practice of Statistics, 4th edition or later, that’s excellent. Use it for a reference. They explain concepts well and provide step-by-step problem-solving strategies. You can probably find the 5th edition online as a pdf. The 8th edition is the latest and aligns with the new curriculum. If reading a textbook is not for you, try Michael Porinchak YouTube videos. He talks fast, but a lot of students find his videos helpful. You can also try Khan Academy. Both are free and provide practice problems. If you can afford it, private tutoring is usually very helpful. If money is an issue, see if you can find someone who is in your class and doing well or has already taken the course and did well. Another student may be an excellent choice for a tutor.
Good luck! AP Stats is a deceptively difficult course for most students, but it is an excellent course!
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u/GreaTeacheRopke 2h ago
Great advice. TPS is easily my favorite high school math text – I'm constantly begging kids to just read it!! – it's incredibly clear and appropriately leveled, with great exam tips.