Recent Graduates Offer Advice to Undergraduates

Beth Chance, Statistics Professor, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly is a public, primarily undergraduate university on the central coast of California. It has a separate statistics department with approximately 40 majors, as well as minors and double majors, which allows undergraduates to prepare for a variety of careers. Here, three recent graduates offer their advice to students as they consider graduate study in statistics, a job in industry, and a teaching credential program.

Wade Herndon is a graduate student in statistics at Colorado State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in statistics from Cal Poly in 2008. His research focuses on analysis of complex surveys such as semiparametric models for survey data under informative sampling.

Wade Herndon:
Getting Ready for Graduate School

Take as Many Advanced Math Classes as Possible—The best advice I can give an undergraduate in statistics looking to pursue a graduate degree in statistics is to take as many advanced math classes as possible. Most statistics graduate students I’ve encountered have a background in math.

Take a Combination of Applied and Theoretical Statistics Courses—The most useful statistics classes, in my experience, have been probability theory, estimation and sampling theory, mathematical statistics, and applied regression analysis. A solid background in applied statistics enables you to confidently tackle future applied statistics problems encountered in school or even while consulting in industry.

Gain as Much Programming Experience as Possible—I believe it is also important to take advantage of every opportunity to gain programming experience—in any language—whether during an internship, working on a project, or in a class.

Have the Right Attitude—Like everything else, you get out of it what you put into it, so a willingness to work and a good attitude are indispensable.

Saba Abuhay began work in business analysis in information systems at Amgen
after graduating from Cal Poly in 2010. Her job responsibilities include gathering and communicating business requirements prior to production.

Saba Abuhay:
Want versus Need in Consulting

Keep Developing Your Nontechnical Skills—How to have the conversation that defines the wants and needs of a client was one of the most important things I learned in my undergraduate program. I was fortunate that my program required me to take a consulting course designed to teach me how to integrate my technical knowledge with communication techniques to assess the underlying reason for a client’s needs. By effectively using the “want versus need” conversation techniques I learned, I have been able to reduce frustration caused by misunderstandings and to provide higher quality work to my clients. Consequently, having an effective communication style in addition to a technical background has made me a more valuable employee.

While technical knowledge is important, having the ability to relate to people and communicate effectively is also critical. Most importantly, relax and don’t forget to have some fun occasionally as you pursue your career goals.

Michelle Shaffer is enrolled in the teaching credential program at Cal Poly. She earned her bachelor’s degree in statistics from Cal Poly in 2010 and looks forward to teaching high-school and AP statistics.

Michelle Shaffer:
Preparing to Teach

Tutor, Grade, Observe, Reflect on Introductory Statistics Classes—By tutoring and grading, you will gain a better understanding of how students learn, recognize common misconceptions, and practice using various methods for explaining statistical ideas. Look back at your own introductory statistics classes. Think about how you learned, what activities helped you, and what concepts you struggled with. If available, do your classroom observations in a high-school class. It’s good to go back and see from a new perspective the different ways introductory statistics is being taught.

Be Familiar with the History of Statistics and Statistics Education—Read David Salsburg’s The Lady Tasting Tea. This book outlines the story of statistics and will enhance your passion for the discipline. If not already an option, talk to your professors about starting a seminar for students and any interested faculty to read and discuss research articles about teaching statistics.

Contributing Editor
Beth Chance is a statistics professor at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvey Mudd College and a master’s and PhD in operations research from Cornell University. Her research interests include methods of enhancing student learning of statistics, particularly through technology and alternative assessment methods.