• Do you look at statistics differently now? If so, how?
• What advice can you offer to help others make the most appropriate use of data? Good evening,

This course has went by so fast! I just want to say we made it !

When I first started this course, I was extremely nervous about statistics. There were times when I didn't think I was going to finish. But now I've been able to see how practical it can be. One personal use I see is tracking and analyzing my own budget using averages and trends to understand where most of my money goes and how I can plan better. I'm old school so I've been using a budget book, so this sounds better. Professionally, I can apply these skills to evaluate data at work, whether it's looking at performance numbers or survey results, and use evidence instead of just guessing.

Data analysis is changing everything around us. Workplaces rely more on dashboards, reports, and AI tools to make decisions, and it's clear that knowing how to interpret data is becoming a core skill in almost every field.

Statistics can be both persuasive and misleading. For example, a survey might report that 90% of customers are satisfied which is very convincing. But if the survey asked 10 people, the results wouldn't be reliable. Without knowing the sample size or how much data was collected, the statistic can easily mislead people.

Overall I am happy with the new skillset I have learned. I am much better at graphing and memorizing formulas in excel. This class has been a challenged, but another accomplishment I can add under my belt.