Julianna Braley

Math 1040-008
Term Project: Reflection

When I first enrolled in Math 1040, an entry level statistics class, I was a bit uneasy. I had
heard, statistics was a class based around story problems, something I had not previously
excelled in. However, throughout the semester and especially through this project, I soon noticed
my growing ability to solve these types of problems. This end of term project based on starting
compensation packages in respect to specific degree types gave me confidence in analyzing the
data of real world problems coupled with information to consider as Im pursuing my degree in
the health sciences.
When I received this project, I was told that I would be writing a report. The kind of
writing required for a statistical analytical report was something I had never done before. As
expected, I was a bit overwhelmed by this. However the opportunity to learn how to write in a
different style was very useful. Because I now have learned how these reports are conducted, I
can use this knowledge for potential upcoming reports I need to write for future classes and job
responsibilities. The first part of this project included organizing data, solving equations in excel,
and using this data to create histograms. The opportunity to increase my knowledge and skill set
in excel will be something I can use for various assignments, projects, and reports in my future
schooling and career.
In this report, I also used my newly learned ability to create confidence intervals and test
hypotheses. In conducting these, I was able to create ranges of expected values given a defined
level of confidence, and I was also able to test alternative hypotheses that refuted null
hypotheses. For example, through hypothesis testing I was able to contradict the claim that
students graduating in education on average find a job that compensates them less than $35,000 a
year. I was also able to construct a confidence interval estimate that estimated the range of
proportions of graduates that find a starting compensation of over $50,000. Knowing that

Julianna Braley
Math 1040-008
Term Project: Reflection

39.18% to 45.96% of college students graduating with one of these specified degrees will find a
starting compensation rate of over $50,000 is important information to students, colleges, and
employers.
Overall, this class has given me many foundational concepts and skills I can use to make
future analyses and form future hypotheses I can then test and use to gain a greater understanding
of reality. As I move further into healthcare, being able to view the effects of medications and
treatments with an analytical mind will be invaluable. With this, I look forward to having a
broader knowledge base I can use to treat my patients.