Is Poor Performance in Probability/Statistics an Indication I am Bad at Math?

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A senior majoring in electrical engineering is considering taking more math electives during their final year, driven by a past interest in mathematics. Despite performing well in most math courses, they struggled with Probability and Statistics, receiving a D+, which raised concerns about their overall math ability. The discussion emphasizes that a single poor performance does not define one's mathematical capabilities, as demonstrated by examples of successful students who faced similar challenges. It is noted that Probability and Statistics differ from more theoretical math courses, with practical applications in the real world. The consensus encourages exploring further math courses, highlighting that individual strengths and interests vary widely among mathematicians. The individual expresses a renewed interest in pursuing additional math classes.
sweetpotato
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Hi all, I've been reading the posts and you guys give good advice :)

I am a senior majoring in electrical engineering, but due to having a lot of AP credit coming into college I'm going to have a lot of time for electives next year.

When I was in middle school/ high school I wanted to be a mathematician, but unfortunately I ended up settling for EE because it's perceived as more practical. I want to use my senior year to take a lot courses in math and see if I still enjoy it as much as I used to.

I did well (B's, B+'s) in all the math courses I had to take for engineering except for Probability and Statistics (D+). That was for two reasons: 1) personal problems that I was experiencing 2) I had a hard time understanding the material, and didn't put enough effort into trying to teach the material to myself. I was wondering if doing poorly in probability/statistics is any indication that I should never take another math course.

In my opinion probability and statistics is somewhat different from other parts of math (e.g. abstract algebra, topology) and so maybe I'm just not good at this one particular topic?

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!
 
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Not doing well in one math course tells nothing about your math ability. For example, I had a friend who was very good at math (taken grad school level topology and algebra while he was an undergrad) did terrible in real analysis class. Despite this, I still believe he is a great math student.

I also agree that probability and statistics is quite different from more theoretical math courses like you mentioned, but others might have different opinions. Theoretical math courses hardly have any application to real world, whereas probability and stats have plenty of real world applications.

I'd say if you are interested in taking more math and if you have time, go for it.
 
There are lots of different kinds of mathematicians with different strengths and weaknesses, different likes and dislikes. If you enjoy other areas of maths and want to do it, don't let this course put you off.

It's always interesting to try and understand one's own mental blocks with an eye to overcoming them, but this shouldn't put you off at all!
 
Thanks for the help! I think I will give some other math classes a shot.
 

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