R or bayes for independent study?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the decision-making process for an undergraduate student regarding an independent study course, specifically whether to focus on R programming or Bayesian statistics. The scope includes considerations of personal skill levels, future academic plans, and collaborative study dynamics.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a preference for studying Bayesian statistics, citing its importance and potential benefits for future studies.
  • Another participant suggests that R is user-friendly for those with some programming background and emphasizes the ease of learning it through practical application.
  • A different participant recommends taking a Bayesian course that incorporates R and WinBUGS, indicating that this combination was beneficial in their experience.
  • One participant mentions a potential solution of using a specific book that combines both R and Bayesian methods, suggesting a way to cover both topics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the value of focusing on R versus Bayesian statistics, with no clear consensus on which path is definitively better. Some advocate for Bayesian methods, while others highlight the importance of learning R.

Contextual Notes

Participants have varying levels of programming experience and comfort with computers, which influences their recommendations. The discussion does not resolve the implications of choosing one course over the other for the participants' future studies.

bennyska
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i'm an undergrad in stats, and next semester is my last. I'm doing an independent study next semester, and am unsure of what would be more beneficial for me: a class in R, or bayes. i would like to do bayes, and I'm decent on computers with limited programming experience, so I'm not too worried about picking up R as i go along, but that's based on zero experience with R. i will be doing grad school, and i figure i'll get experience with both of these there, so either one would work. there are a few books that combine the two, like kruschle's book, that i could do.
really the issue is there is someone else i'll be doing an independent study with, and she is not only NOT super hot with computers, she also needs a programming course to graduate, so she wants to do R. if we go through the same teacher, we'd have to do one together, but we could possibly go through different teachers.

anyway, anyone have an opinion?
thanks
 
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You mean bayesian statistics? If you have an opportunity to study bayesian methods, I would strongly recommend that you take advantage of it. R is a very high-level programming language; it will be very easy for you to get the hang of it by creating a few mock data sets and playing around with it.
 
I recommend you do the Bayesian course, especially if you use WinBUGS. My Bayesian course used R and WinBUGS in addition to Bayesian theory so it was good for me.

If you have done any kind of procedural programming before, R is not hard to learn.
 

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