Stats or Effective Speaking?

[creekland]

My soon to be junior will be signing up for cc classes on Monday. We know he's going to sign up for Microbio. For a second class, would you pick Stats or Effective Speaking?

 

Stats is appealing since it's a subject I don't know as much about the new calculator applications, etc, that came around since I graduated. When I sub for it in our high school I tell the kids I can help them with concepts and written out problems, but not when they need to use calculator problems. Of course, I COULD learn the calculator - probably without a whole lot of difficulty - but taking the course at the cc would also provide a non-mommy grade in a more respected course - something he will need.

 

Effective speaking is appealing because speaking - even in small groups or one on one - for this son doesn't come naturally. He's super gifted in all things academic - even art - but not communicating. He was that way in ps as well as homeschooling, so I'm not blaming homeschooling. For the colleges he's going to want to apply to for science research, he needs to do well interviewing. Knowing that, are we better off putting our money into an Effective Speaking class to see if he can learn what doesn't come naturally? For what it's worth, he's not shy nor opposed to speaking in front of an audience - he's just not naturally talented at coming across well. He's not a natural leader or speaker. I wonder if the ES class would pay off in acceptances and/or more scholarships down the road or should we just work on this more ourselves or extra-curricularly?

 

I wish we could afford all three classes, but we'll be struggling to afford two. Which one would you choose as your second choice?

[Photo Ninja]

If this is his first time taking cc classes, you may want to consider that microbiology may require a lot of study time, so the public speaking class may take some pressure off the academic load, but still benefit him. My dc all took public speaking at a cc and found it to be an easy course, even for one ds who is not naturally gifted in that area, but who benefited from the course. Another plus is that most colleges require public speaking as part of the undergrad requirements, so he will be getting that completed. He may not need Stats depending on his major, so I would consider that, also, unless he needs it for his high school requirements. It can't hurt for him to have one academic course and one that will be easier, but may help him with presenting himself in the future.

[creekland]

He'll need both courses, but I'm not certain the Stats course will transfer to where he's likely to go. I think I'm with you and leaning toward adding the Speaking course. I hadn't thought about that one being required elsewhere. It might be, but it also might be one he can get credit for IF he can interview well afterward.

 

I'm thinking we might try Stats via Life of Fred supplemented with ?? needed and see how it goes. I know it's out there. I've no idea how that book is.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.