The summer of stats and firearms

By Andrea Porter

I’ve questioned my life decisions more in the last 2 years of this PhD than in any other period in my life (and I’ve lived a few more years than the traditional age student.) People warned me that would be the case, but I really thought I had it all figured out. The questioning started when I discovered I’m not good at stats – like really not good. My lack of grade power landed me in self-study statistics summer school reading Statistics for People Who Think They Hate Statistics. It’s funny, well-written and explains concepts in an alternative way. For example, the title of the first chapter is “Statistics or Sadistics?” That’s a great start for everyone like me. So I spent my summer embroiled in the subject I hate most. Is the degree really worth it?

Secondly, my research on female body armor fit has branched into topics I didn’t expect. I planned to delve into materials, garment design, government standards, biomechanics and such topics that regard fit. Unfortunately, the research has proven that knowledge of ballistic threats and guns is also important because the fit (or lack thereof) may change the effectiveness of the armor. However, I have no interest in guns and ammo. To be sure, I’m cool with the 2 nd amendment, and the male members of my family are into guns -- but I’m not.

I thought a quick two-hour talk with one of my firearm fanatic friends would land me at expert level. Heh. Learning firearms is a bit like trying to play varsity sports at a 5A/6A school. If you didn’t start in the 2 nd grade and have natural talent, there’s no way to catch up. Imperial and standard units, brands and types, bullet grains and powder types, the minute details seem endless. My husband’s friends were so excited to hear that I was interested in learning about guns that they lined up to take me shooting, each bringing their own arsenal for me to try. (It might have been helped by my offering to pay range fees.)

So instead of my regular summer schedule of work and vacation travel interspersed with enjoyable hobbies and resting my mind for the upcoming academic year, I spent the summer reading statistics books and shooting at gun ranges. How on earth did I get here? Some very odd turns in the path. People are right. PhDs do you make you question your life decisions.