Course 4 Survivial Analysis

[Anonymous]

I just started reading the text and I already hate it. I know others have mentioned that this book is bad.

Can someone please recommend a method for learning this material?

I cringe at that stupid yellow piece of **** book

[Trout]

I feel the same way too. This book is for someone with good background of STAT since it only explain the application on this topic.
Can anyone advise which study manual is the best for this part?

[New at pd]

ASM is great for about 95% of the material. There was one question, on one of the previous exams, where the formula wasn't included, but it was listed in Actex.

You need these two manuals in order to get the complete picture of Survival Analysis.

[RedSoxFan]

the first mistake you're making is reading the book. For C3 & C4, you shouldn't be reading the texts. You get all the knowledge you need from a well-written study manual, e.g. ASM or Actex, or HTP for C3 (but NOT CSM)

[Caramel]

Just started studying course 4. I am in Chapiter 17 of Actex section I (Regression, estimation, blabla).

I just found there is no understanding required but memorize all the formulas and how to calculate the parameters! It's awfully different from course 3 so far...

Am I completely lost? Is this the way course 4 will be? Pure memorization of hundreds formula??

Someone earlier suggested NOT to read any text books, but how can one make sense of the formula and learn how are they derived without reading the book? Or we shouldn't care how the formula are derived and just worrying about knowing them and how to use them?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Merci!

[Sydney Bristow]

Caramel, you're right...c4 is lots and lots and lots of memorizing, and usually understanding where the formula comes from really doesn't matter, unless it helps you to remember the formula. But I will say that I believe in reading the texts along with the study manuals, because the manuals only claim to be summaries of the texts, and the texts are what the exam questions are based on. And, yes, the Survival text sucks, but the reading doesn't take that long, especially if you skip most of the practical and theoretical notes, as ASM suggests.

[Anonymous]

I agree with you Caramel.. It is hard just to look at a formula the first time and having no idea how it was derived. For the regression and time series material, I would suggest reading the text and the study material simultaneously.

I think you will see that you can derive many of the formulas yourself and this will help you remember them.

I know this helped me when I passed 120 in the old system. As for the Survival Analysis, now that is going to be a challenge.

[Caramel]

Thanks to The MAC and CB,

I will start reading text books along with my studies; otherwise, it's like a walk in the cloud --- no clue where I am!!