Hi Everyone,
Methods and stats are the bread and butter of the discipline.
First, having a strong methods and/or stats background/understanding can only open doors for you in terms of developing your own interests and working with other faculty members. Second, most importantly, understanding both can help you understand what you read. There's noting more embarrassing than approaching a faculty member, saying you love their work, and your interpretation of their work is completely flawed. Third, methods and stats will likely comprise at least 1/3 of your first year coursework.
Why not get a head start?
Below are books commonly used and/or referenced in methods courses:
The Practice of Social Research by Earl R. Babbie
The Social Lens: An Invitation to Social and Sociological Theory by Kenneth D. Allan
Multiple Regression: A Primer.
Let me know if I could be of any more help.
rj