Making "Cents" of Personal Finance

Making "Cents" of Personal Finance

printing money

When I began a class as a student I often wondered about the rationale behind the logistics of a class, in other words why is the instructor setting up or teaching the class in a certain way. As we begin this semester I will share with you the logic behind some of my decisions that impact the organization of Personal Finance Business130. Feel free to ask questions or post comments in the ask the instructor section in Blackboard.  You can comment here as well but this is not the official class site and there is no guarantee I  will read this promptly.  

1. Your personal financial data is personal.

locks

Assignments will require you to create, review and comment from a personal level about financial data. However you will never be required to share specific financial data. Anything posted in this class in a sense becomes public data. It has not happened yet, but if you feel uncomfortable with an assignment contact me immediately (early) via email and perhaps an equivalent assignment can be created where you feel comfortable. 

2. People learn best when they have a personal interest in the outcome.

You will notice that many of the assignments will ask you to review your personal information. For example when we review auto insurance I will be asking you to review your own auto insurance policy. You may not have you own auto insurance policy as you may be covered by your parents etc. If this is the case hopefully they can share their policy information with you, the assignment will be just as meaningful. As much a possible I try to make the assignments relevant to your personal financial situation. In a face to face class students learn best when they are willing to share information that reflects their own personal viewpoint. I encourage this via participation both in the face to face class and in your postings in the on-line class. 

3- You don’t need to be a math genius to pass this class... You don't ...I promise! 

teacher at blackboard

Sure most of the homework problems are numerical but I’ve tried to keep the math to a minimum. Spend your time focusing on the concepts and analysis not the mechanical calculations. If the math is causing you a problem post your questions in the discussion board early in the week so you can get help. Decimal points and percentages seem to be the largest issues in the past. If you need help in these areas get it from the college or a friend or arrange office hours with me to help. Or just try goggling math help example site.

 4 - Focus on learning not memorizing

You’ll do best in this class if you focus on learning and self-analysis of financial information as opposed to trying it memorize it. As you apply what you learn to your personal life you will see the benefits. Even for exams I work hard to stay away from rote memorization.

5- The Internet contains a wealth of Personal Finance Information.

           In fact sometimes it is overwhelming. During this course I hope you will develop a process or    method    you can use to find the information you need and then learn to apply it to your personal situation. The concept is to develop a method for lifelong learning  which you can apply when you need to make a financial decision in the future. Click to see an example

puppies holding a stick 

6- It really helps to share ideas about Personal Finance.

You will be sharing a lot in the discussion forums but in addition I will be asking you in some assignments to ask questions of or take surveys and compare results with friends or families. The more quality discussions you have about personal financial issues the more you will learn. Think now about who you may want to discuss things with. Don't be afraid to talk about financial information and decisions with friends and family. Their insight will help you learn and make better decisions.

7 Why must I pay for and use Aplia ??

This is a personal finance course and there is a quantitative (number) aspect to the course. By using Aplia the student gets an immediate response as to whether the problem has been answered correctly or not. It is this immediate feedback feature that I like for students. Remember if you have problems with the homework ask for help in the discussion board. If you try the problem and can't get the correct answer after reviewing the Aplia  hints  post your question in blackboard so others can help (including me).  Reminder you can try the homework 3 times  up to the 11pm deadline Sunday night.     But it  pays off to ask for help after  your first  or 2nd attempt  so you can go back and get the problem correct.   The goal is for you to succeed. 

person walking toward success

 8 What is Professor K's goal for this class?
If at the end of the semester you can say...I know I can a make better personal financial decisions  than  I did when the semester started then I'll think you had a successful class.  With any luck you you will save some money or invest a little better as well.  Enjoy the class.