Category: Mathematics

Now that we have passed the half-way mark of the class, tell us what you think about learning math online?

Name at least one thing that you really enjoy about the class (come on, there must be something!) and at least one improvement that could make this class even better. Feel free to editorialize!

Also, this is a good time to make a “keep-quit-start” resolution.

What are you doing to help yourself learn in this class that you are going to keep doing because it’s working?

What are you doing that is hindering you from learning in this class that you are going to quit doing?

What do you think will help you improve your learning in this class that you are going to start doing?

*****NOTE TO WRITER*****

Feel free to come up with anything. Whether you write about your personal experience (if you ever did) or use peers’ examples to brainstorm ideas is up to you.

Then, respond to 2 of your classmates in substantive postings.

PEER #1 POST:

Good evening class,

I have always struggled with math, so learning it online was something I was nervous about at first. But, LimeSpring has helped me a lot more than I expected. Being able to work at my own pace and revisit lessons has made a big difference in how well I understand the material. Instead of feeling rushed or overwhelmed, I can take the time I need to really process each topic. One thing I really enjoy about this class is how organized it is. Everything is clearly laid out, which helps reduce stress, especially for someone like me who already finds math challenging and dealing with military issues. I also appreciate the practice problems and examples, since repetition helps me feel more confident. If I could suggest one improvement, it would be adding small group projects to bring us closer together.

For my keep-quit-start resolution:

Keep: I am going to keep reviewing lessons and practice problems regularly. This has helped me stay on track and understand concepts better over time.

Quit: I am going to quit waiting too long to start assignments. When I put things off, I feel more confused and stressed.

Start: I am going to start asking for help sooner when I dont understand something. Using available resources earlier will help me improve and stay motivated.

Overall, even though math is not my strongest subject, LimeSpring has made learning it more manageable and has helped me feel more confident as the class goes on.

PEER #2 POST:

Good afternoon class and professor,

This week, Ill be outlining my experience so far with learning math online. Throughout Ill mention the positive aspects, challenges I am working to overcome, and what I can do to improve in order to finish strong.

There are two things that Im currently doing that I found helpful. First, I take thorough notes during lessons video and to test my knowledge, I complete any additional examples before the instructor provides the answer. Second, after the first week, I began utilizing the workbook as a practice test and show at least 70% of my work so I can use it as a reference later.

An area I could improve or found challenging is allotting more time to complete lesson videos, review helpful resources and avoid rushing. I have noticed that if I havent reached my goal time or cannot complete a particular lesson before I start my workday I begin to rush through the remainder instead of stopping.

To improve my understanding, each week Ive been dedicating more and more time to using the helpful hacks specially the OpenStax. This has been beneficial for filling in the gaps or areas that I didnt completely understand in the weekly lessons. Therefore, In the upcoming weeks, Ill continue to do the same and utilize these resources to prepare for the final exam.

Finally, one improvement is increasing the accessibility of material by storing related information in a single location. For example, I think it would be very beneficial if the helpful hacks were stored under the resource section in LimeSpring. Then we could access the data quicker and more efficiently. This concludes my weekly discussion. I look further discussions.

I’m going to send you a word document that has parts that are were made with the help of AI and I want you to paraphrase so that there’s 0 percent AI.

Math 123 Budget and Planning Project

Managing your money is one of the most important life skills. Throughout this project, you will examine your

current spending habits, start planning for your future, and predict what effect your planned career will have

on your finances. The project should be your own work and be submitted through IvyLearn. All calculations

should be completed using Excel (i.e.: do not use your calculator and type the answer into Excel). Use the Excel

template (.xls/.xlsx file) provided.

Project check #1 (25 points)

Submit your Excel File by:

1. Use the excel file provided to outline your monthly expense budget. The budget should consist of

current and future budgeting items that you anticipate after you graduate from IvyTech. For example,

if you currently do not pay rent, you should include some sort of housing cost, including utilities, in your

future budget area. You should complete the 10 items listed (or modify them if they do not apply) and

then add at least 9 additional items (19 total). You may add the 9 additional items to any category. At

the bottom of your list, use the =sum () function to find the total of your monthly budget.

2. Create a pie chart using the categories in your budget. Label the sections of the pie chart with the

names and %s of each category. Include a Title for your Chart. Write 1-2 sentences in the reflection

text box with observations from your pie chart. Use at least one % from the chart and explain what it

means in real life.

3. Create a bar graph (i.e.: column chart) for your monthly expenses. Include a chart title and labeled

axes. Write 1-2 sentences in the reflection text box with observations from your bar graph. Discuss at

least one category from the chart and explain what it means in real life.

4. Use the =count (), =min (), =max (), and =average () functions to calculate your minimum expense

amount, your maximum expense amount, and average expense amounts. Write 1 sentence that

explains what each of these results means in real life in the text box provided. Use the numbers you

calculated and be as specific as possible.

5. Write 2-3 sentences of general reflections. This should include any thoughts about specific expenses

and your overall impressions about your monthly budget.

Project check #2 (25 points)

Turn in your Excel File by:

1. Use an exponential formula to calculate the amount the maximum expense is expected to grow each

year for the next 20 years, assuming a 2.0% increase in inflation. Graph this information in a 2-D line

graph. Make sure to label your axes and include a chart title.

2. Look up your future career at U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and use the 10% annual wage dollar

amount which can be thought of as a starting salary. Convert this yearly salary into a monthly salary. If

you share a household with a partner, add your monthly gross salary with your partners monthly gross

salary to find the total household income. If you do not share, type n/a in this box.

3. Use your total yearly household income and the 2024 tax tables at the link below to calculate your

yearly and monthly tax withholdings. Morgan Stanley 2025 Tax Tables

4. Subtract your monthly tax from your monthly gross household income to find your Monthly Household

Income after Taxes. Compare this to your total monthly budget. What is the absolute and relative

difference between your projected household income and your total household expenses?

5. In the text box, reflect on your future: How will the price of your most expensive item change over

time? Will the career that you are pursuing meet your expenses? Write 2-3 statements using the

results of your calculations in this excel worksheet and explaining the implications of these calculations

in real life.

Final Project check (50 Points)

Turn in your Excel and Word Files by

1. Adjust your monthly expense budget categories so that your total monthly expenses match your net

income after taxes. Make sure the net income roughly equals the expenses (with income being slightly

greater).

2. Take the amount you set aside for savings in your monthly expense budget and use Excel to find the

total of your 401K/IRA retirement account after 30 years with an average return of 5.5%. What is the

total of your deposits into this retirement account? What is the amount of interest that accumulated in

your account after 30 years? Use =NPER () to figure out the number of monthly periods you would

have to contribute money into your retirement account (with the same rate and deposit amount) to

have $500,000 in your retirement account. How many years is this?

3. Most banks recommend that you pay no more than 25-28% of your household income for rent or a

home loan (including property taxes and insurance, which are included in the monthly loan payment).

Calculate 28% of your projected net household income (after taxes) to find what monthly mortgage

payment you can afford with your future career. Use the =PV () function to determine the maximum

Loan amount you could afford with this monthly payment and a 30-year mortgage at 3.5% APR. If your

lender requires you to make a 10% down payment for the home, what would be the total cost of the

home you can afford to buy with this loan? If the closing costs and loan origination fees are

approximately $3000, how much cash would you have to pay at the time of purchasing your home?

Reflect on how you would save this amount prior to purchasing your home and discuss it in your

reflection paper below.

4. In Microsoft Word, write a concise, 1-page (at least 3 paragraphs, double spaced) reflection paper analyzing

what you learned from the project activities, and how you plan to use it your financial decisions in the future.

The paper should be in sentence form with no grammatical errors. Please be reflective in the paper and talk

about what you learned about your budget, career, taxes, housing, Excel, etc. Any honest reflections are

encouraged and expected. Some ideas:

o Explain your reasoning for your first monthly expense budget

o Discuss changes you had to make to your expense budget and your reasoning for making these

changes.

o What is your future career? Discuss if/how it will allow you to meet your budget.

o Does your career allow you to live in your desired area? Use an online website, such as Zillow, to look

at the cost of homes in your desired area. Discuss how this will or will not meet your future housing

needs.

o Do you think your retirement saving amount is enough to retire on? Why or why not? Reflect on the

amount that you will be contributing through your monthly deposits vs. how much interest you will get

from the bank.

Three Es for writing deeper sentences using Quantitative Reasoning:

1. Explain: blah blah blah, because ******

2. Examples: blah blah blah, for example *****

3. Evidence: Use specific statistics (numbers/calculations) from you excel file.

my assignment is explaining what the problem is and giving me the answer