Personal Finance Syllabus

With the completion of GS 120, you are prepared to participate in MATH 100G. There are similarities between the two courses, but MATH 100G is more academic than GS 120. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the course and what is required so as to alleviate any frustrations that could arise if you were expecting the class to be similar to GS 120.

Course Description

MATH 100G is designed to help you review, learn, and retain the fundamentals of basic arithmetic and basic algebra. In addition, mathematics principles will be applied to the daily life situations of provident living and personal finance.

Course Outcomes

  1. Gain confidence in your ability to apply mathematics principles.
  2. Compute basic arithmetic operations.
  3. Solve algebraic problems that contain exponents, variables, formulas, and linear equations.
  4. Demonstrate the use of graphing lines, slope, and writing equations of lines.
  5. Apply arithmetic and algebraic concepts to financial matters.
  6. Demonstrate proficiency in using spreadsheets.
  7. Demonstrate study skills and behavior consistent with a BYU–I disciple-leader.
  8. Analyze personal performance related to course requirements and discipleship.

Course Materials

Technology Requirements:

Optional Equipment (in order to participate in your instructor’s office hours):

The course textbook is provided for free online. However, for some lessons, it may be necessary to print out worksheets for assignment completion. The estimated cost of printing the whole textbook at a local print shop is US $15.

A financial self-help book is required to complete a book review assignment; check the W01 Prepare: Financial Book Review activity in Week 01 to find a list of acceptable choices. Students desiring to use a book not included on the list must obtain permission from the instructor before starting the assignment. Please note that purchasing the chosen book is not required; students may want to consider borrowing it from a local library.

A basic scientific calculator to use in class and for assignments; throughout this course you will be performing equations that require exponents and other functions not found on a regular 4-function calculator. Scientific calculators will have “sin,” “cos,” and “tan” buttons; their cost is usually between US $5–$15.

Note: You do not need an expensive graphing calculator. Online calculators like www.calculator.com can be a useful resource. A calculator may not be used in Chapter 1 (which is Week 01, Week 02, Week 03, and Week 04 of the course). However, it can be used throughout the remainder of the class (Chapters 2, 3, and 4, which covers all the weeks after Week 04).

Course Architecture

BYU-Idaho online courses are designed for students to spend 3–4 hours each week per academic credit. Therefore, you need to devote at least 9–12 hours of study time each week to successfully complete this 3-credit course. If you know you will not be able to devote this much time to the class this semester, please consider taking the course at another time when you can make such a commitment.

Learning Model Architecture

“The Spirit of Ricks,” the traditional hallmark of BYU-Idaho, is established as we learn and grow together. As with all PathwayConnect courses, the students’ knowledge and skills are very diverse. This is an important asset to the program, particularly as you help, support, and learn from each other in order to enhance everyone’s success. Learning together and supporting one another is a gospel-based learning method that will deepen your learning and help you grow spiritually.

You will apply the principles of the learning model in this course. Your personal prayers and scripture study are essential to the process of “learning by faith” (Doctrine & Covenants 109:7) and will help you follow the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. You will be asked to use both intellectual and spiritual tools of learning in this course.

Each week, you will need to read the material provided and any supplemental materials. You will be asked to ponder and prove your knowledge through various activities in your folders. You will also teach and learn from each other by participating in various group activities. It is important that you help each other and fully participate in the group activities because they are an essential part of this course.

Specific PathwayConnect & Online Information

The Lead Student Tools folder contains specific information related to PathwayConnect:

Each week is divided into the following categories:

PathwayConnect Gatherings will be held at the local Institute or church building every week for about one hour. In addition to learning together, these meetings are unique and important opportunities to develop leadership skills. Each student will be asked to periodically help facilitate the class activities as the lead student. Students will also be expected to actively and positively participate in the lesson each week. The format of the meeting will be as follows:

Devotional: The class will meet as a group and the missionaries will assign the opening prayer, a hymn, and will make the announcements.

Large Group: Led by the lead students (who should be dressed in clothing appropriate for church), the entire class will address questions about homework from Folder A.

Small Group Work: Students break into their small groups to work on assignments in Folder B, led by individual lead students.

Every student will need to review their responsibilities in the Gathering Meeting Responsibilities before the first PathwayConnect gathering.

Rounding Decimals: On homework problems with answers in decimal form, students may be concerned if they don't round the answer to the same number of decimal places as the answer in the book. Unless expressly asked for in the question, the place value of the rounding is not considered to be necessary.

Grading Policies

This class is structured around gospel principles of learning (citizenship) that are just as important as your academic learning. The work, participation, and grading in this course are divided into the following categories, comprising the activities listed thereunder, with the following weights relative to a student's final grade.

Category % of Final Grade Relevant Assignments
MATH Coursework 30%
  • Weekly Quizzes Parts A and C
  • Life Plan Project
  • Budget & Expenses Project
  • Visual Chart Reports
Citizenship 15%
  • Weekly Math Exercise Practice & Report
  • Weekly Reflections
  • various activities in W01 and W14
Attendance 15%
  • All Gathering Attendance Reports
Exams 40%
  • All Course Exams

As this grading breakdown demonstrates that although grades will be heavily based on academic performance, students must take the citizenship portion of their grade seriously. The attendance grade is entirely dependent on attendance and participation level at the weekly gathering meeting. It can actually negate some or all of the hard academic work a student has done throughout the semester if he/she does not fully participate in the gatherings.

Attendance Policy

PathwayConnect students need to attend all Thursday gatherings during the semester. They may not use Skype, phone, or similar means to attend the gathering (unless enrolled in a Virtual Gathering site). After each gathering, students must complete the Attendance Report that can be found at the end of each lesson.

If students do not attend the weekly gatherings, they will not be able to:

If traveling, students may visit another gathering location and still obtain credit. However, this should be an exception. This exception does not apply to religion courses though. Before visiting a site, students should tell the missionaries at both sites. Contact information can be found on the BYU-Pathway Worldwide website or by contacting Pathway Support.

Students should contact the instructor in cases of extenuating circumstance such as:

Pathway missionaries may cancel a gathering due to a national holiday, severe weather, or other unsafe situations. If such a situation occurs, students SHOULD NOT complete the Attendance Report for the week. Instead, students should email the instructor to explain the reason for the cancellation, so the instructor can excuse the report. All other assignments should be completed by normal due dates.

For more information on the attendance policy, please read the Pathway Handbook, section 5.5 or contact Pathway Support.

Due Dates

There are two main due dates each lesson: "Before Gathering" activities are due by mid-week, and "After Gathering" activities are due at the end of the week. There will be some activities to complete during the Thursday gathering. Exceptions to this pattern will be mentioned in the activity instructions, or the instructor will notify you of any change in the due dates for coursework. Additionally, assignments will be opened long before the deadline, and there is no penalty for having work submitted before the deadline. Go to the Calendar, found in the top menu bar, for specific due dates and times.

All due dates/times will be in seen in BYU-Idaho’s MST (Mountain Standard Time).

Late Work Policy

The due dates used in the course encourage development of good study habits such as punctuality in submitting your work. Submitting work on time is one of the ways in which you will meet the citizenship objectives of the PathwayConnect program as well as preparing you for success in future courses.

We understand that occasionally you may experience technical difficulty or experience a rare life emergency. Therefore, you may submit up to three late assignments for full credit. Your instructor will notify you of the details of the late work policy during the first week of the semester. If you have any questions about late work or need to submit an assignment late during the semester, contact your instructor right away and allow him or her 24 hours to respond.

Quizzes/Exams

Quizzes are a part of every lesson except in Lesson 14 where students take a final exam. In addition, there are four exams throughout the semester. These occur in Lessons 4, 7, 10, and 13. The final exam occurs in the conclusion lesson of the course.

Retakes for the weekly quizzes and the four exams are allowed and encouraged to improve a student’s score, since they comprise a major part of the academic grade. For students who earn a 75% or less on their first attempt of a quiz or exam, a retake will be required. The quiz is available to retake up to two times, if necessary. However, if you still score a 75% or less after two retakes, you must email the instructor for permission to complete an additional retake. For students who earn a 75% or less on their first attempt of an exam, a grade of 0% will be recorded in the grade book for that exam until the student meets with the instructor to review the exam and retakes it. Click here for an explanation of why your score will be recorded as a 0%.

The final score recorded in the grade book will be the highest grade earned, regardless of whether it is a passing grade or not. Please note that the final exam may only be taken once; retakes will not be allowed for that exam. Notes should not be used on any of the quizzes or exams, except where specifically stated otherwise.

Grade Distribution

The standard BYU-Idaho grading scale applies to this class and is as follows:


A 94–100%
A- 90–93%
B+ 87–89%
B 84–86%
B- 80–83%
C+ 77–79%
C 74–76%
C- 70–73%
D+ 67–69%
D 64–66%
D- 60–63%
F 0–59%

Resources

The Math Study Center on campus offers a live chat to answer quick questions. Please keep in mind that although it is a live chat, tutor responses may take a moment as they will be helping multiple students. One-on-one appointments are also available.

Collection of 100G/L Supplemental Resources

Many wonderful instructors of Math 100G/L have created supplemental materials that may help to enrich the experience of some students. Though not intended to replace the core instruction or exercises of the course, these materials can be very helpful to students who need a different perspective to successfully connect with the material. Students should not feel that these activities are necessary, but can be accessed by students and teachers in those cases where they will be helpful. Click here to access them.

Khan Academy

The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the goal of providing a free education through online resources to anyone, anywhere. All of the materials and resources are free, and students can make use of the extensive video library, interactive challenges, and assessments from any computer with access to the web. Math can be practiced at each student’s own pace in an environment that randomly generates problems adapted to the level of the user. This provides plenty of authentic practice opportunities. If students encounter difficulties, problems can be broken down with a click of the mouse and students can also watch a related video for additional support. For this course, you may find videos from both the Math and Financial categories that interest or help you.

Course Questions

Questions about the course may be posted to the most recent or most relevant Announcement posted by your instructor, and will be answered in a timely manner by the instructor and/or by fellow students. Questions or concerns of a personal nature should be emailed directly to the instructor.

University Policies

BYU-I students are responsible for abiding by all established university policies and standards—which include, but are not limited to, the Honor Code, Academic Honesty, Dress and Grooming Standards, and Sexual Harassment. PathwayConnect students are strongly encouraged to read, become familiar with, and strive to live these policies, particularly as related to the Honor Code and Academic Honesty, which can be accessed through the University Policies page located within the Welcome area of this course.

The use of any language translation software, apps, or online programs, such as Google Translate, in order to translate sentences, paragraphs, or whole essays is not permitted in this course. However, the use of these translation programs to look up a single word or short phrase is generally allowed.

Disability Law

In compliance with applicable disability law, qualified students with a disability may be entitled to “reasonable accommodation.” It is the student’s responsibility to disclose to the teacher any special need she/he may have as soon as possible as accommodations are not retroactive.