Dusty Wilson

Discussion Seminar 0: Understanding the Tech

Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to make sure that you know how to access the tech in this class.

Instructions: Answer the following and upload your results as a pdf into Gradescope (check your email for an invite to Gradescope).  Include the questions on your document

1.) General Questions: Name (and what you want to be called), major, and how many quarters have you attended Highline
2.) Life questions: Are you and your family safe and stable economically? How are you feeling about America?  How hopeful are you for your academic and professional future?
3.) Class/school: What are you most and least excited about this quarter?  What (if anything) may I do as your instructor to support you at this time?
4.) Accessing the apps/web used in this class
        a.) Canvas: What is the class image?
        b.) MyLabs: How many questions are in assignment, "1.1: Systems of Linear Equations"
        c.) Dusty's Webpage:
                - What color highlighter did I use on the completed workalong for 1.1 as posted on the class website? 
                - How many completed workalongs are linked on the class website?
                - How many minutes long is the 1.1 video? 
        d.) YouTube: Dusty is not (yet) a famous YouTuber.  Which of the video on his channel has the most views?  (Like, comment, and subscribe!)
        e.) Slack: There are four channels we will use on Slack. 
                - General: This is where I will make announcements and you should ask general questions about the class (i.e., What sections are on the Assessment?)
                - Homework: This is where you will post questions and answers to homework questions.
                - Study groups: This is where you can post about upcoming study groups. 
                - Random: You can post about club meetings, off campus gatherings, and fun stuff.
                - In "Study groups" post an audio clip of you pronouncing your name and what you would like to be called.  Alternately, if you are feeling cool and are using Slack on a desktop, add an audio clip and pronunciation to your Slack profile.
        f.) Gradescope: Upload your responses as a pdf into Gradescope under assignment "Discussion Seminar 0"
5.) Watch this clip on "How to watch math videos."  What are Trefor's seven suggestions?  What is one thing that you learned and would like to apply through this video?

Discussion Seminar I: Letters from Previous Students

Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to help you get the most from this class by having you reflect upon what former students have shared.

Instructions: Please read some letters from past students.  Use your observations of the letters and reflections upon your own skills and ablities as a mathematician to answer the following.  Include the questions on your document and bring a physical (paper) copy to class.

0.) What is your name?  In general, do you like to hear your name spoken?  (Dale Carnegie said: "Remember that a person's name is to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.")
1.) Please read some letters from my former students.
2.) Why did you choose these particular letters?  What is one similarily you have with these students ... one difference
3.) What are two habits they indicate will help you be successful?
4.) What are two questions/concerns that the letters address?
5.) Having read the letters, you now have a sense for how this class may foster broader studenting and math skills. What skills and abilities would you like to develop this quarter?

Discussion Seminar III: Thoughts on Buying Cars

Overview: Where there are cars, there are always stories.  So let's talk about cars.  Most students want to buy a vehicle and some know lots more about this than me.  I'm not an expert, but I have owned over a dozen vehicles (no loans).  Our first one burned oil ... so much so that we had to add a quarter every 100 miles!  But it kept running and got us to the next vehicle. 

Instructions: Watch and learn Dave's thoughts on the financial side of buying a car.  Here are a few videos; pick what is helpful to you.  Finding a Cheap Car, Buy Without Debt, Leasing vs. Buying, New vs. Used Cars, or find one(s) of your choice on YouTube.

0.) What is your name (first and last)?  Do you have a story about a famous relative/ancestor?
1.) What are a few things you learned from Dave in the videos? 
2.) Dave says not to buy a brand new car unless you have a million dollars saved up.  Wow, that is a lot!  Do you agree?  If not, how much do you think you should have saved up before buying a brand new car?
3.) Exploring Kelley Blue Book.  This website is the standard if you want to know what a car is worth.  What is the Fair Market Range of a used 2012 Toyota Camry LE Sedan with 150,000 miles?  How much is it if you buy it at a dealership vs. from a private party vs. trade-in?  (Note: Feel free to adjust the year/make/model/mileage to fit your interests).

4.) What are the pros and cons of buying a car at a dealership?  What are the pros and cons of buying from a private party?
5.) The State of Washington believes that it costs about $0.67 to drive a vehicle for one mile (mileage reimbursement).  What is covered in this cost?
6.) Thinking about the previous question, do you think it is more cost effective to drive a cheap car that needs repairs or a more expensive car that always runs?  Why?
7.) Share your wisdom: Dave Ramsey says not to buy a new car unless you have a million bucks in the bank.  My Dad said that a car should drive 10 miles for every dollar you spend.  What rule of thumb do you have for when/how to buy a car?

Discussion Seminar IV: Credit Cards

Overview: A coworker had a masters degree, but had never learned about credit cards.  He got himself into a bunch of trouble.  I myself am a reluctant credit card user.  My wife and I pay our balance in full, but we spend more with cards than if we used cash.  I'm not proud of using cards, but it is true.  I want to protect you from the issues that my friend had and perhaps even get you to do better than me!

Instructions: Watch some of Dave's rants about credit cards (he is super opinionated on this).  Here are a few videos; pick what is helpful to you: Get rid of cards?, Why can't I use credit cards if I pay them off every month?, and getting out of debt with The Debt Snowball.  Then answer the discussion questions below in writing. Include the questions on your document and bring a physical (paper) copy to class.

0.) What is your name?  Do you have a nickname?  (Other than my nickname Dusty, I was also called Chewie and Encyclopedia)
1.) What is the difference between a credit and a debit card?
2.) What experience do you (or your family) have with credit cards
3.) If the balance isn't paid in full, credit cards are a form of loan and so you have to pay interest.  Interest rates vary based upon the the type of loan and the purpose of the money.  What is the average rate in each category?
        a.) Car loan
        b.) Student loan
        c.) House loan
        d.) Personal loan
        e.) Business loan
        f.) Credit card rate
        g.) Payday loans (about)
4.) If you pay your credit card balance in full, then you pay zero interest.  But you can choose how much to pay.  How much interest would you pay if you had a balance of $2,000, a 20% interest rate, and you minimum payment was "Interest + 1% of the balance"? 
5.) In what way(s) do credit cards help or hurt people?  How does using a credit card impact how much consumers spend? (Google it).
6.) What is Dave's "Debt Snowball?" Dave acknowledges that this isn't the best mathematically optimal solution ... why does he teach it even though he has lots of haters?
7.) What is your plan for credit cards and why?

Discussion Seminar V: Buying a house

Overview: Buying a house doesn't make you better or happier.  But we all need a place to live and many folks want to own a home.  If this is you, I want to help it be a blessing and not a nightmare.

Instructions: Learn a little of what Dave says about buying a home.  Here are a few videos; pick what is helpful to you: A college student asks about how to buy a first house.  Is rent a waste?  What if I'm not paid enough?  and the Best way to buy a house.  Then answer the discussion questions below in writing. Include the questions on your document and bring a physical (paper) copy to class.

0.) What is your name?  Suppose you were to have a child, would you consider naming your child after yourself?  Why or why not.  (I'm Dusty IV and my son is Dustin V.  It's kinda a family thing.)
1.) Do you believe it is possible for a Gen Z first gen student at Highline to someday own their own home?  Why or why not?
2.) What is the average cost of a house in Des Moines, WA?  (Note: Feel free to change the details to fit your situation).
3.) The average down payment for first time home buyers is about 6%.  How much do you need to save for a down payment? (Note: For the sake of simplicity, we are ignoring loan origination fees)
4.) If you make the down payment in (3.), how big a mortgage (aka loan) will you need to purchase the house?  Use the TVM solver on your calculator.
5.) What monthly payment can you expect to pay for the house?  Assume a 15 year fixed rate mortgage at the average house mortgage rate.  (Note: For the sake of simplicity, we are ignoring taxes and insurance)
6.) How much (down payment + monthly payments) will you pay for the house over the life of the loan?  How much interest will you pay?
7.) Traditionally, you shouldn't spend more than 25% of your income on a mortgage.  How much would you need to make a month (and year) to be able to afford this house?
8.) How much does a Software Developer make?  Could they afford this house?  What if they saved up a 20% down payment?  What if the house was $100,000 cheaper?  What if interest rates were 4%? 
9.) What are other ideas you have for making a home purchase affordable for you? (Type of property, who lives there, location, size, ...)
10.) What is your plan for having/finding a place to live?  What is your timeline?

Overview: Many of us may (one day) hope to retire.  This isn't a moral right or good and wasn't even possible until relatively recently.  But it is a common goal in America.  However, most American's are not on track to achieve this with the median retirement savings of retirement age Americans at about $200,000 (Nerdwallet article).

We don't know the future and so even the best plan could fall through.  However we know that retirement (likely) won't be possible unless we have a plan.  This lesson teaches a very simple plan that (all things being equal), should allow you to retire.

Instructions: Dave says that we pay off our debts then build our emergency fund, and only then do we begin to save for retirement (although sometimes it is required through our jobs).  Once you get to this point, you gotta figure out how to invest.  Learn a little of what Dave says about investing.  Here are a few videos from Dave; pick what is helpful to you:  Right way to invest 15%.  What to invest in?  Dave to Gen Z and which funds take two?

0.) What is your name? Would you rather that no-one knew your name or that everyone knew you because of something embarrassing that you had done?  Why?
1.) What is the average return of the stock market over the last 30 years?  (Ask Google)
2.) What salary do you expect to earn after graduation?
3.) Using a TVM solver, if you saved 15% of your income (post graduation) in mutual funds earning 8% interest beginning at age 24.  How much will you have when you retire 41 years later at age 65?  How much total money will you have saved?  How much interest will you have earned?
4.) Suppose you retire with that amount (PV) invested at 8% and then withdraw an equal amount each month for the next 25 years until you have $0 (FV) left.  How much should you withdraw each month?  How much total did you withdraw?  How much interest will you have earned?
5.) These results in (3.) and (4.) were possible in part because they assumed an 8% interest rate.  Is it reasonable to predict an 8% return?  Why or why not.
5.) I believe that all things being equal (no war, cancer, or zombie apocalypse), every student in this class can be a millionaire and retire (should you choose to do so).  What do you believe and what is your goal for getting there?
6.) Suppose you make a bunch of solid financial decisions over a long period of time.  The chances are that you will end up pretty wealthy.  This would be a blessing.  What (if any) plan or goals do you have for blessing others through giving as you will have been blessed?