Math Refresher

Math isn't about plugging numbers into formulas. It's about knowing enough to make the numbers and formulas work for you. Math can be incredibly useful - but only if you understand how and when to apply it in your everyday life.

This course will show you how to use math to your advantage. You won't find any theory or memorization here. The lessons that make up this course are filled with practical exercises and information that you can put to immediate use. You will find out some very interesting things about how calculators work, and then you will discover how best to get a handle on your income and expenses. You will be able to check your paystub, invoices, and bank statements for errors and overcharges and become more skilled at handling money and comparing investment opportunities.

You will learn how to calculate percentages, including the proper amount to pay in tips, commissions, taxes, and discounts. You will find out how to calculate interest rates and you will develop a better understanding of mortgages, credit cards, and other types of loans. You will discover a handy method for converting one type of measurement to another, and you will be able to calculate areas correctly, so you don't overspend on your next home improvement project. You will become adept at interpreting graphs, calculating the probability that something will (or won't) happen, and understanding the statistics embedded in test results, polls, and even news stories.

What you will learn

• Learn how best to use math to your advantage
• Learn to check your pay stub, invoices, and bank statements for errors and overcharges
• Learn to calculate percentages for paying tips, commissions, taxes, etc.
• Discover how calculators work and use them to get a handle on your income and expenses
• Learn to convert one type of measurement to another and calculate areas
• Learn to use math for all your financial, household, business, and educational transactions

How you will benefit

• Learn to use a calculator to assist you with the types of math you encounter everyday
• Put what you have learned to immediate use from balancing a checkbook to deciding how much tip to leave
• Develop a better understanding of mortgages, credit cards, and other types of loans
• Be able to understand the terminology used by financial professionals and know what questions to ask

Outline

Integers and Other Mathematic Equations

This lesson will recall childhood memories about math by reviewing some basic number properties. You will learn about integers, exponents, roots, and multiple-step problems. Doing these types of problems just for practice can be tedious, but you're going to take what you learn and put it to use in every other lesson in this course.

Percentages in Retail

Whether it's discounts, taxes, or a tip, most people deal with percentages every day. This lesson focuses on the percentages found in retail from both a consumer and a managerial perspective. You will learn about prices, discounts, and sales tax. And last but not least, this lesson covers about tipping, markup, and handling money in the retail work environment.

Income, Deductions, and Expenses

This lesson is all about income. Are you paid hourly, are you a salaried employee, do you receive a commission, or some combination of these? In this lesson, you will learn how to calculate your paycheck and create a budget plan. In the last part of the lesson, you will learn how to find out where your money goes once you have it.

Opening and Balancing a Checking Account

Now that you have your paycheck, you need somewhere to put it. It's time to talk about financial institutions; banks, credit unions, and savings and loans. In this lesson, you will discover what to look for in an institution and what questions to ask about checking, savings, and other accounts.

Earning Interest

Investing is an ominous word for most people. Financial professionals can sound like they're speaking a foreign language. This lesson will unravel some of this terminology and the math that goes with it. You will learn the basics of earning interest and find out what questions to ask the professionals, like types of interest earning investments; bonds, certificates of deposit, and money market accounts.

Paying Interest

As you know, you can't just earn interest—you also have to pay interest. Credit cards and loans cost you money in interest and fees. In this lesson, you will study what happens when you pay only the minimum balance on a credit card each month. And then you will see what happens when you pay as little as $10 or $20 extra each month.

Mortgage Math

Interested in buying a home, but not sure where to start? There are realtors, attorneys, and loan officers to get you through this process. In this lesson, you will explore the different aspects of a mortgage payment (principle, interest, taxes, and insurance or PITI) and the amount of money you will need up front.

Ratios

In this lesson, you will find out that you can solve most problems with some sort of ratio and learn to set up ratios and proportions step-by-step. After this lesson, you will be able to convert even the most complicated measurements.

Measurement

In this lesson, you will learn how to calculate area in different units of measurement and how to convert between them. This will let you figure out how much carpet, paint, or tile you need for those home projects. You should be able to check your measurements and calculations. You will also learn a little about metrics and a very simple conversion method.

Probability

You will learn all about probability in this lesson. It's used in the gaming industry, in forecasting weather, and in determining insurance rates. How does the insurance industry know there's a 10% chance you will be in an accident? Or how does a casino predict a 3% chance you will win at blackjack? You have to know which numbers to divide and how to find them.

Statistics

Society is bombarded with information and statistics all day, every day. This lesson is about statistical data and how it's chosen. You will also learn about the four most commonly used statistical measures: mean, median, mode, and range.

Statistical Graphs

A great way to understand all those statistics you just learned about is to put them on a graph. Graphs can help you look at the big picture by summarizing information. Just as there are different types of information and relationships, there are different types of graphs. Each one is best suited for displaying a particular type of information or relationship.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.