Seven topics, two discussion posts a week, one final. Walkthroughs for the ALEKS problems that trip people up, scripts for the DQs that feel impossible, and honest notes on what the syllabus doesn't tell you.
Each week has two discussion questions, an ALEKS homework set, and a six-question review. Topics 2, 4, and 6 add a Major Assignment; Topic 7 wraps with a cumulative Final Exam in place of the usual homework and review.
Functions, slope, and linear modeling — plus the Excel moves (formulas, cell references, basic graphs) you'll lean on the rest of the term.
Percent, unit conversions, and building a budget you could actually use — anchored by the first Major Assignment.
Simple vs. compound interest, the CPI and inflation, and annuity formulas for planning how money grows over time.
Short- and long-term loans — auto loans, credit cards, student loans, and mortgages — plus an APA-style written analysis. The heaviest week of the course.
Descriptive statistics, the normal distribution, and reading the graphs you run into in the news — plus a first pass at margin of error.
Counting, permutations and combinations, theoretical vs. empirical probability, and expected value — anchored by Major Assignment 3.
Income taxes, stocks, and bonds — the last content week, with a cumulative Final Exam replacing the usual Homework and Review.