In taking Quantitative Reasoning this semester, I had the opportunity to take part in several written assignments and group projects. Two projects stand out more than the rest.
Our finance project was “purchasing” a house. We were tasked, as a group, to find an affordable house, make calculations based on the mortgage and two different interest rates, given we make a down payment of 20%, and then determine which lender we would take the loan through and how long the loan should be. We created amortization charts for 15- and 30-year loans at different rates from Chase Bank and Mountain America Credit Union. We then worked to determine how much we would pay in interest over the course of the loan, depending on interest rate and length of the loan. I found this assignment to be beneficial because it was realistic and applicable to my current situation. Many people enter into contracts for vehicles or houses without fully exploring their options. This assignment helped me to see that the best deal is not always realistic, and the first lender you go to does not have to be the one you take your loan from.
The project I have uploaded here was to determine, using the research and data given, whether treating pain with magnets was effective. Given the pre-, post-, and difference in results, we were able to calculate the effectiveness in the treatment and present the results in histograms and box plots. Learning how to make calculations and then present the results visually was incredibly valuable to me. As I am more of a visual learner, this was enlightening and incredibly beneficial.
Both of these assignments, along with several others, challenged me to think out and reason with the data I am presented on a daily basis. I feel completely confident in my ability to make decisions based on the quantitative reasoning skills I have obtained throughout the course.