In the Rough - The Blog of Joel McDonald Jr.

I cannot adequately express my frustration with the Financial Management class I’m taking. In the last couple of days, I’ve discovered it’s not just me who’s frustrated. I want to share some comments from other students.

“…I am struggling in this class.  I don’t understand all the material and they have so many formulas for one thing.  I can read all I want, but it isn’t helping with me like assignments like last night.  By the way did you get your assignment done?  I don’t think I did mine right, but I guess I will have to wait and see how poorly I did.”

“…I am the same way I have read the information a few times but it is just not clicking. As far as last nights assignment I did do it but I do not think that it is right. However, when I did Wednesdays assignment I thought I did pretty good but boy was I wrong. So who knows.”

To help combat all this lack of understanding, some students are trying to work together on class assignment. This isn’t easy to do considering the class environment doesn’t include any kind of chat application. As the students found themselves not able to hammer out an answer to a recent assignment, one of them decided to ask a question of the instructor in the main forum. This is how it went.

“Which formula should we be using in Excel to determine the values of the bonds in our Friday assignment? I’m using the PV function and another student is using the NPV function. Are either of us on the right path? Thank you for your time.”

To which the instructor replied,

“First of all, I do not encourage students doing their homework assignments together.  I prefer that each student do their own homework and try to figure the answers independently.  When you go into the work environment; you will not be able to depend on someone else helping you with your duties. That being said, if I tell you which function to use, I have given you the answer.  Therefore, I will tell you that one of you are correct.”

I absolutely flipped out when I read the instructors response! I cannot believe how unhelpful, and totally disrespectful this response was. What I wanted to write in response was, “Yes, because it’s so much better to fail an assignment than to seek help from others, or ask the instructor for some assistance”.

I realize that this is only an example of the larger gripe I have with the Phoenix online learning environment. Some instructors really try to reach out and offer comments and assistance to students. Some classes needed it, and some classes didn’t. This class, Financial Management, needs it, but any kind of assistance from the instructor is lacking, or completely unhelpful as illustrated by the above. So, as a consequence, students are left to pay hundreds of dollars to teach themselves a difficult subject using a horrible text.

Does this really make any sense? Do brick-and-mortar students have similar gripes?

As you may know, I am college student pursuing my studies online with Axia College of the University of Phoenix. When I started with Axia, I wasn’t knew to the online learning as I had completed three distance learning courses while I was in high school; Pascal, C++, and Visual Basic. I had a great experience with these classes; and because of that experience, the thought of earning a degree online seemed to be a natural option.I did have concerns starting out, though. My previous experience with online learning was totally with programming courses. Computer courses seem to fit very well with the online learning model for obvious reasons. I was primarily concerned with completing math courses online, as I knew that completing assignments was going to be a totally different process. I also feared not being able to use the step-by-step examples of an instructor to help me understand how to solve problems.

A couple of months ago, I finished my first academic year at Axia without any major problems. In fact, I did really well with earning nothing less than an A- in any class. Most of these classes were fairly subjective in nature, and thus reading he text and writing well with a purpose aided in the success of those classes. Environmental Science did throw me for a loop a couple of times, but I was eventually able to figure that course out as well.

To begin my second academic year, I’ve been taking Algebra and Financial Management. Before the start of these courses, I was a bit nervous about the Algebra, but didn’t think twice about Financial Management.

My concerns about studying math in an online environment were not entirely wrong, but none were of any negative consequence. The new approach to completing math assignments has led me to understand concepts faster as I’m forced to think through each step of the process. I was a horrible math student in high school, but I’m doing a bit better in college.

My Financial Management course, on the other hand, is my untamed beast for the time being. The text for the course is bulky, examples within the text don’t prepare the student for assignments, and my assignments have been very hit or miss as far as grades are concerned. While students can call instructors, or e-mail them, the schedule at which I work on assignments, following the provided calendar, allows very little, if any, time to try to hash out what assignments are really asking for, or to gain clarification on an issue.

As a struggled with yet another assignment, which I know will gain at a maximum half the points of assignment is worth, I’ve begun to ask myself if all college courses can be adapted for online learning. Are all subjects equal in an online environment?

Did you know that today was National Run @ Work Day? Okay, I admit that I wouldn’t have known either if I hadn’t been told a week ago that the Hospitality Committee at Luxford was organizing a run/walk for celebrate, and then a trip to Keagan’s (Irish pub).I had a great time this afternoon running with the administration and other staff as we conquered a three mile course from the school, through the neighborhood, and back to the school. It was a good run, and it was a mile farther than I usually run. Now that I’ve pushed myself to go three, I’m thinking I should map out a three mile course to run regularly starting next week.

By the way, a cold glass of Guinness with rare spicy yellow-fin tuna is excellent after a good run, and even better when it’s happy hour.

Currently I am reading Azra Evan’s The Keystone of Mormonism, which he graciously sent to me autographed. I’m about five chapters into it, and throughout those chapters I have asked myself constantly; why did I buy into Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon?Chapter two of Evan’s book is a quick reference for rational questions regarding claims made within and about The Book of Mormon. It was during this chapter that I had many “DUH!” moments. While I had studied Mormonism for two years prior to being baptized, and thought I had explored many areas usually untouched by most who investigate the religion, I obviously did not study as deeply as I should have to spot some of the more glaring, and really unjustifiable, inconsistencies taught by the Mormon Church and found within The Book of Mormon.

One such inconsistency that caught my attention is found on page 35 of Evan’s book. Here he describes the amazing ability of the Nephites (one of two main ethno-religious groups within The Book of Mormon) to construct a temple, like that of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem in less than twenty years. Evans writes, “The Bible informs us that Solomon contracted with…expert masons to build his temple. It took over 150,000 laborers and 3,300 skills supervisors seven years to complete this project. And yet, Joseph Smith expects us to gullible enough to believe that five men did the job in their spare time in less than twenty years!” Of course, this is impossible.

If such illogical claims are found within Mormonism; why did I become a Mormon?

There isn’t a simple answer to this. I don’t think the Mormon Church is full of irrational people. If it were, they would have a hard time attracting rational people to convert. The issue lies in the fact that rational thought is based on accepted reality, axioms, is like a filter in our minds. When our perceived realities change, our ability to conduct rational thought also changes. With religion, this is dangerous. Accepting religion as a reality, we install religious axioms in our minds, and we are unable to think outside of those axioms. When we accept a religion as reality, we lose the ability to be unbiased and think rationally about that religion. Mormonism, as much as any other religion, encourages this molding of reality and loss of rational thought. During the two years I spent studying about the Mormon Church, I subconsciously molded my reality, bit by bit, until my mind accepted the truthfulness of Mormonism as being a reality, and started filtering any thought contrary to that reality.

It would be false to claim that Mormons don’t think rationally about their religion because they are unstudied. I studied and great deal about Mormonism, pros and cons, before I converted, and afterwards. However, Mormons are not able to process any information contrary to their beliefs because those beliefs are, in their minds, reality. To say to a true believing Mormon that the their beliefs are false is like telling a physicist that the acceleration of gravity is not 9.8 m/s/s. To Mormons, their beliefs are as absolute as gravity.

Much has been said about Mitt Romney being a Mormon and the impact his faith is having on his campaign. Some have written about him not being able to think rationally because he believes in Mormonism and the faith’s illogical doctrines and practices. While I don’t agree with having a Mormon in the White House because of the oaths he has made to Mormonism, being a Mormon does not impact his ability to think rationally outside the subject of his religion. He might be better able to make rational decisions than our current president, or any prior president. I don’t think his religion will impact his policy, as long as potential policy does not conflict with his religion.

So, considering the above, how was I able to think rationally about Mormonism again?

My experience as a missionary constantly challenged what I accepted as reality with regard to religion. As I tested prophecies and promises made regarding missionary work, and as I had opportunities to seriously speak with people about their faith, I stepped closer and closer to being able to think rationally about Mormonism again. It was only after I began asking rational questions that I was able to absorb information logically and form an unbiased understanding of Mormonism, and religion in general. Perhaps being a new convert helped me during this time, as the wall between my accepted religious reality and rational thought was not fortified against what I would experience as a missionary. All I know is that I left for my mission being fully devoted to Mormonism, and returned from my mission an unbeliever.

The very existence of a young democracy is threatened by a powerful enemy who is determined to bring this nation to its knees. Supporting this fledgling democracy is one of the world’s greatest nations; who sends its mighty naval fleet, ground troops, weapons, and money to fight against their common enemy. The year: 1778. The war: The American Revolution.In 1778, France entered The American Revolutionary War, presumably with the hope that the loss of the American Colonies would weaken Britain. Britain did lose the colonies, but France wasn’t much better for the victory of the United States. While France may have gained a victory against Britain, the war ravaged the nation financially.

And while France provided valuable assistance to the United States, the responsibility for the war, and the majority of the risk and casualties, was that of the United States singularly. France was an ally, but the war belonged to the United States.

Last night, George Bush, President of the United States, used expressions which could make one believe that history was repeating itself. He called Iraq, “an ally of the United States…fighting for its survival”, and a, “young democracy…[that has]…placed its trust in the United States.” Last night, the President of the United States attempted to convince US citizens, and the world, that the year is 1778, that Iraq is the United States, and that the United States is France.

Mr. President, with all due respect, Iraq is not the United States.

I like to think the strength of the United States comes from how it fought for its independence, and has defended that independence ever since. There are ideals that went into the establishment of the US that have dictated the actions of the nation since its foundation. The people of the United States decided to fight for their independence. They carved out their own destiny.

Conversely, the United States made the decision for Iraq to become a democracy. We have tried to force our ideals on Iraq. This attempt has failed. Iraq is its own nation, and must shape its own ideals. While the US was the catalyst for major change in Iraq, the people of Iraq need to determine what those changes will be.

In order for Iraq to form their ideals and establish their government based upon those ideals, the United States must completely turn over the nation to the Iraqi people. The US can play a supporting roll, but the responsibility and risk must belong to the people of Iraq.

Such an establishment of ideals and government in Iraq may require a civil war. If this is the case, let it be. The United States should not forget that such a conflict was required in order to hash out issues that were not solved at its foundation. The US should not fight in this war; it must be between the people of Iraq.

The United States must not make the mistake of investing too much into Iraq. Billions of dollars and thousands of lives have been spent in trying to build Iraq into a nation consistent with the ideals of the United States. You cannot force ideals, no matter how much blood you sacrifice.

Mr. President, let Iraq solve its own problems. Support them as they move forward, but do not attempt to do the moving for them. Bring a large majority of our troops home. Invest in our own nation. It’s time to realize that we have made mistakes. We cannot go back and correct them. We must look forward and make hard decisions to make the best of a very bad situation. We must let Iraq find its own strength through its own conflict. We must stop doing the fighting for them.