Carlos P's Blog

Reflect on your learning from this semester

This semester I learned a lot more about politics in fact, due to the election this semester seemed to be the most politically based semester in all of my classes. From Kaepernick sitting down during the national anthem to Trump winning the election this semester has been a roller coaster of politics. I also gained a greater knowledge of the electoral college and the importance of voting.

What did you like/not like?

I didn’t like the repeating it was very repetitive. Maybe it was my point of view but the Kaepernick issue felt a lot longer than it needed to be. This could be the case due to the fact that we had an assignment that made us reflect and “respond” to his actions in every class for a couple days. I did like how we focused on current events as they unfolded and the effort of the teachers even through the difficulties of the abrupt schedule changes.

In what ways did you grow?

Hmm I’m not sure this question is ripe enough yet. Maybe the true question is how have our teachers seen us grow? I haven’t really noticed much change if any in myself however I have felt a yearning for improvement in some areas. If I did grow anywhere I believe endurance or perseverance is something I might’ve improved.

What insights did you gain?  About yourself or others or our community…

I learned a lot about my peers during a specific event, the voting. Whenever politics is introduced into a conversation it is almost an invitation to start and argument due to the controversial nature that is politics. What I noticed which startled me a little was the impact that social media had on my peers in regards to the politicians. They could not see the façade of media and many if not most did not research the propositions. This made me wonder if our community today reacts the same way, it made me reconsider how great the media’s role is in politics in our “modern” country.

Should it be mandatory (required) to vote?

I believe it should not be mandatory to vote for “everyone”. To prevent any confusion in this discussion post I am against making voting mandatory. Personally my opinion is more than just black and white. Nevertheless, I believe that making voting( a right reserved only for American citizens) mandatory would not increase how many voters actually vote significantly. As Pildes states in the article “Should Voting Be Mandatory?” “ Americans take their freedoms very seriously, and the idea of requiring them to do something – especially something as important as voting – runs deeply against the grain of our political culture.” Making voting mandatory is a system that works on paper but there are so many things needed to improve a system that would be ultimately broken when it is applied.

Before any attempt to make voting mandatory we should really step back and analyze the situation in order to see the real reason why so much of the Voting Eligible Population (V.E.P.) aren’t voting. Pildes briefly explains and contributes a valid point by proposing the following “A healthy democracy requires competitive elections in which voters perceive something meaningful is at stake. Make that happen and increased voter population will follow.” In conclusion, Implementing an imperfect system that mandates American citizens to vote is not the way to increase voter population. It is up to the candidates to have a better arsenal when facing important SDGs to improve voter population.

What Is Financial Wellness?

There are many signs that show your Financial Wellness. The University of New Hampshire states that being financially healthy learning how to manage your money and establishing a personal budget, not living beyond your means and learning to not let money be the driving force of your life. Also they state that you should donate some of your money, if possible, to a cause you believe in, make a plan to pay back your student loans and not getting into credit card debt. Finally try to pay off the entire balance each month to avoid interest. Thinking long term – set up a savings account. Basically not living paycheck to paycheck and having enough to donate. Not just earning a lot of  money but responsibly keeping and saving it.

What have I Observed?

I speculated that using bills vs a card would increase the rate of my spending because I would be more tempted to do small or impulsive purchases. To put this into practice I transferred my money into my checking account. During the process I came to realize that I cannot purchase pancakes in class which was a weekly expense. That same day I also had to turn down students selling candy which I wouldn’t have been able to do when I had the opportunity to purchase it. These small and seemingly unimportant expenses actually started to save me a lot of money. Some might argue that using the bank also has small expenses in the fine print such as; charging for using an account, charging for the card and charging for writing checks. In my defense the bank I use is a Non-profit credit union which in a nutshell is a bank unlike those big banks (ex. Wells Fargo) doesn’t charge those small fees. However, most of those banks are group specific for example Navy Federal Credit Union is exclusive to those in the Military and their families. I have learned many things, I’ve felt a new sense of responsibility and have a higher knowledge that will benefit me in my future.

What Is Financial Wellness To Me?

My mother is a big influence on what Financial Wellness means to me. Since I was a little kid my mom has always worked with Finances. She has taught me a lot about saving and investing. I’ve been raised with the knowledge of how banks work and how to responsibly handle and save my money. As a kid I would not get a weekly allowance, I would get an allowance of 15 dollars every month or two. I always wanted to waste it all on toys and candy however, I was taught to save because I will want to buy something expensive and I would need to be able to confidently purchase it knowing that I won’t go bankrupt or in debt. These and many more practices are what I have learned now, will apply in the near future and will pass down when I have kids of my own.