Big 3 Grads: In hindsight what would you differently?

[taylor]

Although the TESC degree served me well in obtaining jobs that I otherwise wouldn't have been considered for right after I graduated. If I could go back in time prior to deciding on TESC, I probably would've picked an online degree from a B&M in CA, probably CSUF or CSUDH. It probably would've taken me an extra year to finish but knowing what I know now I probably would've gone that route. I'm curious what other members here would do differently or maybe just stayed the same course.

[sanantone]

I chose TESC because of prior mistakes. If I hadn't made so many prior mistakes, TESC would not have been needed. If I could do it all over again, I would have not contacted University of Phoenix, which led me to be enrolled at Axia College under Western International University. I would have gotten an associates at a local CC, and then, I would have attended a state university in Texas. Much of this probably could have been done online. However, I did not know about CLEP/DSST. If I had, I would have still used tests to shorten time of completion and save money. I probably would have chosen a different major too, but the most important thing I could have done was to complete healthcare prerequisites regardless of the degree so that I could have had the option of studying physical therapy, pharmacy, medicine, occupational therapy, etc. If I had finished my degree at a younger age and with less debt, psychology would have been another option for me.

[cookderosa]

hummm.... nothing specific, I think there were a few minor mistakes I made but I chalked them up to stupidity. For instance, I had a verbal "okay" during a phone apt with my advisor about a CC class and where it would fall. After I took the class they applied it differently. Of course, nothing in writing. Mistake noted. I never did that TWICE. I also probably would have saved a few hundred bucks using the comprehensive curriculum payment option instead of enrolled tuition. My TESC degree wasn't "for" something. I really got my career training before, so I didn't expect TESC to create a career. I used it as a stepping stone to grad school. I always new I would go to grad school, though the specific path changed a few times, I've found a great fit.

Really, TESC was a perfect fit for me. I have an NA culinary degree, but I was already 20 years into my career, so I didn't need career stuff. I needed a credential, but I was starting from scratch any-which-way I looked at it. THANK GOD that UoP didn't give me any credit for my culinary degree or I would have enrolled!!!! They didn't, and a year later I found Accelerated Distance Learning, and I was hooked. I'm a total DIY person, so when TESC gave me 27 credits for the CC courses I taught, and combined with 6 months of testing, really gave me enough of a boost to go ahead and enroll and complete my degree. I'm happy with the way everything turned out, so I guess you could say I'd do it the same again.

[Lindagerr]

I would have changed a lot. First I would not have gotten my AA in Liberal studies I would have gone for the AAS then. Second I probably would have taken some Bio classes at the local CC and gone for the Bio degree instead of Natural Science.

But if I had been really smart I would have realized sooner how much I loved teaching and gone somewhere like WGU so I could be teaching now instead of depressed that I can't teach in NY and I am too old to start over and expect a job when I am done.

On the other hand I do love science and even though no one has hired me yet I do get a more interest then I did before I had a degree.


Or we could go WAAAAAY back and I would have finished nursing school and been making boatloads of money now.hilarious

[taylor]

I'm the King of mistakes, after HS I attended 3 private universities in 4 years. If I had graduated from 1 of those 3 universities I don't think I would even consider getting a masters degree. I never had aspirations of anything beyond a bachelors degree but I wanted to graduate from a school with some local name recognition, probably ranked in the top 75 or so. However, my TESC degree feels like plain vanilla and I need some sprinkles baby. That is probably why I still read posts on this forum because I see people like burbuja, cook, sanantone, jonathan, and others continuing their education beyond the Big 3. Also I have to namedrop Linda too because she is very JERSEY =) My experience at TESC was a blur which is probably why I don't contribute a whole lot of pertinent knowledge as far as CLEPS/DSST goes. Actually, I flunked most of my CLEPS =( Much of my credits at TESC were from attending classes, ALEKS, and FEMA. In fact I USED and ABUSED ALEKS and FEMA to the point, they must be illegal in 50 states.

[cookderosa]

I'm the King of mistakes, after HS I attended 3 private universities in 4 years. If I had graduated from 1 of those 3 universities I don't think I would even consider getting a masters degree. I never had aspirations of anything beyond a bachelors degree but I wanted to graduate from a school with some local name recognition, probably ranked in the top 75 or so. However, my TESC degree feels like plain vanilla and I need some sprinkles baby. That is probably why I still read posts on this forum because I see people like burbuja, cook, sanantone, jonathan, and others continuing their education beyond the Big 3. Also I have to namedrop Linda too because she is very JERSEY =) My experience at TESC was a blur which is probably why I don't contribute a whole lot of pertinent knowledge as far as CLEPS/DSST goes. Actually, I flunked most of my CLEPS =( Much of my credits at TESC were from attending classes, ALEKS, and FEMA. In fact I USED and ABUSED ALEKS and FEMA to the point, they must be illegal in 50 states.

This is going to sound SO STRANGE, but I wish you had shared more about how/why/when you flunked a CLEP. I think sometimes the "I took that cold" posts out-number the ones who study hard and struggle. I never met a CLEP that I didn't study for, and I'm not a very good test taker, so even when I did study hard I was happy with my "low-50's" average. Re: grad school, I was just chatting with hubby about this last night. I think the cost and speed barriers that get broken down here allow people to keep their momentum and go onto grad school. I wish we kept data on people from this forum who used a lot of exam credit and went onto grad school. I think the numbers must be very high compared to the general population.

[mrs.b]

I would not have graduated with the AS-Business Admin when I knew the BSBA was right behind it. It was a waste of a graduation fee and my second Associate slot. I did it because I wanted the AAS-ENVSAFT and Advising insisted I had to graduate with the ASBA first before I could earn credit towards the second Assoc. What they did not tell me - and what I should have done - is just have the ASBA removed from my evaluation.

On the one hand, I've said I would have done more CBE versus courses, but if I had not gone about it the way I did, I would not have become eligible for entrance to the Biz Honor Society which provides a path to fellowship monies for grad school and is a nice resume bullet point by itself. Prior to getting the invitation to join that, hindsight vision had me 100% certain I should have gone the CBE route, but if I had it to do it again knowing what I do now, I would have researched the award options and better-planned my courseload to include exactly enough to gain entrance and swapped the remainder for tests. Most TESC students do not take advantage of CBE and spend boatloads of money on tuition and waste valuable time, while most of the folks on this forum go the pure CBE route. Hindsight being 20/20, I think I'm pleased I went the middle-ground between these two extremes and took advantage of some CBE / fast-track courses to conserve time and money, but also went traditional enough to reap the benefits from that path as well. Other than changing up 2 or 3 courses to tests, I guess there is nothing I'd have done differently here.

Double-majoring was tempting and I had a second major on my evaluation for most of my enrollment, but I wasted time and energy second-guessing myself and ultimately ended up going with my original plan anyway. If I had it to do again, I would not have played the "what if" game as long as I did, because the courses I earned towards that second major did not ultimately do anything for me, once I had it dropped from my eval, other than take up course slots on my final eval that I could have filled with things more applicable to my actual degree.

I would have planned out all my courses better on the front end, rather than planning semester by semester. Saving my core electives for last put me in a bind as far as options, and I ended up taking options that met the requirements rather than seemed interesting.

NAU wasn't an option when I was on the decision-making train, but if I were on it now, I would look harder at some of the traditional B&M schools that are coming out with fast-track online options such as that program. At the time when I was seeking enrollment somewhere, though, I went with the option that best fit my needs. It's great more schools are broadening those options now, though, and I would like to think I would not be blinded by the overwhelming majority on this forum that sing TESC's praises. It's a great school - do not get me wrong - but more schools are waking up to the need for more competition in the legitimate degree offering business (it's a business, whether it's for-profit or state funded) and if I were on that road right now, I'd keep options open beyond just the Big 3.

[Snickerdoodle]

TESC almost-grad here (still waiting for that email haha). I probably would have earned the AAS in Environmental, Security, and Safety Technologies instead of Liberal Studies, and then maybe majored in English for my BA. Would have taken longer, but I would have gotten more of my money's worth IMO. I actually earned my degrees in hopes of entering an accelerated nursing program. That didn't happen at my dream school (got in, but not the accelerated track), so I might not have done them at all. I don't regret traveling this path, but yes, I was slightly disappointed.

EDIT: Still, I'm happy to have all my wonderful CLEP/DSST/FEMA credits wrapped up neatly in 2 degrees. The best part was earning so many credits and learning so much, not just about the subject matter, but about teaching myself and organization and this whole nonconventional-educational experience. I'm gonna go down hugging those exam score reports and certificates to my chest. LOL

[Maniac Craniac]

I would have gotten the degree within my first few years outside of high school. I was thinking about taking CLEP for about 7 years before I finally took my first and realized "hey- that wasn't so bad!" In fact, I have completely demolished every exam I have taken and it has been a very empowering experience.

If I had a more of a clue what I was doing, I wouldn't have spent so much time trying to figure out which school I wanted to get my degree from. The Big Three are just fine, but for about 3 years I couldn't make up my mind. Also, for some reason, I thought that Psych and Soc would be a good double major.... lol... I now realize that I should have gone with Math and English. Both degrees lead to jobs in the field of Nothing Specific, but at least majoring in those two would demonstrate written and analytical skills.

In the end, although there are things I would have done differently, I'm happy with the fact that I will be having my BA very shortly. That is a very different situation than just 7 years ago, when I thought it would never happen. Also, the Social Sciences degree is general enough to where it fits into just about any resume without seeming out of place. A degree in accounting would seem out of place in human services and a degree in music would seem out of place in healthcare, but a degree in Social Sciences works in all of those and so many more scenarios. Degree + cert + experience helps me to stand out in my current line of work as an interpreter as it will in whatever fields I may be looking towards in the future.

No regrets!

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I am really, really happy that I got my AA along the way. Many others have, like me, internally debated the merits of getting it VS just moving along and getting the BA. Soon, the AA will have no place on my resume, but I am very happy and proud of it and it has served me well in the brief few years that I held it. Some people look back and say that they wish they didn't "waste" their money by getting an AA along the way, but for me, it was the right choice. I went from having a few scattered credits to having an actual degree. I went from high school grad to college degree holder, which was in itself a huge jump that I never thought I would have been able to make. I'm actually sad to think that it will fade into obscurity, given how much it meant and continues to mean to me.

[sanantone]

Another thing I wouldn't have done was to get the AAS in Environmental, Safety, and Security Technologies. That degree has absolutely no use. It hasn't gotten me one interview, and I haven't found it to be applicable to anything. My degree had no safety courses, so I don't qualify for safety jobs. My degree mostly had criminal justice and emergency management courses, and emergency management job openings are rare. A bachelor's degree is almost always required for safety and emergency management jobs anyway. My bachelor's degree in social science has worked for getting me criminal justice interviews making the AAS even more pointless.