EC Literature in English Degree Plan

[Sunshine]

Alright, I just received a response from my adviser.
So, unless my Chaucer course has an 8-10 page paper in it, I'll have to find another course that does or take EC's course. Or I could ask my Chaucer teacher if I can make my paper longer ("May I please, please, please write an 8-10 page paper for you?").

I just wanted to say that the appeals process is pretty simple, so if you can convince your professor to let you submit a longer paper, it might be worth it. Below is my experience appealing the research & writing requirement for the natural sciences. I think you've seen it, but I'll post it in case others are curious:

I chose to submit a 10 page paper I wrote for the plant anatomy course at EC. I submitted the most "technical" paper I had written up to that point hoping that it would provide evidence of competency with the subject matter. The paper was written in APA format, and fully cited using (mostly) peer-reviewed journal articles as sources. I submitted it to the Liberal Arts advising office via email, where it was then forwarded to biology faculty members. Within a week my advisor told me my request was approved, and the course requirement was waived. I didn't receive any credit.

[Ruddigore]

All the information in my signature is pushing the 1000 character limit, so that I had to trim off some of my Chaucer quote. This is unacceptable. I have therefore decided to follow NAP’s excellent lead and post all my feedback in a single thread so that I can post a single link in my signature to all my feedback in case I decide to delete all the testing info in my signature.


American Government – Original Post

I studied about one week for this exam and passed with a 68.

Used the following to prepare:
• Standard Deviants DVDs (I watched these two before I did anything else)
• InstantCert Flash Cards
• A number of A Beka tests
• Two Peterson’s practice AP tests (See this link: http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...ams-2.html)

I had the rest of the A Beka program and a Complete Idiot’s Guide on hand, but never used them.

Standard Deviants is an excellent way to begin learning about American Government; it makes the IC flash cards far less daunting (after all, one of the sections contains 105 questions!). Though S. Dev. by itself would not be enough to pass the exam, I would not have done without it. That and IC is definitely enough (with the usual Wikipedia check for things you have never heard of before).

Having studied US History I definitely helped too. As I noted elsewhere on the forum, there were questions where I thought, "Hm, I didn't study this while I was studying for American Government... But I did study it when preparing for US History I!" Problem solved.

The questioning on the exam, though not particularly difficult, definitely had the potential to confuse. Every once in a while the use of an unfamiliar wording would require some extra thought. Just relax and try to figure out exactly what the question is asking.

The bottom line is the IC is very comprehensive and will give you a good base of easy questions to answer quickly so that you can concentrate on the less clear questions. There will always be a couple that simply don’t seem clear.

[SIZE="1"]Test taken May 15, 2009[/SIZE]



Analyzing and Interpreting Literature – Original Post

I passed Analyzing and Interpreting Literature with a 70. I used the REA book almost exclusively. My only other study was from a book with literary terms that I could have gotten from the REA book (which had not yet arrived from Amazon at the time).

REA's literary review section covers Prose, Poetry, and Drama. Aside from reading this literary review and writing out the literary terms I was less familiar with on some flash cards, I took the three practice exams, which were definitely more difficult than the real thing. I scored 58% on the first two exams and 68% on the third. (I also took a CLEP Official 50-question practice quiz and got an 82%. I highly recommend it as a confidence booster.)

The REA guide for A&I Lit is one of their best (it is certainly written better than the other REA guides I've read).

If you are inclined to like to read, passing should be easy, otherwise, a week of prep (I had 6 days to go through the book) may not be enough. Either way, this is doubtless the best place (next to this forum) to start with A&I Lit.

This was actually a fun test to take. I enjoyed reading the passages and answering the questions more than I had anticipated. I had over fifteen minutes left when I finished.

[SIZE="1"]Test taken May 29, 2009[/SIZE]



Astronomy – Original Post

After two weeks of solid study, plus whatever bits of study I did before hand, I sat for Astronomy and scored a 66 (55 or more is required for an A at Excelsior). I had considered putting it off a few days, but I’m glad I didn’t.

Here’s what I used to prepare for my exam:

• IC – Excellent for the test; just look up concepts that don’t seem clear initially
  
• IC Feedback
  
• The textbook The Essential Cosmic Perspective (no, I didn't pay $25 for it!). Any Astronomy text will probably suffice. This book rounded out IC very, very well – understanding the motion of stars within a galaxy, arguments for life on other planets, and Cepheid variables come to mind.
  
• A laminated quick study guide (not at all necessary; I just happened to have it)

The Exam Feedback for this exam is truly splendid. I collected it all into a single document which is attached below. I kept a space between different people’s bits of feedback. Multiple records of the same topic have been kept intact.

Things to definitely understand:

• How much more magnification a reflecting telescope has than a refracting telescope
  
• What evidence points scientists to believe there is live in other parts of the universe
  
• Differences between solar flares, plages, and spicules (this web page helped me)
  
• Ramifications of the Big Bang Theory (what would the universe be like if it happened to be true)
  
• The patterns of the motion of stars according to their positions in the galaxy (halo, bulge, etc.)

[SIZE="1"]Test taken March 12, 2010[/SIZE]



College Algebra – Original Post

I took this test after less than two weeks of preparation. Some months before, I had begun using REA’s book for the test, but found it too bare-bones. I needed some explanation and practice problems occasionally. That’s when I got my main study source: The CLEP Professor Program.

CLEP Professor’s College Algebra CD is wonderful. With it, anyone who has any memories of algebra can easily brush up for and pass this exam. Once I finished it, I was getting scaled scores from the lower to mid 60s on the REA exams and lower 70s on the CLEP Prof’s practice exams.

I reviewed REA’s third test before going into my test. Once I was in front of the computer and going through the tutorials, I performed a brain dump, writing down all the formulas I could remember (don’t let formula’s scare you; you CAN memorize them). This formula sheet was invaluable while I took the test, less because I used it a ton (probably for six questions max), but because it helped me to relax during the test.

When my final score of 62 appeared, I was very pleased. Anyone who can think mathematically can take this test, though it will take some preparation.

[SIZE="1"]Test taken June 30, 2009[/SIZE]



College Mathematics – Original Post

College Math was fun. Really, it’s not a bad test at all.

My main study sources:
• Peterson’s General Exam Book
• IC
• Wikipedia
• REA’s General Exam Book (tests only)

IC was good, but a lot of the normal symbols were lost in the conversion to web page, adding an unnecessary degree of confusion to the learning process. (EDIT: an IC member has posted a way to fix this. Apparently, it only effects Firefox users.) I also thought IC was very SLOW. If you have any prior math knowledge, IC’s flash cards may seem a bit boring.

My favorite source was the Peterson’s guide. I would go through everything they have, then supplement it with the sections on IC you are more shaky on. Supplement that with Wikipedia. Then take practice tests.

I took two REA tests. I scored 40/60 on the first test and 47/60 on the second.

On the real exam, I performed my accustomed brain dump, but I only accessed the sheet once or twice. I finished over forty minutes early, but took a further ten minutes to review all my questions. My final score was 73.

There is no reason to fear this test if you prepare yourself!

[SIZE="1"]Test taken July 13, 2009[/SIZE]

[Ruddigore]

GRE Literature in English – Original Posts

The test date for the Literature in English GRE is rolling around much too quickly. This past week I signed up for the test, so there's no backing out now. I thought it would be advantageous for those of us taking it to compare practice test scores and share study materials. Can't hurt!

I just took my first practice test – well, it was just the 150-question sample section in the 1990 ETS book, but I'm pretty pumped about it...because somehow I scored alright. I got a 71%. Provided I score similarly on the actual exam, and leave about a third of the questions I don't know blank, I'll score above the 81%tile, which is enough to get the full 30 credits.

I still have over a month to study, so there's hope that I can get a grip on everything left for me to do. The sample questions were organized by topic, very helpful for figuring out my study priorities.

My Strengths: American Literature before 1900, Classical Literature, English Literature after 1660.
My Weaknesses: Identification, Factual Information, Literary Criticism (no surprise here).

The identification and factual information sections concentrate on being able to recognize a passage based on an author's style or being able to simply look at a passage and say “That's from The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne.” Neither are very difficult...you just have to know the author whose style you're supposed to recognize, or be able to pick out something about the passage that makes it seem to be a particular answer choice.

My plan is to look up every passage on the sample questions that I don't recognize, regardless of whether the materials had wanted me to recognize it. Who knows what I'll have to identify on the real thing.

Here's what I've been able to scrape up for practice tests:

• Official ETS test available on their website
  
• Old 31-question sample booklet put out by ETS - http://www.washjeff.edu/users/ltroost/li...nglish.pdf
  
• 150-question sample test & official test from 1989 - ETS's 1990 edition of Practicing for the GRE Literature in English
  
• The Princeton Review practice test
  
• An old edition of the infamous REA book, which I found on Half.com for $4 and is in transit
  
• The CLEP Official tests for American and British Literature
  
• A Peterson's test for American Literature - http://www.petersons.com/pdf/clep_americ..._print.pdf - http://www.petersons.com/pdf/clep_americ..._print.pdf
  
• An English Literature Quiz in a Pass Your Class guide that I happen to have
  
• A couple old copies of the ETS book are on their way through interlibrary loan, and I have a lead on the 1996 version through a friend's college library
  
• Isn't that enough?
  

In theory, this alone should give me enough practice for the test, but I'm also supplementing it with readings from the Norton Anthologies of American Lit and British Lit.

A thousand thanks to alissaroot for posting all the resources she found for the GRE Literature in English. I took the materials from one of her links – GRE in Literature Test Preparation – and turned it into a 32 page PDF, which refuses to be uploaded to IC. PM me if you'd like a copy.

I plan on using the Vade Mecum, which I have set as my homepage, in my boundless free time. Vade Mecum: Home

This Wikipedia page appears to be of great use for anyone wanting a quick overview of poetic history: List of years in poetry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Practice Tests

The test date is less than three weeks away. :eek: Since my last post, I have taken four full-length practice tests. The ETS tests are indeed the easiest. I don’t know why I did as badly as I did on the Princeton Review test. Looking over the answers, I see an embarrassingly large number of questions that I should have known. The REA tests are much harder than anything else. My score was worse than below until I went over my answers. Question 82 was listed as one thing on the answer page and another thing in the detailed explanations. There were also a few others where their answers were either wrong or almost wrong. Anyway, here’s what I’ve been scoring:

ETS - GR9064
Wrong: 53 / Skipped: 38
Raw: 126 / Scaled: 570
Percentile: 62

Princeton Review
Wrong: 56 / Skipped: 30
Raw: 130 / Scaled: 550
Percentile: 50

REA Test 1
Wrong: 61 / Skipped: 38
Raw: 116 / Scaled: 530
Percentile: 50

ETS - GR9564
Wrong: 39 or 40 / Skipped: 33 or 26
Raw: 148 or 154 / Scaled: 600 or 610
Percentile: 79 or 82

The reason I have two scores for GR9564 is this: I was taking the test out of a reference book at a college library, and twenty minutes before I was done, the library closed for the chapel service. I rushed to make copies of the last two pages and the answers so that I could finish in a different building – however, I was unable to go back to passages that I had skipped to answer later. I had a chance to go back and look at them, and I’m pretty sure I would have gotten between four and six of them right. Overall, I am very pleased with my performance on the last ETS test, even though I felt like I was going slower than I should.

Here are some testing strategies I’ve learned from my practice tests:

• Guess aggressively – Even it’s just a hunch, there is a fair chance of it being right.
  
• Read every passage with multiple points, even if you’ve never heard of any of the answer choices. Something may come to you while you’re reading, or you may be able to guess one of them accurately based on author style
  
• Don’t sacrifice understanding for speed – if it takes slowing down on a particular passage to understand it, do so.
  
• Don’t slow down on easy questions. Once you know the answer, shade it in and move on.
  
• On grammar questions, try every choice if you cannot immediately identify the answer.
  
• First instincts are often right. Do not over-analyze.
  

I’ve been using Wikipedia and the Vade Mecum more than anything else. Covering a wide variety of authors is a must for this test. Know authors and their major works – and a few characters from that work if possible. There’s so much to study!


Results – Finally

Well, it’s all over. I’m so glad too. The test itself was definitely harder than any of the ETS practice tests I took. It took exactly four weeks for ETS to have my score available by phone. And with trembling arm I entered in a credit card number to get to my score. Here’s what I got:

Scaled Score: 610
Percentile: 73
Correct: 158
Incorrect: 66
Omits: 6
Raw Score: 146

Credits at EC: 12 LL / 12 UL

This makes me exceedingly happy. This leaves me with enough classes to at least get my feet wetter, but not so many that I might consider retaking the exam. No more GRE Literature in English for me! Now I need a course in a Major Author, plus one for a Literary Time Period or something like that. NAP unearthed this thread on filling out an almost complete Literature major:
http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...major.html

Happy reading to all those taking the GRE Literature in English in the future!

EDIT: I received my paper score in the mail today, 11 days after I got my scores by phone. This version of the results is the same, except it includes the number of questions I got right, etc. I've updated my results above.

[SIZE="1"]Test taken on Doomsday, November 7, 2009[/SIZE]

[Ruddigore]

Humanities – Original Post

Humanities covers just about anything man has had a hand in. Everything from music to painting to architecture to poetry to literature can be found in it. (I was pleased to find very little if any philosophy on my exam.)

Though the test is very broad, that does not mean you should become unconcerned with details. I found that reading a few plot summaries of, say, Henrik Ibsen’s plays gave a much better idea of his style than a summary on Wikipedia.

I used a fair number of sources and scored a 75 in the end.
• InstantCert (IC) flash cards
• Kaplan practice exam
• Peterson’s practice exam
• Princeton Review practice exam
• Two REA practice exams
• An art history book, which I gave a cursory reading
• Wikipedia

IC is invaluable. Do it at least twice. Doing it once would be going over it until you can get most all the questions right; doing it twice is going over to see how much you remember (and to refresh your memory). Every time you get a question wrong, look the answer up (particularly if it’s a person) on Wikipedia and learn something about it. One of Wikipedia’s strengths is the “influenced/influenced by” section beneath authors’ photos. With it, you can guide your self to related information not covered in IC (since IC is not all-encompassing).
[URL="http://www.degreeforum.net/specific-exam-feedback-instantcert-subscribers-only/1538-humanities-clep.html#post13396"]
Lubee’s helpful study guide[/URL] contains mostly IC material.

Of the exams, the Princeton Review test was the easiest, and the Peterson’s or REA tests the hardest. One thing that made the REA tests difficult was how they mixed up all the questions. The Petersons’s exam was more like the real thing in how it organized its questions by subject.

My love of classical music paid off amazingly in this test. I did not study any music information outside of the IC section. If you have a love of classical music, paintings, or literature, you should do well on this test, and perhaps more importantly, have fun doing it. There is a lot of fun stuff to learn here!

[SIZE="1"]Test taken on April 17, 2009[/SIZE]



Introduction to Business – Original Post

Determined to receive a grade for Introduction to Business, I did almost all of my studying for Intro to Business during the last five days before the old version of the test would cease to be offered.

To pass Intro to Business, I used:

• IC
  
• The practice questions from DSST (which also contains review materials I didn't use)
  
• Wikipedia – lots of Wikipedia
  
• operalady's list of topics (thank you, operalady!)
  

The IC cards are great for this exam – at least for the old version. There were so many questions on the test where I thought, “I know this: this was on IC!” Looking up anything on IC you do not fully comprehend will help greatly.

This was my first DSST, and though I was a bit nervous upon arrival, by the time I began the test itself I knew this one would be alright. The two hours alloted for the 100 questions are doubtless more than you will need. I used up a bit over an hour, but I was going at a leisurely pace (why stress yourself more than you need to?). On most questions it is possible to eliminate two of the four choices, leaving you with a 50/50 chance at worst! I left with a 62, an “A” at Excelsior.

The new Introduction to Business should be of a similar difficulty, just with more about electronic forms of business.

[SIZE="1"]Test taken on August 31, 2009[/SIZE]



Introduction to Computing – Original Post

Here's my original reaction to passing this exam on November 30, 2009:

I just took Intro to Computing (without feeling too prepared prepared beforehand). I used IC, IC Feedback, and Wikipedia exclusively. Once I started the test, I felt much better; I walked out with a 459, which was *much* better than I had anticipated. This is definitely one of the easier exams out there.

IC's V2 cards are great for this exam. Audio is available too, which I used a little bit. It's hard to adjust to the computer voice, but it may prove helpful for auditory learners.

Below is the study guide I compiled from IC Feedback. Don't sweat this exam! You can do it!

[SIZE="1"]Test taken on November 30, 2009[/SIZE]



Introduction to World Religions – Original Post

Intro to World Religions wasn’t half as bad as I was expecting. I studied off and on for almost a month before I buckled down and scheduled a date to sit for the exam. I was a bit nervous beforehand, but all was well by the time I started taking the test. This wasn’t bad at all! I was thrilled/floored/amazed to see the 478 after I clicked on the score link.

Here’s what I used for studying:

• Media and Research Update’s Religions of the World – This textbook was my main source of study. I found it pretty easy to get into, especially after having gone through IC once or twice. I read all of the chapters except the ones on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (ran out of time). This book saved me on Confucianism, but if I were to do it again, I would have skipped the chapters on Native American Religions, Native African Religions, and Jainism. IC was sufficient on the first two and the last wasn’t even mentioned in the exam but once indirectly.
  
• The DVD Pillars of Faith: Religions Around the World – This is a completely expendable 50 minute DVD. I don’t know if it helped in any way except to get me motivated.
  
• IC – Three cheers for IC! While it does have a good base of information (look up all those Taoist and Confucian people), I would not use it alone. It aligned neatly with the textbook I read.
  
• Rudman’s Intro to World Religions DSST book – I only took the first 50-question practice exam, which I completely bombed. Mind you, that was a week or so before I took the test, but I still think this book’s questions are a bit too detailed (there were a bunch of comparisons between religions that you would never get more than one of on the real test).
  
• Pixie’s Study Guide – Pixie’s only post was a good one. The morning of the test I printed off her materials and Wikipedia-ed it all. That alone helped me answer as many as 5 questions right that I would have had to guess on otherwise.
  
• I also have a quick study chart which I looked at a bit early on. Useful, but not necessary.

I hardly studied Christianity beyond IC since I took an Upper Level Church History course in 08/09 and as a Christian have a lot more exposure to Christianity than any other religion. Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism were the most difficult to “get” for me.

My exam had 93 questions. The first go through took me about 30 minutes, the second go through (I tend to review every question) took a bit less than 10 minutes. Prior to the exam, the proctor mentioned that she had received mixed reviews for this exam, but I don’t suppose those people had IC!

Here’s a version of Pixie’s Study Guide I’ve edited to include a bit more information and formatted to fit on one page:

[SIZE="1"]Test taken on February 15, 2010[/SIZE]

[Ruddigore]

Introductory Sociology – Original Post

This is probably the easiest CLEP I’ve taken. It’s not one you can take cold, but once you study, it’s just a matter of applying some new knowledge.

I used a few resources, all of which can be obtained for very little money:

• InstantCert – this is a great way to dive in, though it lacks a few details
  
• REA’s Sociology book – scored a 64% on the first exam and 86% on the second
  
• Peterson’s test available for printing (questions/answers) – scored a 74%
  
• CLEP Official questions – scored a 76%
  
• I looked over the second two online Peterson’s tests (the first one is the same as the printed one I took before) – I just looked through for questions I couldn’t answer
  
• A sociology textbook from my library – I skimmed through two or three chapters and looked at some of the charts – handy for statistical questions (“Which is a trend in the US...” etc.)
  

All of this was more than enough to pass. I got a 77 after a little less than two weeks of study. There was no reason for the nerves I felt the morning of the exam – this one is a walk in the park if you:

• Know all the major names
  
• Know the terms and theories well
  
• Understand how the three major perspectives (conflict, functionalist, symbolic interactionist) apply to any given situation (the textbook I had did this for every issue).
  
• Can think politically correctly
  

And if you understand what it means to be ethnocentric, you’ll get at least two questions right on every practice you’ll ever take!



Social Sciences & History – Original Post

Initially cowed by the prospect of test that tests just about every subject that falls under “Social Sciences”, I eventually realized that this test was so shallow that it wouldn't be a challenge at all. My only form of preparation was taking practice tests, glancing over IC's Sociology cards, and looking up half a dozen things on Wikipedia. I used these test guides:

• REA (tests only) – Two tests taken out of three
  
• Princeton Review's Cracking the CLEP – One test taken out of one
  
• Peterson's CLEP Success – Two tests taken out of two

I also had access to the Kaplan general test book, but never got around to taking any of its tests.

If you've had much exposure to history, this shouldn't be a problem. I would also recommend running through IC's Sociology cards, just to be familiar with the terminology you are bound to encounter.

The test itself was a blast, a couple weird questions notwithstanding. I scored a 76, which pleased me much.

Test taken September 18, 2009



Technical Writing – Original Post

Everyone who can write should take this exam. It’s really quite easy. I used only the feedback from this thread, the recommended Tech Writing Website, and a couple Google searches. I scored a 67! I spent about a week and a half studying intermittently. The study guide I compiled from this thread’s feedback is attached below.

A couple observations from my Tech Writing experience:

• Know what an Executive Summary is
  
• Know the definition and typical length of an Abstract
  
• Know the parts of a Memorandum (Memo)
  
• Take time to carefully read the grammar questions — a lot of them are designed to deceive
  
• Know how to apply the need for concision to a sentence (this is pretty much common sense)

Test taken April 1, 2010



Credits to Date - May 12, 2010
CLEP Credits: 48 (-9) ~ DSST Credits: 15 ~ GRE Credits: 24 ~ Other College Credits: 9 ~ Total Credits: 87 ~ Goal: Literature in English BA from Excelsior College

[Ruddigore]

Western Civilization I

I took Western Civ I last month and scored a 76. Besides my former knowledge (I'm a history person), I used,

• The IC audio (and only the audio - went through it twice)
  
• Jackson Spielvogel's textbook. I read through to the fall of Rome
  
• REA's practice tests from their book
  
• Peterson's Practice tests from online
  

With IC and a textbook, this exam should be easy to knock out, intimidating as it is. My prior knowledge (e.g. a Church History course) helped me out a fair bit on this one. Just make sure you're scoring well on the practice tests and you'll do fine.



Introductory Psychology

I just scored a 74 on Introductory Psych today. If you want a one-stop source for passing this test, I recommend David G. Myers' textbook. Aside from it, my only preparation was taking the 3 Peterson's exams and going through IC once or twice.

Pretty easy test. This thread offers excellent advice. A couple things I wish I'd known better:

• Different parts of the brain and their functions
  
• Chemical activities of brain cells
  
• Developmental Psychology and its mindset
  

[slickelvis]

I'd just like to add to this as I'm currently in the 5th week of the Research and Writing for Social Sciences course at EC.

Even though its only worth 1 credit, the amount of work I'm doing in the class is almost equivilant of the amount of work that I'm doing in my UL Criminology class at times...

After reading through Ruddigore's degree plan I've realized I need to do my Research & Writing in the Major (EC Eng Lit). I'm trying to figure if I'll have enough time to take the March or May course start date. I've only taken exams so far and I'm not sure how much time to dedicate to this course.

Did you (or anybody else out there) take the 3 or 1 credit course? About how much time did you spend per week/day for the course?

|JoHn|

[NAP]

Here is more info on TMW2010's experience with the Research & Writing in the Major course:

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...#post80038

[slickelvis]

Here is more info on TMW2010's experience with the Research & Writing in the Major course:

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...#post80038

Thanks for the link!

|JoHn|