Liberal Arts Capstone

[TayTay]

TayTay, if you plan on taking the Capstone starting July 1st I would sign up pretty soon if you haven't already. The Liberal Arts Capstone classes look to be filling up fast. I paid TESC my enrollment fee yesterday and plan to sign up for the capstone today--after I take a Clep. I am kind of dreading the 25 page paper but I figured it's now or never, and I think in order to have the Bachelor's degree "in hand" this calendar year one must start the Capstone class no later than July 1st.

Hi, bluespecial! I just started my Capstone course, this week! I am two days into it! (Whoo-hoo! :roflol I am doing the "Guided Study" (LIB-495-GS), rather than the online. From what my mentor has said, it is more of an independent study, due to most of the communication being only between you and the mentor. "Technically, you do not have to post to the discussion forums...You do not have to post, but sometimes it's useful to share ideas about the process, even if you all are working on different topics." So, I was glad about that. It helps me to focus on my Capstone, without having to do the graded discussion responses. (Correct me, if I'm wrong!)

Yes...the paper...haha! I hoping to do a topic (like Lady Grace), not pertaining to my degree, but of interest to me. Hopefully, that will help me enjoy it, more! ("That works a little bit differently in the Liberal Arts Capstone - although the professor did provide a few example topics, you were free to write about anything. Some people wrote about degree-related topics and some wrote about personal hobbies or interests (like I did). You can really use it to delve into a subject you are interested in but didn't get to really study at all during your education, or you can expand on a subject you already touched on in another class." -Lady Grace on the thread "TESC Capstone- What did you do?")

I appreciate you taking the time to comment and give the "heads-up!" Yes, the classes fill up, so quickly!

Oh, you're taking a CLEP, today? Hope it goes well!

[bluespecial]

OK, now I am a little envious that you are a month ahead of me I took Human Growth and Development and passed. I have passed so many the thrill is gone. I too would like to write a topic that interests me but 25 pages?! Topic ideas seem hard to come by. My style would be to do a paper on the 'Cultural Impact of the Super Nintendo" but TESC is probably looking for more in the lines of "The Future Outlook of Social Security" or "Economic Impacts of the Middle East." I am torn between the guided study or the online option. I would typically jump at the guided study opportunity but I wonder if having to do the discussion boards might actually help my grade, I assume that since the discussion board posts would be graded then less of the final paper would affect the total grade for the course, if that makes sense. This is the only course I plan on taking through TESC so I am hoping for a nice GPA on the transcript.

Good luck with your topic selection!

[JohnnyHeck]

Hey TayTay and BlueSpecial, please keep your experiences with the TESC captsone coming. I posted in this thread way back in Mar 29 an found no takers for my query. Still not sure which way I'll go, but your comments could be mighty helpful. BlueSpecial. writing on the Nintendo seems mighty hard to me because of the need for research references, no? If I do a paper it will be on the Grateful Dead. My problem will be: It's already been done. I was planning on starting the capstone now, but have gotten bogged down in my Music Theater PLA which is also a 25 page paper type venture. It would be nice if we could get your latest running capstone commentary a little higher thread heierarchy so we could get new entrants who just discover it when looking at "What's New" Good luck to both of you!

[TayTay]

OK, now I am a little envious that you are a month ahead of me I took Human Growth and Development and passed. I have passed so many the thrill is gone. I too would like to write a topic that interests me but 25 pages?! Topic ideas seem hard to come by. My style would be to do a paper on the 'Cultural Impact of the Super Nintendo" but TESC is probably looking for more in the lines of "The Future Outlook of Social Security" or "Economic Impacts of the Middle East." I am torn between the guided study or the online option. I would typically jump at the guided study opportunity but I wonder if having to do the discussion boards might actually help my grade, I assume that since the discussion board posts would be graded then less of the final paper would affect the total grade for the course, if that makes sense. This is the only course I plan on taking through TESC so I am hoping for a nice GPA on the transcript.

Good luck with your topic selection!

A hearty congrats on your pass! I don't think I will ever get over the joy and thankfulness of seeing a passing score, on the screen! Oh, don't be envious! July 1st will be here, before you know it...whether that's good or bad, I don't know. It is somewhat intimidating to have a 25+ page paper, that has to be in a perfect format, and the majority of your grade is depending on it. I am just trusting the Lord to see me through...He has always been faithful! Well, all you can do is submit your topic and see what happens! I get where you are coming from, on the guided and online studies. I didn't want to be locked in to commenting weekly and have the extra stress of them being graded, so the Guided Study is working great, for me! Everyone is different, though, so I guess that's why they offer both formats. This is my only TESC course, as well. I still have a few DSST exams, a BYU Independent Study course, and an ECE exam, left. What graduation date are you shooting for? Thanks for the well-wishes! Hope your studies go well!

Hey TayTay and BlueSpecial, please keep your experiences with the TESC captsone coming. I posted in this thread way back in Mar 29 an found no takers for my query. Still not sure which way I'll go, but your comments could be mighty helpful. BlueSpecial. writing on the Nintendo seems mighty hard to me because of the need for research references, no? If I do a paper it will be on the Grateful Dead. My problem will be: It's already been done. I was planning on starting the capstone now, but have gotten bogged down in my Music Theater PLA which is also a 25 page paper type venture. It would be nice if we could get your latest running capstone commentary a little higher thread heierarchy so we could get new entrants who just discover it when looking at "What's New" Good luck to both of you!

I'll try to update my progress, throughout. I'm still very new at all of this "Capstone stuff," but I hope to be able to post some helpful tips! I know...it's hard to know when to take the "plunge." There always seems to be so much to do, but not enough time! Thanks for the well-wishes, too!

[bluespecial]

TayTay: Well my plan is to take the Capstone starting July 1st, so the class will be over with before the October 1st deadline to get the degree conferred by December. Between now and October 1st I need to take three more tests that are at the 200 level or above to earn a BA in Social Sciences. I think I will go with the Civil War, the Soviet Union, and I am undecided on the last test. The only options I have left is Modern Middle East, Educational Psychology, and Western Europe since 1945.

JohnnyHeck: I was just joking around with the Super Nintendo Thesis, although a chapter on the strategies of Mario Kart seems interesting. That's the problem with topics that I would find personally passionate about-limited research material available, and I don't think old issues of Nintendo Power magazine is going cut it . Or like your Grateful Dead suggestion, I'm sure there has already been dozens of biographies, dvd documentary etc. I like the way you think though, I would love to write a manifesto on my favorite band, the British rock group Queen.

I looked back to your query from March, about the creative project, I could see why that would be tempting for your degree. Ten less pages of writing and a project that you could possibly use as maybe a tool to show at a job interview, audition, or something like that. I have never taken a college music class but I took 14 years of piano lessons so I kind of understand the difficulties of coming up with two 25 page papers in music. Maybe you could get lucky and make some "tweaks" and use portions of your Music Theater PLA paper for the capstone? Or (I'm just brainstorming here) some sort of a project that details how a music theater production is created from start to finish, including maybe the business side of the production (you know like auditioning talent, producing, marketing, etc.) I guess an idea for a capstone research paper could be the decline of music education in the public school system.

Sure I can update my progress once I get started. I think there has only been a handful of people on this forum that have taken the capstone yet, everyone else was smart and enrolled before the capstone requirement.

[JohnnyHeck]

BlueSpecial, thanks so much for taking the time to look at my old "project" post. Yes, it would be great to somehow use my PLAs (I've got another one in Chorale Arranging in my plan.) for my capstone. But I'll probably be with the same mentor for all three (2 PLAs and Capstone) because I think TESC has only one music professional on tap besides Todd Siben who runs PLA. Both of them are guitarists. Your description of expanded Music Theater narrative is almost exactly what I am doing for this Upper Level PLA now. One of the project PLAs I had in mind was to create some kind of composition - a TESC school anthem or fight song - and recruit other TESCes to perform various parts online which I would then mix for the final product. This would be a lot of work as I really don't yet have the DAW skills to do it. But just by way of testing the possiblitities: Would you be interested in working the piano accompaniment part? If it really turned out well I thought about trying to get TESC to project it on screen for the commencement ceremony next year. This could be a real tear jerker or a great hoot, no?

[bluespecial]

I wouldn't be able to help you with that, I haven't played piano in years, I don't even own a piano anymore! I had to have 4 separate wrist and elbow surgeries because of Carpal Tunnel problems, so I stopped playing. That is basically why I got into testing out, as oppose to regular classes with never ending writing projects. It's probably why I am slightly more concerned than others about this 25 page paper. I have done 10 pagers, no problem. Lady Grace of Pemberley's final paper on ballet was 54 pages long!!! Now that's impressive.

If anyone else is curious about the Liberal Arts Capstone, Lady Grace of Pemberley gave sort of a class review on a different post which is pretty interesting, scroll down to her post #30 to read more:

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...ess-3.html

[JohnnyHeck]

Sorry about your wrist and elbow troubles, BlueSpecial. Normal typing on the computer must be tough too. I can see why you want to avoid writing! Have you ever considered one of those dictation programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking? I've been thinking about it myself, but am not sure my brain can handle it.

In my case, I lost the the use of my middle, ring, and half pinky of my left hand in a table saw accident while working in the drama shop. I got so far behind in piano proficiency that I decided to just wrap-up my BA Music degree at Tom Ed and get going with work and life. I can play piano well enough to crudely accompany myself but use Sibelius for any serious compositon work. Typing is slow for me too, but for some reason I don't seem to mind. I get my best grades on untimed short essay projects, but I am struggling a bit with these 25 pagers, I think mostly out of the boredom with the length of time they take. Best of luck to you. Let us know about your topic. Maybe somehow we can all help to give it a little fun and not simply a drudge.

You are right about Lady Grace of Pemberly. She sure is one classy lassie.

[sklineho]

I'm going to sign up for the capstone today. I too was given the option of GS or online. I was going to go with online but I'm now second guessing. If you do online do you HAVE to post in the forums? In everyone's opinion, is GS a better way to do it? I was to get through it as quickly as possible. Writing a long paper isn't really that hard for me so would GS allow me to work ahead?

[bluespecial]

I'm going to sign up for the capstone today. I too was given the option of GS or online. I was going to go with online but I'm now second guessing. If you do online do you HAVE to post in the forums? In everyone's opinion, is GS a better way to do it? I was to get through it as quickly as possible. Writing a long paper isn't really that hard for me so would GS allow me to work ahead?

I have done a lot of looking on these forums and I think the only one of us that took the guided study option is TayTay, which just started a week ago. I signed up last week for the online option with the instructor with the initials S.N., I actually wanted a different section (was looking for an instructor with feedback on ratemyprofessors, but couldn't find any feedback for the instructor I am signed up for) but in the 5 seconds it took to select the class I wanted and clicked the "register" button someone else beat me to it. I am still torn about whether or not the guided study or online is best. According to previous poster Riley2012, you can work on your paper ahead of schedule, and Riley2012 did the online option with the discussion forums requirement. I also would have liked to have the same mentor as Riley2012, (Ryan I believe) because the textbooks seemed to be optional, but that section been booked for awhile, I just wasn't ready to give TESC $3800 yet.

If I were you I would sign up for something, so you are guaranteed a class. If a different section is still available or becomes available I think you can still switch sections later. I still may end up switching.