MSC TESU BALS

[MooSaysCow]

Let me start off by saying that you guys are a kind, supportive, wholesome bunch, and I love this forum's environment for that reason 

Like many people on this forum, I'd immensely appreciate feedback on my (attempted) draft since there are quite some uncertainties, potential duplicate courses, and potentially cheaper alternatives.

I plan on becoming an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher, and a BA in English would be (mainly in the employer's eyes) suitable, but I want to get a BALS w/o concentration instead because the BALS courses align more with my interests (any Bachelor will do, really). I've compiled a list of courses I want to take, and I've categorised them under "massive interest", "high interest", "interesting", and "other" in the sheet named "Interests" (1st sheet is "Plan"; 2nd is "Interests"). I have yet to ask TESU whether the courses I want to take will be accepted, but I want to ask you guys for feedback first.

CLEP and DSST are out of the question since the testing centres are too far away, so I want to finish the BALS with SL, Study.com, Saylor, Shmoop, TECEP, UExcel, Ed4credit, CSU-Global, Sophia, Propero, and Penn Foster, which seems doable. (I know PF is risky, but the ones I have listed are ACE recommended; however, I still have to check with TESU.)

Aside from feedback, I have other questions:

• I read that MAT-105 Applied LA Maths is the easiest math course that satisfies the Quantitative Literacy requirement. I guess I should choose that instead of MAT-121 College Algebra?
  (Ideas) Do MAT-105.
  
  
• I'm a bit torn between LIT-291 A&I of Literature and REL-277 (REL-405 TESU) World Religions. Which one is easier and/or more interesting (why?). Honestly, I'm leaning towards World Religions.
  
  
• Neither POS-101 American Government nor POS-282 Intro to Comparative Politics piques my interest. Still, which one is easier and/or more interesting (why?). Are there other alternatives? I'd probably pick POS-282 if it's just these 2 since I think it would be more useful to me as a non-American.
  
  
• I want to take BIO-208 The Science of Nutrition, so wouldn't it be better to take BIO-101 Intro Bio instead of GEO-151 Physical Geology or EAS-101 General Earth Science?
  
  
• Based on TESU's international student policies, I'd have to take the TOEFL exam to pursue an American undergrad degree since I'm Dutch. Is this correct, or can I avoid the $245 TOEFL exam fee? TESU International Student Policies
  
  
• Do I contact info@tesu.edu to ask about the courses I'm unsure about, or can I also contact academicadvising@tesu.edu? (Academic advising seems to be specifically for enrolled students.) 
  

Please feel free to answer/comment when you have time ^^


  MSC_TESU_BALS_2018-2019.xlsx (Size: 27.62 KB / Downloads: 12)

[Ideas]

• I read that MAT-105 Applied LA Maths is the easiest math course that satisfies the Quantitative Literacy requirement. I guess I should choose that instead of MAT-121 College Algebra?
  

Yes, unless you want to learn more math for fun.

---

• I'm a bit torn between LIT-291 A&I of Literature and REL-277 (REL-405 TESU) World Religions. Which one is easier and/or more interesting (why?). Honestly, I'm leaning towards World Religions.
  

World Religions based on what you said. A&I is a lot of analyzing what a poet/author from long ago meant by a specific phrase/analogy.

• Neither POS-101 American Government nor POS-282 Intro to Comparative Politics piques my interest. Still, which one is easier and/or more interesting (why?). Are there other alternatives? I'd probably pick POS-282 if it's just these 2 since I think it would be more useful to me as a non-American.
  

Yeah, I would say Comparative Politics because you can get through it faster, and it relates to many countries instead of just the U.S.

[dfrecore]

I don't know the answers to all of your questions, so I'm just going with the ones I know

1) Applied LA Math is WAY easier than College Algebra; you can also take Finite Math (Shmoop); MAT 97: Intro to Mathematical Reasoning (Study.com); MAT 102: College Mathematics (Study.com); or GEOM 101: Intro to Geometry (Study.com or Shmoop). The reason I list Geometry is because some people who struggle with Algebra do very well with Geometry (it's a different way for the brain to work).

2) I would take Comparative Politics instead of American Govt if I wasn't American (you can take it through Saylor before 3/31, Shmoop, or TECEP

3) Not sure why you're limiting yourself for the Physical/Natural World area - you can take any kind of science course, including biology, A&P, Chem; or you can take a computers course as well, like CS101: Introduction to Computer Science I (Saylor); BUS303: Strategic Information Technology (Saylor); Cybersecurity for Business Professionals (TEEX); or BUS 109: Intro to Computing (Study.com). There are more, I just wanted to give you some options.

4) Saylor's International Econ course is not ACE/NCCRS approved (no credit)

5) No courses that start with LDR, MAN, EDU or SPE will go in the AOS for the BALS

6) Not sure why you're going with so many expensive courses?? Propero, Sophia, UExcel (some) are some of the more expensive options, and I wouldn't spend the money if I didn't have to

7) Don't forget about the ACTFL exam - the OPIc exam has Dutch - and it's $105 for 6cr UL and 6cr LL (12 total). These can be used in the AOS. The Writing test doesn't look like it includes Dutch, but the Reading and Listening might, and those will get you even more credits (all LL I think, sort of like the CLEP exam). Worth looking at.

8) We don't know all of the course equivalencies for PF, Propero, CSU-Global, etc. So you will want those pre-planned into your degree IF they will do so (I've heard they won't for all of those, but I've also heard they will).

I'd revise this a bit, take away a lot of the expensive courses, and insert a bunch of less expensive ones, including Study.com for your UL.

[rachel83az]

There is at least one BALS plan out there where you can use Shmoop and Study.com to fill out everything. If you do it that way, paying for the TOEFL is going to be less of a burden. Since you're planning on Shmoop anyway, you might want to try a few of the less-interesting courses there to see if you can put up with it in exchange for a degree that could cost several thousand less than your plan. Shmoop is, after all, all-you-can-get while you're subscribed.

[MooSaysCow]

Thank you guys for all the feedback. I've updated my plan to make it less costly.

@Ideas
I'll take those 3 then. Thanks for the recommendations.

@rachel83az
Thanks, I'll check out Shmoop's Comparative Politics and Personal Finance since I might miss out on Saylor's Comparative Politics. I think I read somewhere that Shmoop can be quite quirky and maybe even more difficult than Study.com or SL?

@dfrecore

• I'm being a bit greedy because I want to take BIO-208 The Science of Nutrition, and I thought that it would be logical to take BIO-101 Intro Biology before that. I suppose swapping Intro Bio with CIS-344 Cybersecurity for Business Professionals is an option as well. I'd need to add another Free Elective then, which isn't difficult. Aside from that, none of the other science courses interests me.
  
• Removed Saylor's International Economics.
  
• Updated AOS section.
  
• Replaced Propero, Sophia, PF, and UExcel with cheaper courses.
  
• Added ACTFL OPI and ACTFL WTP for Dutch, which could amount to 12 UL and 12 LL credits for $264.
  

Thanks for the feedback.

I've emailed TESU to ask whether they accept COM315EX Intercultural Communication and SOC310EX Race, Gender, and Ethnic Relations in the U.S. from CSU-Global. Also, I asked whether the LL ACTFL credits come in as 100 or 200 level credits. Hopefully, they'll respond.

I know that Study.com has overlapping components in interrelated courses that result in faster course completion. Does SL work the same the way? If it doesn't, I think I'll mostly use Study.com.

[dfrecore]

If you want one more free course, Sophia has The Essentials of Managing Conflict >> SOS-240 1cr - you can use it in Gen Ed area, or AOS if you're short a credit.

Social Psych at Study.com is LL (was UL until 12/31).

I think the OPIc & WPT exams are 200-400 for equivalencies. The Listening and Speaking ones are 100-level. But I think they're only $30 each or something like that, so well worth the cost. They will go in Gen Ed area.

Fundamentals of Speech (SL) is non-existent.

I'm unsure of the situation with all of the COM courses you chose, as they all count for the Oral Comm requirement (so TESU may consider some duplicative): Technical Comm (TECEP), Intro to Comm (SL),

The courses you choose for Free Electives will be accepted and come in there.

Everything else you choose is in the correct spot.

[Ideas]

I think you can take BIO-208 without BIO-101

[rachel83az]

@rachel83az
Thanks, I'll check out Shmoop's Comparative Politics and Personal Finance since I might miss out on Saylor's Comparative Politics. I think I read somewhere that Shmoop can be quite quirky and maybe even more difficult than Study.com or SL?

Yeah, I've also heard that. I haven't subscribed yet, so I can't say personally. I have read the course descriptions, though, and I can definitely see where people are coming from. But if you're already subscribing for a certain course, it makes sense to at least check out some other courses just to see if you can put up with it and save a couple hundred bucks there.

[MooSaysCow]

@dfrecore

• Oh right, Sophia has another free one. Thanks for the catch. Added SOS-240 to GE Electives.
  
• Moved PSY-370 Intro to Social Psychology to LL Alternatives.
  
• Unfortunately, they only have OPI and WPT for Dutch, but it's still a huge chunk of potential credits.
  
• Removed Fundamentals of Speech.
  
• Regarding COM-101 Intro to Comm and COM-130 Principles of Human Comm, I've planned an email to ask TESU advisors about this. Again, I hope they'll reply.
  

Thanks for your feedback ^^

I'll do my due diligence to make sure that the courses I've listed are accepted by TESU by asking their advisors, and I'm aware that their advisors can be wrong. I think most of my courses are ACE and/or NCCRS recommended; I'll check tomorrow morning.

[dfrecore]

• Regarding COM-101 Intro to Comm and COM-130 Principles of Human Comm, I've planned an email to ask TESU advisors about this. Again, I hope they'll reply.
  

Principles of Human Comm isn't the problem, as it doesn't count for the Speech requirement.  It's the 2 I listed previously.