Stupid Study.com Tricks

[quigongene]

I know I've seen them in browsing this forum.  I won Study.com's Guardian Scholarship today, so I've signed up and started (a bit) on Personal Finance, as well as emailed WGU so I can figure out what else to take.

What are some tricks from the Study.com veterans?

[Gymfan15]

Well, if they're stupid, why do you want them? :p

For me, I just scan the transcript while having the lesson quiz open in a separate browser. I answer the quiz while looking up the answers in the transcript; it rarely takes me more than 2 tries to get 100%. After I finish all the quizzes, I do the practice exams once or twice until I get high 80%s/low 90%s as a way to test my proficiency. Then I take the final exam and I don't think I've done worse than 80% on the final; way better than needed. Never came close to failing any course.

[eriehiker]

I am a fast reader, so I don't watch any videos. I just read the transcript. If I know the material well, I might just look at the terms. I go quickly to the quiz. If you know the material really, really well, you can just pick A for all of the options and remember which are correct and then answer B for all of the incorrect ones from the first time through an so on until your reach 80%. This results in a quiz score that is 70 to 75% and then you take the exam and prove that you know the material. This is not recommended. I really enjoy the study.com classes and i really do learn from them. If you read closely and study, your quizzes will be better and you won't have to do as well on the exam. If you do the A, B, C thing, you will get a low quiz score and have to score at least a 70 on the exam which is the standard for proving that you know the material within all of these testing programs.

There is some benefit to finishing early with the scholarship. I have been able to complete two additional exams by having some extra time at the end. I am not sure if even more efficient testing could result in more free exams.

[dfrecore]

Just a thought - I don't think WGU will tell you what courses to take. They will tell you if something will come in as you think it should, but you can't just ask an open-ended, "hey, what can I take somewhere else so that I don't have to take it with you?" None of the schools will help much with that.

Instead, you need to plan things out (maybe using their transfer guides and the SL transfer equivalencies) to figure out what will probably work from Study.com - and then ask "will XYZ course from Study.com fulfill this ABC requirement?"

[quigongene]

Just a thought - I don't think WGU will tell you what courses to take.  They will tell you if something will come in as you think it should, but you can't just ask an open-ended, "hey, what can I take somewhere else so that I don't have to take it with you?"  None of the schools will help much with that.

Instead, you need to plan things out (maybe using their transfer guides and the SL transfer equivalencies) to figure out what will probably work from Study.com - and then ask "will XYZ course from Study.com fulfill this ABC requirement?"

I gave them a matrix of sorts, basically asking if X from Study.com will align with Y from the degree program.

[Motivated2move]

Many of the classes overlap which helps reduce the amount of quizzes you need to take.  I thought the accounting courses were relatively easy.  If you already know the material, I would suggest taking the quiz first for each section.  If I answered incorrectly, then I would  take the time to watch/read the section then retake it.  It allowed me to progress through the material in less time.  Someone else suggested History of the Vietnam War.  This short class is only about half length of the standard classes and reminded me of a history channel series - very interesting!  I finished in 1 day. 

Download the app and discretely listen to the videos with headphones while cleaning, commuting, shopping, or folding clothes.  (Doesn't my life sound interesting!)

[aviator guy]

Many of the classes overlap which helps reduce the amount of quizzes you need to take.

In addition, some of the courses have a "placement test" option that allow you to take a chunk out of the required quizzes.

You can find more detailed reviews/breakdowns of study.com courses in this thread:
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[url=http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthread.php?tid=26805]http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthread.php?tid=26805

[studiousimp]

I have one too! I took 17 Study.com classes last month by changing my approach to taking study.com classes, now I do it this way: open two tabs (one with the transcript, one with the quiz) take quiz before reading the transcript (either look up answers as I go or not... depending on my mood). Finish and get score. Look up answers if/as needed. Retake for 100%. Takes 2-5 minutes. Rinse and repeat.

I ususally complete as many quizzes and become eligible to take the final on as many courses as possible during the week. On the weekend I take the finals without further study. Initially I'd take the chapter tests and practice finals. Now I only take an occasional practice final if I feel really shaky on the subject. So far final grades are usually in the low 80s high 70s. It's been incredibly efficient for me.

Just want to add that I'm not a particularly fast study. Generally I like to go slowly and absorb material/enjoy learning. I've found there are key concepts in, for example, the psychology classes that occur across courses and there is a whole process of layered learning going on. So there IS learning and it IS working. I find that really cool... and gratifying.

I'm sure it's not viable to pursue ALL Study.com courses this way but it's worked well for me with history, humanities, social sciences, computers. I haven't yet tried with math or a hard science.

Years ago I used to read things like the BA in 4 Weeks website and think it would be impossible for me (and it may well have been). Now I realize that by not trying that method of testing without much specific prep, I missed out on moving forward with my formal education.

The main thing I've learned from all this is to wiggle and experiment. Thinking is sometimes the enemy of doing and with Study.com classes you can retake a final in 3 days (I've never had to) so that means the risk is the cost of a second final ($70 or included in your membership depending) and 3 days time. If it doesn't work for you, OK. If it does, you've just hacked a huge piece of the Big 3 degree puzzle.

[originalamyj]

So it's mid month and I've already quickly completed my two courses for the month. I'm enjoying study.com immensely! Since I have some time, are you saying I can go ahead and begin working on the next two? I could complete the quizzes and just wait for the clock to tick over that I have two more exams? If so I'd then have a bunch more time on my scholarship next month also. Would I do the same and complete more courses? It's possible to get those free too? Or are you saying I could possibly just pay the month subscription after my scholarship ends and pay for each final and be done? After my guardian scholarship classes there are only 3 more I need from them. Since I'm enjoying it and kind of feel like I'm in a roll, want to take advantage of the momentum.

[quigongene]

I've been using them to study for CLEP exams between tests.