Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion
I’m ready but need help - Printable Version

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I’m ready but need help - Suddenlyshestudies - 07-23-2018

I’ve been a lurker on this site for years. I even used the flash cards several years ago to help study for and pass 1 CLEP. At that time the $80 testing fee was way more than my family could afford, so finishing my degree kinda just remained a secret little desire but one that was burried. Well, A couple years ago I joined a direct sales company, worked my behind off and now money isn’t an issue for our family. Because of the money I’m making with my business, I’m not even sure I’ll ever use the degree, but I feel like it will finish something that has felt unfinished for 20 years. I’m also a homeschooling mama that want to show my girls that I can get it done. I feel like now is the time because my youngest 2 are in high school and mostly work on their own. I have the free time to really dive in and the money for testing, tuition, books, memberships, and fees won’t be the stumbling block it once was.

Even though I’ve lurked here forever, I’m still so lost. Lol. I’d like my degree to be in Social Sciences, History, or maybe Sociology. I’m leaning toward TESU but really only because I like that it is a state university, but I’m open to other schools. I even thought about WGU for Education. I hope a few of you will read all this ramble and help point be in the right direction. Lol
This is what I have right now:
20 year old credits from a state university
THE 250 Acting C 3cr
Eng 101 English Comp 1 B 3cr
His 103 Western Civilization C 3cr
Spe 103 Interpersonal Communications C 3cr
(I also got a D in Intro to Gerontology so I don’t know if that will transfer.)

CLEP History of the US 1 Score 73 taken 6/2011
Aleks Intermediate Algebra taken 3/2010
I also did some FEMA back in the day, but I don’t know if those are still useful.


RE: I’m ready but need help - dfrecore - 07-23-2018

I will talk about TESU, because that's the school and policies I know.  Someone else may chime in for COSC or EC.

For TESU, all of those credits will come in except FEMA.  The Gerontology course will come in as a gen ed elective - you can't use it in the AOS because of the grade.

For a Sociology degree, I don't think it's completely test-out-able - there may be a few courses you'd need to take, which would significantly raise the cost (in the range of $1000 per course for maybe 3-4 courses).

For a History degree, you'd need to take Historiography/Historical Methods, APU is $810.  So that's pretty minor.

For social sciences, that is no longer available at TESU, but you could take a BALS with a concentration in Social Sciences, and that's test-out-able.  So no extra cost.

If I were you, and weren't going to use the degree for anything in particular, I'd either just get a BALS with no concentration (leaves you with the most flexibility for which courses you want to take), or a BSBA which might be useful since you're in sales.  But really a BALS is probably the most you need at this point.

Here's a degree plan for you.  I'd make sure to take at least 1 month of Study.com, before enrolling at TESU, to get the Study.com affiliate membership pricing.  If you want to wait a while, it probably won't hurt, as TESU normally changes their catalog on July 1, so there's not a huge rush to enroll now.  I'd gather some more credits first (plus it's free to send the Study.com courses over).  If you want to try to CLEP some more, you can use ModernStates.org to do free CLEP-prep, and then get vouchers for free tests.  Since you already have a CLEP exam sitting there, you can take as many as you want, and then pay the transcript fee once to send all CLEP exams over.  So again, no need to enroll if you don't want to right now.

Between free courses and CLEP/ModernStates, you could finish almost all Gen Eds and Free Electives, and even the LL portion of the AOS for nothing, and then finish up with Study.com UL courses (or DSST or whatever you want).  It would seriously be a cheap degree for you, even if money isn't tight.

Here's a degree plan for you!


RE: I’m ready but need help - Suddenlyshestudies - 07-23-2018

Wow!!! Thank you so much! Just seeing the degree plan makes me feel like I’m on my way. I may be reading it wrong, but it looks like I won’t need any more math. If that’s correct, I’m really excited.


RE: I’m ready but need help - bjcheung77 - 07-23-2018

There are a few recommendations, but first - Here are the three links to cross-reference.
MS: https://modernstates.org/course/
TESU: https://www.tesu.edu/academics/catalog/c...am-program
Study.com: https://study.com/directory/school/Thoma...ransferTab

Here's some information for you if you decide on the BSBA instead of the BALS. Either degree will be fine in your current role.
Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-First-post-Please-critique-my-TESU-BSBA-GM-plan?pid=265323#pid265323

You may want to review the Beginners Guide and Wiki link (working/updated), both are in my signature.
You can download a copy of the My Degree Plan! spreadsheet and customize it to use CLEP/MS instead of StraighterLine.

If you live close to a CLEP test center, then that's the way I would recommend you do the bulk of your credits.
For the AOS or No Concentration, UL credits, finish them off with Study.com to get the affiliation discounts.


RE: I’m ready but need help - dfrecore - 07-23-2018

(07-23-2018, 04:13 PM)Suddenlyshestudies Wrote: Wow!!!  Thank you so much!  Just seeing the degree plan makes me feel like I’m on my way.   I may be reading it wrong, but it looks like I won’t need any more math.  If that’s correct, I’m really excited.

For a BALS, no more math is needed!  For a BSBA, you'd need College Algebra and Stats.


RE: I’m ready but need help - cookderosa - 07-24-2018

Welcome to the forum!!!


RE: I’m ready but need help - Suddenlyshestudies - 07-24-2018

Thank you! I completed both of the free Sophia courses yesterday. Do I just let them sit there and transfer to TESU directly once I enroll or do I have them put on my ACE transcript? I'm starting Modern States Sociology tonight. I'll be studying for that alongside my 11th grade daughter and we're going to test together.


RE: I’m ready but need help - dfrecore - 07-24-2018

(07-24-2018, 04:15 PM)Suddenlyshestudies Wrote: Thank you!  I completed both of the free Sophia courses yesterday.  Do I just let them sit there and transfer to TESU directly once I enroll or do I have them put on my ACE transcript?  I'm starting Modern States Sociology tonight. I'll be studying for that alongside my 11th grade daughter and we're going to test together.

Put everything that's ACE recommended on your ACE transcript ASAP - otherwise, you might forget about them (I would).