Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion
Starting This Journey - Printable Version

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Starting This Journey - KristyAnn4793 - 01-13-2022

Hello!

I am looking to start this journey. I have zero credits and am wanting to go to one of the big 3 using Sofia, cleps, DSST and other methods. I'm a mom of a medically fragile 18 month old and a military wife to a husband that could receive orders at any moment. I would really like to go all online and preferably at my own pace. 
I'm looking into Liberal Arts at one of the big 3. I have been previously advised that being a military spouse that Thomas Edison would be the best bet (not sure why though)
How do I even begin this journey of planning my degree out? I am ready to hit the ground running and start Sofia, Modern States or whatever I need to start ASAP (like tonight ASAP) I'm just not sure what or where to begin. 
Does anyone have any advice? I would be beyond grateful for your help. This whole journey is beyond overwhelming.

RE: Starting This Journey - rachel83az - 01-13-2022

For active duty military and their families, TESU offers a reduced tuition rate of $250/credit: https://www.tesu.edu/military Unlike civilians, you also earn residency credit by taking TECEPs (exams for college credit): https://www.tesu.edu/admissions/faqs-credit-hour-residency

Each TECEP costs $50/credit for LL and $75/credit for UL. We generally recommend the LL ones because the UL ones can be brutal. But it depends on what degree you're going for. There is a list of TECEPs here: https://www2.tesu.edu/listalltecep.php So, for about $1200 for the TECEPs + $1500 for the capstone/cornerstone (plus the cost of credits at Sophia, SDC, etc.), you'll have a degree.

Do you really want Lib Arts or are you looking into that solely because you think it might be the cheapest option? If you really do want Liberal Arts, that's fine. But there are other options that are roughly the same price. Degree requirements for the various TESU degrees can be found here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sample_TESU_General_Education_Requirements_Roadmap

Let us know:
1. Your degree choice (if you really do want Lib Arts, are you looking for a concentration?)
2. Which TECEPs look the easiest to you.
3. Are there any areas where you feel especially weak, academically? For instance, some people would prefer to avoid math as much as possible. Some people prefer to avoid essays. Some prefer to avoid exams. (If you prefer essays and hate exams, UMPI would possibly be a better choice than TESU.)

RE: Starting This Journey - KristyAnn4793 - 01-13-2022

Thank you so much for your response and help. I feel a bit lost over here!

My end all be all goal would be to go to nursing school and get my BSN. With that being said I need to get a degree to get a better paying job so that I can work my way through nursing school. My husband has been in for 12 years and recently found out that he will be getting separated and neither of us have any education. I do have a small business that I profit a very decent amount from but it's unstable and offers no benefits. So I would use this degree as a platform to a good paying job for the next 10 or so years while my daughter grows up a bit and I have more free time on my hands to go back to try for nursing school.
I was looking at liberal arts because it looks like it would cross over some of the degree requirements of the BSN in the future.

I do not mind exams or essays. I rather enjoy school and English is my strong suit and if I had a downfall it would be abstract math.

All of the TECEPs look amazing! Is there a certain number from each category that I would need to be looking at taking and selecting from?

RE: Starting This Journey - rachel83az - 01-13-2022

For the future, WGU has a RN-to-BSN degree program that you might be interested in once you are an RN. Being competency-based, it's quite affordable and can be significantly cheaper than other schools. But, of course, you need to get your RN first!

Actually, while your husband is still active duty, I would recommend that you both apply to TESU ASAP. I don't think you can get military rates once he's discharged unless you apply while he's still active duty. You can still do UMPI after he leaves, but TESU will be significantly more expensive. For TESU, you don't have to start taking classes immediately, but you do need to apply and get accepted.

To help your employment prospects as soon as possible, I would also recommend that your (and your husband's, too, while you're at it) next stop be to get a FREE Associate degree from Pierpont: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Pierpont_C%26TC Your only cost for this would be the Sophia courses you already need + a $25 course from Arizona State University + $15 for sending a transcript. That's less than $200 and you can check off on job applications that you do have a degree! At Sophia, do NOT take English Comp I/II or Public Speaking to fill Pierpont's requirements.

For TESU, I would maybe suggest a dual degree. Depending on your budget, a BSBA in something (maybe Marketing or Entrepreneurship) + a BA in maybe Psych or History. Nothing wrong with a BALS, but subject degrees can provide better employment opportunities. Since you're not going immediately on to a Master's, get the most valuable degree you can afford right now. I would suggest Biology, to go with your RN aspirations, but that one is a tad bit spendy. Why BA + BSBA? Because this will give you an even higher chance of matching with better job opportunities. If you plan it right, it would only cost slightly more than just getting one degree! (Or you could get the BSBA now and then come back for the BA Biology later when you have more money; TESU limits you to two degrees.)

If you really don't want a BSBA, I would suggest a possible double major in Psych + History (TESU counts this as one degree) and then the possibility to come back later for a BA Biology if you really want. Why BA Biology? Because it covers most/all of the prereqs to an eventual nursing program. The credits that are recommended in the wiki for Biology come mainly from "prerequisites for health professionals" course lists, so they should work for an RN/BSN program in the future.

Now, to TECEPs: there is no requirement for a certain number from each category. Pick the 8 that you think you would feel most comfortable with. They'll all either meet gen ed requirements or can be used as electives. Actually, choose 6 TECEPs because the English Comp TECEPs are the easiest way to meet the English Comp requirement at TESU!

RE: Starting This Journey - bjcheung77 - 01-13-2022

BTW, Which state are you from?  As a recommendation, you may want to focus on your BALS and complete the required courses for a Prelicensure program in nursing such as the one at WGU. There are other programs available if you obtain RN status before you complete the BSN. I would suggest to get the BA before you go into Nursing. Link: https://www.wgu.edu/online-nursing-health-degrees.html

I read your previous thread here, it seems the plan was delayed as you were preparing for motherhood, you need to invest in a second monitor for multi-tasking and work towards a degree while the infant is sleeping, so a self paced program would be better, stick with TESU as you will only need to take a few courses, the rest can be alternative credit or TECEPS : https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Just-Getting-Started--35498

If you want to go for a BSBA GM, you can by using Sophia.org for Lower Level credits and DAU for Upper Level, both are non-proctored, so it'll be the cheapest, easiest, fastest option to a BSBA GM, especially when you have the course material/pdfs on a second monitor and the exam/quizzes on the main laptop screen (that's how I do things).  DAU are free for active service people and they have a few UL courses.

You need to "see" a degree plan, here's one I made from Jan 2021, the requirements have changed a little, but the courses all work.  You may want to copy/paste this into your own plan sheet and make modifications, as the degree plan I made is for the least amount of written work and using Davar, but you get the idea after "seeing" a dual degree plan. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19v67VXKpNSeHCqYszJN6HEX0yfaKEi69ZGa5eaFurS4/edit?usp=sharing

RE: Starting This Journey - KristyAnn4793 - 01-13-2022

@Rachel83Az
So much information. Of which I’m beyond grateful for! We will get on applying for TESU today for both of us. I was actually looking into my husband going back to school but was unsure. If by some means he is able to stay in and they don’t kick him medically then he would be able to use the degree to go officer side. We are both ready and willing to start right away. As far as Pierpoint goes what do I do Sophia wise to finish it? We will be getting on there and applying today! Price point really isn’t a huge factor and I would be more than willing to get my degree in BA+BSBA but I would be even more lost on which courses to take! As far as my husband he would be interested in cybersecurity or computer science. Would either of these be preferable? As far as TECEPs go are there any ones that look better or are preferred? Thank you so much again. Your time and knowledge means so much to my family and I!


@bjcheung77
I’m originally from Georgia, have a license from Virginia and currently my husband is stationed in Hawaii.  Thank you so much for sharing your degree plan! As far as duel monitors would a iPad Pro/ computer screen combo work? I’m so sorry for my ignorance but what is WGU?

RE: Starting This Journey - bjcheung77 - 01-13-2022

Hey, I edit your post a little to get rid of the quotes... Just wondering, to be more clear, you are a licensed nurse? Do you have a vocational cert or an associates, are you a LPN or a RN? Are there more details in regards to any other certs, training, experience and commitments? WGU is a Western Governors University, it's one of the universities we recommend on this board because of their competency based degree model, just like UMPI's YourPace program (University of Main Presque Isle).


Yes, you can use an Ipad Pro or a laptop plus the second screen, whatever is best for you. For the hubby, I recommend the BSBA CIS AOS option and to take some free TEEX Cybersecurity courses for credit towards the degree, he'll have a BSBA Comp Info System Area of Study. He can also take the Google IT Professional Certificate for $49 through Coursera, I think working on 3 things for him is best: Certs, Degree, Experience.

RE: Starting This Journey - rachel83az - 01-13-2022

(01-13-2022, 06:36 PM)KristyAnn4793 Wrote: So much information. Of which I’m beyond grateful for! We will get on applying for TESU today for both of us. I was actually looking into my husband going back to school but was unsure. If by some means he is able to stay in and they don’t kick him medically then he would be able to use the degree to go officer side. We are both ready and willing to start right away. As far as Pierpoint goes what do I do Sophia wise to finish it? We will be getting on there and applying today! Price point really isn’t a huge factor and I would be more than willing to get my degree in BA+BSBA but I would be even more lost on which courses to take! As far as my husband he would be interested in cybersecurity or computer science. Would either of these be preferable? As far as TECEPs go are there any ones that look better or are preferred? Thank you so much again. Your time and knowledge means so much to my family and I!  
For Pierpont, you'd do the following:
This course at ASU: https://ea.asu.edu/courses/technical-support-fundamentals-cis-194/
At Sophia, you'd do Communication at Work & Visual Communication for the English/Communication requirement. For Math/Science, do Algebra (it's literally the easiest Algebra course you can take) + either Environmental Science or Human Biology. For Social Sciences, do both US History courses. Then do Intro to Information Technology. This gets you to 21 credits + 1 credit at ASU. Now, take literally anything else to bring the total up to 60 credits.

If you're going to do the BSBA, I would suggest doing all of the Business courses (minus Princples of Management for now). This will also get you an Area of Emphasis in Business for the Pierpont degree. For the other classes, check https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sophia.org_Equivalency_List to see which ones have assignments (Touchstones) and which do not. You can only have 2 courses open at a time at Sophia and the Touchstones can take a while to grade, so we recommend doing one course with Touchstones and one without. Then you can work on one class while you're waiting on grading for the other. You can also use that list to see which courses are accepted at TESU. Don't take courses that are N/A or developmental credit at TESU. 

And definitely don't take English Comp or Public Speaking! Don't let your husband take Sophia's database course either. It takes too long unless you specifically need to know that kind of information.

For the TECEPs, the LL ones (100 & 200) level are usually pretty easy if you just study a bit. I probably wouldn't do the political science or politics ones because you can get that requirement filled more cheaply and easily from InstantCert. Other than that, these would probably be my top picks for you specifically:

  1. English Comp I
  2. English Comp II
  3. The Science of Nutrition (because your career goal is RN, this should align with your interests)
  4. Learning in the Digital Age (I think it's been mentioned to be quite easy)
  5. Technical Communication (may align with writing reports as part of the nursing process)
  6. Psychology of Gender (especially if you're doing a Psych BA)
  7. Marriage and the Family (I think I've also seen mention that this one is pretty easy)
  8. Applied Liberal Arts Math (this one is supposedly super easy for most people; I think it's stuff like adding fractions and whatnot)
  9. Intro to Critical Reasoning.
You need a total of 24 RA credits per degree (plus the capstone and cornerstone) So, pick 8 TECEPs.

Unfortunately, you can't do Cybersecurity cheaply at TESU. Comp Sci is definitely possible, but he'd need to take a few more TESU classes. In addition to the capstone and cornerstone, he'd have to take "Operating Systems" and "Computer Architecture" from TESU. So, his list of TECEPs would probably look more like this:
  1. English Comp I
  2. English Comp II
  3. Learning in the Digital Age
  4. Technical Writing and/or Technical Communication
  5. Applied Liberal Arts Math 
  6. Network Technology (this one is NOT easy to pass) or Intro to Critical Reasoning
Husband only needs 6 TECEPs + the TESU courses to reach residency/RA requirements. He might want to add a BSBA CIS (Computer Information Systems) to his plans as well. There is a significant amount of overlap in the courses needed between BA CS and BSBA CIS. 

If you let us know exactly which degree(s) you want, we can help you to choose which courses would be best to take to fill the degree requirements. 


Quote:I’m originally from Georgia, have a license from Virginia and currently my husband is stationed in Hawaii.  Thank you so much for sharing your degree plan! As far as duel monitors would a iPad Pro/ computer screen combo work? I’m so sorry for my ignorance but what is WGU?

iPad & computer screen can work but it's not ideal. Sophia is open-book and being able to search the PDFs during the quizzes/exams (Challenges & Milestones) can be the key to getting through the courses quickly. It's not strictly necessary and you can get through everything with just a single monitor, but it's definitely worth getting a second monitor if at all possible.

WGU is Western Governor's University. https://www.wgu.edu/ In some ways, they are friendlier than TESU when it comes to getting a degree. In other ways, it's more difficult. They only have a handful of gen ed credits and NO electives, so it's more difficult to transfer in courses as you can do with TESU. On the other hand, they operate on the competency-based subscription model. You pay a flat rate every 6 months, no matter how many courses you complete at WGU. For some students, this works out to be less than TESU. For others, more than TESU. It depends on the degree you go after and how long it takes you.
(01-13-2022, 07:01 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: Yes, you can use an Ipad Pro or a laptop plus the second screen, whatever is best for you. For the hubby, I recommend the BSBA CIS AOS option and to take some free TEEX Cybersecurity courses for credit towards the degree, he'll have a BSBA Comp Info System Area of Study.  He can also take the Google IT Professional Certificate for $49 through Coursera, I think working on 3 things for him is best: Certs, Degree, Experience.

The TEEX courses still haven't renewed and they might not be renewing at this point. Usually, they'd have some sort of provisional renewal by now...

The Coursera certificate is a good idea. It's 3 credits at TESU but it's a full 12 credits at Pierpont. That plus Intro to Web Development @ Sophia gets an Area of Emphasis in Information Systems at Pierpont.

RE: Starting This Journey - sarahmac - 01-13-2022

(01-13-2022, 07:44 PM)rachel83az Wrote:
(01-13-2022, 06:36 PM)KristyAnn4793 Wrote: So much information. Of which I’m beyond grateful for! We will get on applying for TESU today for both of us. I was actually looking into my husband going back to school but was unsure. If by some means he is able to stay in and they don’t kick him medically then he would be able to use the degree to go officer side. We are both ready and willing to start right away. As far as Pierpoint goes what do I do Sophia wise to finish it? We will be getting on there and applying today! Price point really isn’t a huge factor and I would be more than willing to get my degree in BA+BSBA but I would be even more lost on which courses to take! As far as my husband he would be interested in cybersecurity or computer science. Would either of these be preferable? As far as TECEPs go are there any ones that look better or are preferred? Thank you so much again. Your time and knowledge means so much to my family and I!  
For Pierpont, you'd do the following:
This course at ASU: https://ea.asu.edu/courses/technical-support-fundamentals-cis-194/
At Sophia, you'd do Communication at Work & Visual Communication for the English/Communication requirement. For Math/Science, do Algebra (it's literally the easiest Algebra course you can take) + either Environmental Science or Human Biology. For Social Sciences, do both US History courses. Then do Intro to Information Technology. This gets you to 21 credits + 1 credit at ASU. Now, take literally anything else to bring the total up to 60 credits.

If you're going to do the BSBA, I would suggest doing all of the Business courses (minus Princples of Management for now). This will also get you an Area of Emphasis in Business for the Pierpont degree. For the other classes, check https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sophia.org_Equivalency_List to see which ones have assignments (Touchstones) and which do not. You can only have 2 courses open at a time at Sophia and the Touchstones can take a while to grade, so we recommend doing one course with Touchstones and one without. Then you can work on one class while you're waiting on grading for the other. You can also use that list to see which courses are accepted at TESU. Don't take courses that are N/A or developmental credit at TESU. 

And definitely don't take English Comp or Public Speaking! Don't let your husband take Sophia's database course either. It takes too long unless you specifically need to know that kind of information.

For the TECEPs, the LL ones (100 & 200) level are usually pretty easy if you just study a bit. I probably wouldn't do the political science or politics ones because you can get that requirement filled more cheaply and easily from InstantCert. Other than that, these would probably be my top picks for you specifically:

  1. English Comp I
  2. English Comp II
  3. The Science of Nutrition (because your career goal is RN, this should align with your interests)
  4. Learning in the Digital Age (I think it's been mentioned to be quite easy)
  5. Technical Communication (may align with writing reports as part of the nursing process)
  6. Psychology of Gender (especially if you're doing a Psych BA)
  7. Marriage and the Family (I think I've also seen mention that this one is pretty easy)
  8. Applied Liberal Arts Math (this one is supposedly super easy for most people; I think it's stuff like adding fractions and whatnot)
  9. Intro to Critical Reasoning.
You need a total of 24 RA credits per degree (plus the capstone and cornerstone) So, pick 8 TECEPs.

Unfortunately, you can't do Cybersecurity cheaply at TESU. Comp Sci is definitely possible, but he'd need to take a few more TESU classes. In addition to the capstone and cornerstone, he'd have to take "Operating Systems" and "Computer Architecture" from TESU. So, his list of TECEPs would probably look more like this:
  1. English Comp I
  2. English Comp II
  3. Learning in the Digital Age
  4. Technical Writing and/or Technical Communication
  5. Applied Liberal Arts Math 
  6. Network Technology (this one is NOT easy to pass) or Intro to Critical Reasoning
Husband only needs 6 TECEPs + the TESU courses to reach residency/RA requirements. He might want to add a BSBA CIS (Computer Information Systems) to his plans as well. There is a significant amount of overlap in the courses needed between BA CS and BSBA CIS. 

If you let us know exactly which degree(s) you want, we can help you to choose which courses would be best to take to fill the degree requirements. 


Quote:I’m originally from Georgia, have a license from Virginia and currently my husband is stationed in Hawaii.  Thank you so much for sharing your degree plan! As far as duel monitors would a iPad Pro/ computer screen combo work? I’m so sorry for my ignorance but what is WGU?

iPad & computer screen can work but it's not ideal. Sophia is open-book and being able to search the PDFs during the quizzes/exams (Challenges & Milestones) can be the key to getting through the courses quickly. It's not strictly necessary and you can get through everything with just a single monitor, but it's definitely worth getting a second monitor if at all possible.

WGU is Western Governor's University. https://www.wgu.edu/ In some ways, they are friendlier than TESU when it comes to getting a degree. In other ways, it's more difficult. They only have a handful of gen ed credits and NO electives, so it's more difficult to transfer in courses as you can do with TESU. On the other hand, they operate on the competency-based subscription model. You pay a flat rate every 6 months, no matter how many courses you complete at WGU. For some students, this works out to be less than TESU. For others, more than TESU. It depends on the degree you go after and how long it takes you.
(01-13-2022, 07:01 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: Yes, you can use an Ipad Pro or a laptop plus the second screen, whatever is best for you. For the hubby, I recommend the BSBA CIS AOS option and to take some free TEEX Cybersecurity courses for credit towards the degree, he'll have a BSBA Comp Info System Area of Study.  He can also take the Google IT Professional Certificate for $49 through Coursera, I think working on 3 things for him is best: Certs, Degree, Experience.

The TEEX courses still haven't renewed and they might not be renewing at this point. Usually, they'd have some sort of provisional renewal by now...

The Coursera certificate is a good idea. It's 3 credits at TESU but it's a full 12 credits at Pierpont. That plus Intro to Web Development @ Sophia gets an Area of Emphasis in Information Systems at Pierpont.
Not to undermine you Rachel, but for her husband I would specifically ask for an evaluation for the military technology degree as a second major rather than the BSBA. It’s only available for AD mil and is based off ACE credit for military training and tech schools.

OP you’ll likely find your husband is not starting from scratch. Depends on his MOS/AFSC. He could get a serious chunk of credits.

RE: Starting This Journey - rachel83az - 01-14-2022

True, he may well have a decent amount of credit. But there are also a couple of issues with a BS Military Tech: You need both physics or chem I & II (which can be difficult to get remotely). The only course in the AOS that you can take alternatively would be Project Management. There are 3 courses that you MUST take from TESU.