Degree/Planning Advice: Retired LEO Seeking BA and MA after life-altering injury

[Jonathan Whatley]

Sophia for: Intro to Stats, Human Bio+Lab, Spanish 1. Possibly/Probably: English Comp I, English Comp II, Visual Communications, or Critical Thinking. What order do you suggest I complete these Sophia classes in?

Sophia will let you have two courses open (in progress) at any one time.

A popular tactic is to have one course open you can progress through quickly – especially, one that has no touchstones (assignments) which will have turnaround waits for grading – and the other that may move slower.

Visual Communication has no touchstones, isn’t hard, but is interesting and rewarding. It made me look at design more richly. And you probably need 2D. It would be good to start your series with a quick win.

English Composition I and II on Sophia get complaints at an unusual rate for Sophia courses about waiting times to have touchstones graded and about the content of grading or feedback. If I were in your position I’d start them head on, first I then II, at the start of my subscription. (If it isn't working out, you can have a Sophia customer service rep pause the course and open another one instead, and re-open the paused course later. If it isn't working out even later, there are alternatives for English Composition I and II everywhere, including UMPI.)

Introduction to Statistics has no touchstones. Human Biology has no touchstones, though Human Biology Lab has two touchstones. Spanish I has five touchstones.

For additional context, right now my dominant hand is not very functional. I primarily use speech to text and then edit/format, and use the mouse with my non-dominant hand. The increased use of the non-dominant hand is increasing the deterioration/tears in the non-dominant arm.

Although Sophia as a course provider doesn't have the same disability services as a college, they may and they should make accommodations. Sophia made their Public Speaking course accessible to the deaf in 2020 thanks to advocacy by degreeforum's own ashkir.