GRE Subject Tests

[Kaz]

Well, Kaz, that is a surprise. I did not expect you to take the Psychology GRE! I’d really like to see your degree plan and how this and the Math GRE will fit for you. How many credits do you have already? I am looking forward to your updates.

I have somewhere in the high 90's credits, all brick & mortar, if you accept each transcript individually. My school (Rutgers) shorted me about 12 I think when I transferred from community college, so I only have 86(?) on my Rutgers' transcript. I was originally an I.T. major and those early computer classes are starting to look pretty old though, so I might have to replace some of them.

Continuing at Rutgers has become a bigger and bigger problem because of the usual: costs, far drive, I work full-time, significant other, etc. Considering how many more classes I'd have to take from a 4 year school in order to finish out at Rutgers, plus how few I actually finish on a yearly basis, it stopped making sense to me to continue that route. So Big 3 here I come.

I'm definitely not a "check the box" guy. I'm not already doing what I love and I'm not entrenched in a job where the only obstacle to my advancement is any bachelor's. Plus, if I hit the lottery and could do anything with my time I'd continue taking classes. I'd take them all if I could! So double majoring just comes natural to me. I'd triple-up or do double-major/double-minor if someone would let me.

More to your point, we all know that the cheapest per-test/per-credit plan is Excelsior's GRE option if you can pull it off. I looked at the other Big 2 but I just can't get over taking a single three hour test and loading up on so many credits! I figured, even if I don't get enough to finish a psych major, I will get enough to fulfill the balance of my non-math major requirements. That was the original plan: take just the math classes at Rutgers and then GRE and transfer to Excelsior to graduate.

Now, I don't see myself taking any more math classes for quite a while. Plus, I never took myself seriously with regards to just getting enough out of the GRE in order to fulfill depth or breadth requirements. I'm an "exam guy", not a "homework guy" or "project guy". I'm just itchin' to retake it in April already! I know I can definitely hit that magical 80% and have a second major.

The reason I didn't initially consider the math subject GRE is that I already have a good amount of credits and, frankly, I think it is a harder test! I'd have to get somewhere in the mid 60%'s in order to get anything out of it at all. That was the original outlook. Now, I'm not going to take any classes and just drill and drill and drill for 11 months. Hopefully that will be enough for the 81%st.

As far as degree plan goes, I was more on top of that kind of stuff years ago :p . Not that I'm just wingin' this in the dark or anything, I just know how far along I am and what my next step is. But here is off the top of my head:

• I know I need their "Information Literacy" of whatever it's called. No big deal there.
  
• I know I need probably 20 or so credits just to get up to 120.
  
• I might lose some early, low-level computer classes. The very first ones I took are coming up on 10 years old. But I have three CompTIA certs and can more or less pass some CLEPs, DSSTs and TECEPs cold. Since I'm not trying to finish my original computer degree I'm not overly concerned with how these shake-out.
  
• I never take "fluff courses". I made every elective decision based on leaving the door open for a possible change or adding a minor to my itinerary. So here are my non-computer/non-math courses off the top of my head:
  
  English Comp 1 & 2
  Western Civ 1 & 2
  Micro & Macro Econ
  Intro to Psych (obviously will duplicate)
  Physics 1 + lab
  Intro to Public Speaking
  Intro to Mandarin Chinese (Pass/Fail and so humbling :eek: )
  
  I believe I'm good on most requirements. I might need a little more humanities but I can pass the A&I Lit. CLEP cold which should be enough. Completing both major requirements should handle the rest. Again, I have to make sure of that but I'm close. Now that I actually am going to go to Excelsior I'll be cracking open their catalog and making sure my "i's are dotted" and "t's crossed".