An Introduction

[cookderosa]

Hello All-I found this forum by way of the Clep for Homeschool Yahoo group. I have a daughter in the 9th grade and had heard of some folks using CLEPS for their homeschooled high school students. I spent hours reading every post on their and then came here and did the same. After thinking and praying about this for a week, we have decided to jump in with both feet. We joined IC and are going to start our CLEP adventure with Sociology. My daughter is 14 and also taking an AP Art History Course online. I am 34 and did a semester in college 17 years ago. The grades I finished the semester with were mostly Ds. In the years since then I have learned to love learning. I'm very excited about this. I never thought I would be in the position to get a degree. Now to decide on a major, a school, and a plan.

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Remember when you started homeschooling and it seemed like SO much to know? LOL, well, don't let it overwhelm you, but college credits can be that way too!

My husband and I homeschool our 4 sons (15, 11, 9, 5), but I actually started taking CLEPs myself when my oldest was in 7th grade. We had started to think about high school plans. We had homeschooled since day 1, but I had this idea, that since I hadn't attended "real" college, that I might be inadequate at homeschooling him into college. I thought I might need the support and guidance of a high school employee....so I decided to see what they might know that I didn't know. (I also wanted to know how hard the tests were ...how smart are these people called "bachelor degree holders" were anyway?)

As it turns out, it was the best decision I ever made! Long story short, by figuring out the credit game and maze called college, you will be extending the homeschool relationship to the point where you can either send them off to college with a huge head start- or even finish their degree at home. You will be able to provide WISE and FINANCIALLY SENSIBLE input to your child as they earn credit. They are at the mercy of the sales-driven profit-motivated college employees called ADVISORS...(oh, the stories I could share after working at a community college for 17 years) or the tracking "experts" who work in high schools (aka guidance counselors). College can be a wise investment, or it can be the biggest waste of resources and largest financial debt you ever take in your life. Most people start, then drop out (with loans) so our young people greatly benefit from our guidance through the process...assuming we are prepared to give it.

It's also worth sharing, that in that process, I got pulled in and earned a AA then BA along the way...and now am working on a BSN and MBA! <clearing throat> I'm not the only homeschool mom here who has been swept up in it all ...but I'm not mentioning any names....

Welcome to our little community!!!