40+ Looking for Fast Level Up

[bjcheung77]

@ercmxr, If you have the time... You may want to read this post of mine (and the quoted posts): https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid401050

[davewill]

@ercmxr - Welcome to the board, as I mentioned earlier, your best bet is to follow our lead, you've got a couple of goals that can be done quickly!  An Associates at Pierpont, the BOG with an emphasis of your choice, is what you need to start with. When you've got the requirements for the BOG AAS complete, you can continue with your certs, experience, and also go for the Coursera/TADA offerings towards an UMPI BAS with a minor of your choice.  You need to create an action plan and stick to that goal, completing one cert/course or classes from one provider at a time.

Ok, I'm convinced. One thing that has me concerned is this disclaimer from the wiki:

As of the time of creating this guide, Pierpont only requires a single graded RA credit and everything else can come from Sophia.org or other alternate sources. This is something that could change at any time, however, and students should be advised that they may be required to obtain 12 graded RA credits before being granted a Pierpont degree. Proceed with caution if you don't have 12 RA credits already.

I don't currently have any credits.

Don't bother with Pierpont if you don't need to - people here are obsessed with collecting degrees, but honestly, if you just need a bachelor's degree and have figured that out, don't get distracted by things like Pierpont.  Just go ahead and plan out UMPI, get your credits, and then get in there and finish your degree.

If at some point, you decide you REALLY want an AAS, by all means, go back and do it - but you could be done with a bachelor's at UMPI instead, and skip it entirely and not notice.  I don't think it's worth the time/effort for most people.

For 99% of people, that AAS will do exactly nothing. It's really easy to get distracted by things, be it extra degrees, or indecision. The people who succeed at this set a goal, and keep moving towards it.

[bjcheung77]

You'll be swayed in all directions, everyone will think differently. It really depends on the person, just like this and the one I linked in post #21, you need to start from somewhere and move up... Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...this-Board

For me, and anyone who thinks it's worth getting, if it's not going to take extra energy, money, time to get the deal on route to your Bachelors, it's not going to be an obstacle at all. You decide how you need/want it, or if it's for you or not... Just continue with the trifecta!

[dfrecore]

For me, and anyone who thinks it's worth getting, if it's not going to take extra energy, money, time to get the deal on route to your Bachelors, it's not going to be an obstacle at all.  You decide how you need/want it, or if it's for you or not... Just continue with the trifecta!

Distraction IS an obstacle.  If ANYTHING distracts you from reaching your ultimate goal, it's an obstacle.  It may not be a big one, it may not stop you from reaching your goal, but it WILL take time & energy to make sure you have checked the boxes of the AAS.

I'm not saying the AAS is a bad thing - but I am saying it's not always a good one.

[ercmxr]

I believe I'm tracking with all of the thoughts here.

@bjcheung77 I really appreciate you showing posts from people who have benefited from the Pierpont/UMPI path.

It seems the expressed benefits of the Pierpont BOG AAS are:

1. Having an Associate degree in another emphasis to add to your resume (ie. Information Systems)
2. Having an Associate degree in addition to other degrees, or in the likelihood of non-completion of any other degree
2. Being able to unlock a BAS degree at UMPI that would otherwise be unavailable without transferring in the AAS

Am I understanding this correctly?

Is there any reason for me to apply or register at either of these schools if I'm going to knock out Sophia and other credits first? Maybe I can make my decision later.

I appreciate the discourse!

[dfrecore]

I believe I'm tracking with all of the thoughts here.

@bjcheung77 I really appreciate you showing posts from people who have benefited from the Pierpont/UMPI path.

It seems the expressed benefits of the Pierpont BOG AAS are:

1. Having an Associate degree in another emphasis to add to your resume (ie. Information Systems)
2. Having an Associate degree in addition to other degrees, or in the likelihood of non-completion of any other degree
2. Being able to unlock a BAS degree at UMPI that would otherwise be unavailable without transferring in the AAS

Am I understanding this correctly?

Is there any reason for me to apply or register at either of these schools if I'm going to knock out Sophia and other credits first? Maybe I can make my decision later.

I appreciate the discourse!

I think the option of #3 is overstated - there are a number of times when people have been told that they could get a BAS, and it just wasn't true.  So I would chalk that up to "possible, but not likely."

For #2, yes, you can get the AAS at any time though - so you don't NEED to get it on the way to a degree elsewhere - but you may find that you want/need it at some point, and it is very easy to apply and get it.

[rachel83az]

If you're going to knock out Sophia credits, I would go ahead and apply to Pierpont now and send them your current transcripts. Pierpont can take a while to read your transcripts, so it's best to do that ASAP if you even marginally think you might want the degree. Excess costs are minimal (what, maybe $30 to send the transcripts?) compared to the total cost of your degree, so why not?

If you want an AoE in Information Systems, people have speed-ran the Google IT Support Professional in just a couple of weeks. If you want something else, it will take a bit longer but you can still probably finish up those courses while waiting to get set up and enrolled at UMPI.

[ercmxr]

Still contemplating but knocked out Course 1 of the Google IT Support Professional Course last night. Just fast forwarded videos and refreshed on a few things. I’m sure the next 5 courses will be tougher but not bad for 3 hours of work. The labs were super buggy and that wasted a lot of time.

@rachel83az I don’t have transfer credits (yet) or current transcripts, so no worries there.

[rachel83az]

Still contemplating but knocked out Course 1 of the Google IT Support Professional Course last night. Just fast forwarded videos and refreshed on a few things. I’m sure the next 5 courses will be tougher but not bad for 3 hours of work. The labs were super buggy and that wasted a lot of time.

Yeah, the labs can be a bit... meh. Kind of fun when they work, frustrating when they don't work.

@rachel83az I don’t have transfer credits (yet) or current transcripts, so no worries there.

Thought you did; must've gotten you mixed up with a different forum member.

Good news? The $25 ASU 1-credit course you'd take if you want the Pierpont degree is essentially the same thing again. If you did it again right now, I bet it wouldn't even take you 3 hours because you're already familiar with the content. Unless the labs mess up again. Which is possible.

[bjcheung77]

Yeah, I'd get the ASU course completed for 1 credit and at $25. You should also review this thread: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...-they-want