BALS/BSLS Degree Plan! Desperate :(

[HMohamed12]

Hi All,

I'm so grateful to have found this resource of abundant knowledge. I've been frantically reading all the posts and threads in hopes of finding one that could help me create some sort of degree plan/path.

I need a degree, FAST. I figured the General Studies/Liberal Studies route is my best option. I haven't requested any transcripts from my old schools, but I will & will update this thread with it. Can anybody list some sort of resource that can help me come up with some sort of plan. Something that can help me find alternative credit sources for the LS/GS path?  I'm leaning towards TESU, but COSC is still a contender. $$ isn't the issue for me, time is! The faster the better honestly. 

i also have a copy of my college transcript, I can't upload it for some reason.

Also, I currently have a CDA (Child Development Association) credential, and I read on COSC as well as TESU's website that the credential could count towards my degree. My question is, will it count toward the LS/GS route? 

Lastly, if I choose to obtain an associates degree first, will my credits count towards a bacherlor's degree after that? 

Sorry for all the annoying questions. I could really use the help!

Thanks! 

[rachel83az]

The absolute fastest way to get a BALS would be through TESU. It costs a bit more than COSC but it only takes 1 term to complete the capstone/cornerstone vs. 2 for COSC. Plus, TESU has monthly starts while COSC has regular terms/semesters. You have 19 graded credits at TESU, which is good. You're going to need 24 RA credits and the fastest way to do that would be to take 2 LL TECEPs for $150 each (https://www2.tesu.edu/listalltecep.php). Some suggestions would be English Comp I & II, Learning in the Digital Age, and Algebra/Applied Liberal Arts Math. These should be relatively quick, easy, and require minimal study. But you do what you want.

Now go to Sophia IMMEDIATELY and sign up for the $149/year offer. You only have a few hours left to sign up and then it's $79/mo. https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...live-again

Once you've done that, you can start following https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ts_Roadmap to fill in your degree requirements.

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If you are in the US, you should consider getting the FREE Pierpont Associate's degree: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Pierpont_C%26TC

Otherwise, the only reason you'd want to get an Associate's degree would be to pick up one of the "free" add-on options at TESU as you're getting your BALS. You do NOT want an Associate's degree separate. It will not be faster and it will not necessarily assist you in your goals to get a Bachelor's degree.

The "free" options at TESU can be found here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/As...University For instance, if you complete everything at Sophia, you'd only need an extra 3 business classes from Study.com to get the ASBA. A plain AA with no concentration would require no additional classes beyond what you'd be using for your BALS.

[HMohamed12]

The absolute fastest way to get a BALS would be through TESU. It costs a bit more than COSC but it only takes 1 term to complete the capstone/cornerstone vs. 2 for COSC. Plus, TESU has monthly starts while COSC has regular terms/semesters. You have 19 graded credits at TESU, which is good. You're going to need 24 RA credits and the fastest way to do that would be to take 2 LL TECEPs for $150 each (https://www2.tesu.edu/listalltecep.php). Some suggestions would be English Comp I & II, Learning in the Digital Age, and Algebra/Applied Liberal Arts Math. These should be relatively quick, easy, and require minimal study. But you do what you want.

Now go to Sophia IMMEDIATELY and sign up for the $149/year offer. You only have a few hours left to sign up and then it's $79/mo. https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...live-again

Once you've done that, you can start following https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ts_Roadmap to fill in your degree requirements.

---

If you are in the US, you should consider getting the FREE Pierpont Associate's degree: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Pierpont_C%26TC

Otherwise, the only reason you'd want to get an Associate's degree would be to pick up one of the "free" add-on options at TESU as you're getting your BALS. You do NOT want an Associate's degree separate. It will not be faster and it will not necessarily assist you in your goals to get a Bachelor's degree.

The "free" options at TESU can be found here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/As...University For instance, if you complete everything at Sophia, you'd only need an extra 3 business classes from Study.com to get the ASBA. A plain AA with no concentration would require no additional classes beyond what you'd be using for your BALS.

Next question I have would be, what's next? Sign up for ACE and start linking classes? I'm just at a loss when it comes to the basic first steps.

[rachel83az]

Once you've purchased Sophia, you start taking classes. You'll want to take EVERYTHING there, unless it overlaps with a TECEP you plan on taking. For instance, you would not take Sophia's English Comp I if you plan on taking the English Comp I TECEP. Nor would you take Sophia's Algebra if you plan on taking the Algebra TECEP.

As you finish with Sophia classes, you will need to have an account at YourAcclaim.com to have the badges added to. This is the new ACE site, as explained here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Am..._Education The biggest priority is signing up for Sophia, though, because you will get MOST of your degree done quickly - in a matter of just a couple of months, depending on how much time you have - and for just $149!

[HMohamed12]

Once you've purchased Sophia, you start taking classes. You'll want to take EVERYTHING there, unless it overlaps with a TECEP you plan on taking. For instance, you would not take Sophia's English Comp I if you plan on taking the English Comp I TECEP. Nor would you take Sophia's Algebra if you plan on taking the Algebra TECEP.

As you finish with Sophia classes, you will need to have an account at YourAcclaim.com to have the badges added to. This is the new ACE site, as explained here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Am..._Education The biggest priority is signing up for Sophia, though, because you will get MOST of your degree done quickly - in a matter of just a couple of months, depending on how much time you have - and for just $149!

Are there any courses offered online that you know of that do not require testing out? Just completion?

[rachel83az]

All online courses are going to require some form of testing. Sophia is not proctored and SDC courses don't require you to visit a testing facility to complete them. If you want to avoid even that much testing, you're kind of stuck. There are only a handful of courses that might not require a final exam of some kind and all of them would be extremely slow, comparatively speaking.

The only ones I can think of offhand would be English Comp I and II at ASU EA: https://ea.asu.edu/courses/ Courses would be $425 each and there would be a lot of writing but they're not proctored. ENG 101 has a self-paced option while ENG 102 has set start dates.

[HMohamed12]

All online courses are going to require some form of testing. Sophia is not proctored and SDC courses don't require you to visit a testing facility to complete them. If you want to avoid even that much testing, you're kind of stuck. There are only a handful of courses that might not require a final exam of some kind and all of them would be extremely slow, comparatively speaking.

The only ones I can think of offhand would be English Comp I and II at ASU EA: https://ea.asu.edu/courses/ Courses would be $425 each and there would be a lot of writing but they're not proctored. ENG 101 has a self-paced option while ENG 102 has set start dates.

Thank you so very very much!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bjcheung77]

HMohamed12, Happy Holidays! Hang in there... I'll be as short and sweet as possible - Blunt and Concise.  Rachel83Az has got you started off the quickest path. Having said that, there are a few things I would recommend as well, please see the following.  I would do it in this order, there are reasons why... cheap/easy/fast, lesser assignments compared to my previous recommendations of StraighterLine/Study.com and lesser number of required proctored exams or written assignments!

1) Get a second monitor (I use a laptop and second monitor for multi-tasking), you can have your exams on one and the course materials on the other
2) Sign up for Acclaim/Credly, Sophia.org 1 year membership $149, CSM Learn $39 and work on CSM Learn at the same time as you do TWO Sophia's
3) Apply to Pierpont BOG AAS, send transcripts from your previous school, when you complete 10 Sophia courses, send a transcript to Pierpont (repeat)
4) Continue working on Sophia.org (all of them that don't duplicate your current list), you can only do two at a time, when you finish one, add another
5) I suggest doing a BALS with a Social Science concentration, you can add some free & cheap TEEX courses - https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/TEEX

Basically - Pace yourself, the CSM/Sophia/TEEX are non proctored as they have Biometric AI recognition and use the honor code.  I understand this is your third thread and you've been stalling/stuck for the last 13-14 months at the starting line.  I understand all of this seems confusing, but all you're doing is taking alternative courses... Take the plunge now, we are here to help guide you!  You can get there, just hang on for this learning journey!

This is a sample degree plan, it's not yours but you can see from this, I have used all the courses that do not have assignments and are cheap/easy/fast. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...sp=sharing My final questions to you are, do you know any languages? How much of a budget are you looking at spending? (Do you have tuition assistance/reimbursement? Are you paying the residency waiver or taking 16 credits?)

[dfrecore]

I would also consider EC, as they are cheaper than TESU, and just as easy to complete, with not having to get any additional RA credits (although you only need 2cr more, so it's not a huge issue).

If you do end up at TESU, I wouldn't suggest a concentration, as it really doesn't matter. Your CDS courses there won't count towards it, so why limit yourself to a concentration that doesn't align with credits you already have?

Last, you might also consider a competency-based school after proving to yourself that you can gather up credits quickly: NAU has a BA in Liberal Arts, Walen has a BS in Early Childhood Studies, and UMPI has a Liberal Studies degree with a minor in Educational Studies. All of those might be quick if you end up being good at writing papers, and can go quickly through the courses needed.

But I agree with the others - do Sophia first, and go as fast as you can, and then worry about which degree in a couple of months.