Back to school after 23 years

[rachel83az]

So, it looks like SVU/SVC was shut down in 2018 after losing its accreditation in 2017: https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/art...849677.php

If this is your school and you attended in 2017 or prior, it looks like you can get your documents directly from the school: http://www.svuca.edu/ It would be worth it to contact them and see if they have any records/credits for you listed with them. http://www.svuca.edu/contact/

I'm currently working on the plans for COSC on the wiki. It's a bit more challenging due to COSC's specific limitations but it will be at least nominally done in a few days.

In addition to the big 3, none of the competency-based programs on the wiki (of which UMPI is one) require you to take a class on-campus or even to visit the school at all. Everything is online.

[carebear_007]

I am in my mid 40's. I completed 2 associate degrees over 2 decades ago. I went back to school last February just before my entire state shutdown. The struggle was real, but one thing I had to focus on was my coursework. I started off at CSU Global and was very stressed with the amount of work their courses required. I started taking some Sophia courses because Sophia was free at the time. I discovered that I could do a competency based program and set deadlines for myself to complete a course. I actually stuck to those deadlines. This led me to transfer to the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI). I will be completing my bachelor's degree next month. Then I'm off to grad school. UMPI has an online competency based bachelor's degree program. You're on your own schedule. It's up to do to do the coursework. We don't have weekly deadlines like traditional programs. You need to research schools and pick which program works best for you then start taking courses from places that they will accept credit from and work in that degree program. Don't just start taking courses without this or else you'll be wasting time because a lot of courses won't transfer. You can totally do this!!

Next month? That's awesome.

I zoned in on TESU because it was easier to find a clear path as to which classes I'd need to take and where to take them. I'd love to be able to see what a path at UMPI would look like. I think I'll try to see if I can put together a similar program for other schools.

[monchevy]

That's awesome! I wish I had started sooner. The idea was just so intimidating to me. But you know, I tell myself, I went through a horrible divorce and custody battle and have had to learn how to write and file my own declarations in court and represent myself because I couldn't afford a lawyer. If I can do that I should be able to do this. It's just a matter of being determined. What was the very first class did you take?

The first class I took was the CSMLearn course. It was only $39, and absolutely backbreaking for me because I have mathphobia (algebra, etc.) to an extreme. If I had to choose one thing that stopped me from EVER trying to get a degree, it was the knowledge that I could never, ever pass college math. 
Once I finished it (you need to get 100%!) and I actually had 3 credits of math to my name, I realized that maybe I could do this after all. That opened the door. Then with Sophia, the gloves were off. ha

[carebear_007]

So, it looks like SVU/SVC was shut down in 2018 after losing its accreditation in 2017: https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/art...849677.php

If this is your school and you attended in 2017 or prior, it looks like you can get your documents directly from the school: http://www.svuca.edu/ It would be worth it to contact them and see if they have any records/credits for you listed with them. http://www.svuca.edu/contact/

I'm currently working on the plans for COSC on the wiki. It's a bit more challenging due to COSC's specific limitations but it will be at least nominally done in a few days.

In addition to the big 3, none of the competency-based programs on the wiki (of which UMPI is one) require you to take a class on-campus or even to visit the school at all. Everything is online.

WOW! You did that so quickly! It was SVC. Thank you! 

I attended way, way, waaaaay back in 1998. I'll find out to see if they have any of my records. Would I just ask them for it or would that then be when I'd need to make sure that I have already applied for a school so that they can transfer them to see if any of the courses (or modules as SVC called them) would count for anything?

[rachel83az]

Next month? That's awesome.

I zoned in on TESU because it was easier to find a clear path as to which classes I'd need to take and where to take them. I'd love to be able to see what a path at UMPI would look like. I think I'll try to see if I can put together a similar program for other schools.

With UMPI, the fastest and easiest route, especially for a BSBA, is probably to complete everything at Sophia and then complete the rest at UMPI. This is what ashkir here has done and you can find posts about it here. They have other degrees besides a BSBA and the advice for those would be about the same. Everything at Sophia would most likely leave you with somewhere between 30 and 40 credits to complete at UMPI. Since it's competency based, they don't charge you any more or less if you take 1 class in a term or 5 of them.

---

WOW! You did that so quickly! It was SVC. Thank you! 

I attended way, way, waaaaay back in 1998. I'll find out to see if they have any of my records. Would I just ask them for it or would that then be when I'd need to make sure that I have already applied for a school so that they can transfer them to see if any of the courses (or modules as SVC called them) would count for anything?

I have absolutely no idea what the certificate you completed was because some schools do offer non-credit certificates in addition to credit-based ones. So, you'd want to contact them and ask for the following:

1) Do they still have a record of you attending at all? (They should!)
2) If yes to the above, were these courses for credit or not?
3) If they were for credit, how can you get an unofficial transcript emailed to you? An unofficial transcript should be free.

Now, with some further digging, I see that SVC/SVU was nationally accredited. Which means that neither COSC nor TESU will touch any credits you might have. But Excelsior might. This would possibly allow you to get a BALS at Excelsior more quickly and easily. You've already said that you are interested in a BSBA or psych degree, but I throw that out there as a possible option.

[dfrecore]

Silicon Valley College was an NA school, so your only options for transferring credits is Excelsior or WGU, I think.

I would take a bunch of Sophia courses to see how you do. They have a lot of business courses, and you may find that they're "ok" at worst, and you might actually like them or at least be able to get through them.

I'd say that the problem with a Psych degree is that you can't really get a job with a bachelor's in Psych, you need a Master's to do anything in the field. That being said, if you just want a degree, it works to get you over that bar.

And honestly, if you just want "any" degree, I'd consider a BALS/BSLS at any of the Big 3, or UMPI. And, if you're just doing that, then you should seriously consider the price, and go with that. COSC will be the cheapest BY FAR of the Big 3; UMPI may or may not end up being the cheapest, it depends on how quickly you can get through.

[carebear_007]

Next month? That's awesome.

I zoned in on TESU because it was easier to find a clear path as to which classes I'd need to take and where to take them. I'd love to be able to see what a path at UMPI would look like. I think I'll try to see if I can put together a similar program for other schools.

With UMPI, the fastest and easiest route, especially for a BSBA, is probably to complete everything at Sophia and then complete the rest at UMPI. This is what ashkir here has done and you can find posts about it here. They have other degrees besides a BSBA and the advice for those would be about the same. Everything at Sophia would most likely leave you with somewhere between 30 and 40 credits to complete at UMPI. Since it's competency based, they don't charge you any more or less if you take 1 class in a term or 5 of them.

---

WOW! You did that so quickly! It was SVC. Thank you! 

I attended way, way, waaaaay back in 1998. I'll find out to see if they have any of my records. Would I just ask them for it or would that then be when I'd need to make sure that I have already applied for a school so that they can transfer them to see if any of the courses (or modules as SVC called them) would count for anything?

I have absolutely no idea what the certificate you completed was because some schools do offer non-credit certificates in addition to credit-based ones. So, you'd want to contact them and ask for the following:

1) Do they still have a record of you attending at all? (They should!)
2) If yes to the above, were these courses for credit or not?
3) If they were for credit, how can you get an unofficial transcript emailed to you? An unofficial transcript should be free.

Now, with some further digging, I see that SVC/SVU was nationally accredited. Which means that neither COSC nor TESU will touch any credits you might have. But Excelsior might. This would possibly allow you to get a BALS at Excelsior more quickly and easily. You've already said that you are interested in a BSBA or psych degree, but I throw that out there as a possible option.

I just called SVU and the person told me that they get mistaken for SVC all the time. He said that they don't have anything to do with SVC but referred me to Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) and said to start there to see if they might have it. I called BPPE and they told me that SVC became a part of Western Career College and SVC became exempt from BPPE and when they do that, they don't have to provide info and could have possibly destroyed my records. Upon googling Western Career College, I found out that they're now Carrington College....sigh... So now I'm on the phone with them to see if they have my transcript and how I could go about obtaining them.

---

Silicon Valley College was an NA school, so your only options for transferring credits is Excelsior or WGU, I think.

I would take a bunch of Sophia courses to see how you do.  They have a lot of business courses, and you may find that they're "ok" at worst, and you might actually like them or at least be able to get through them.

I'd say that the problem with a Psych degree is that you can't really get a job with a bachelor's in Psych, you need a Master's to do anything in the field.  That being said, if you just want a degree, it works to get you over that bar.

And honestly, if you just want "any" degree, I'd consider a BALS/BSLS at any of the Big 3, or UMPI.  And, if you're just doing that, then you should seriously consider the price, and go with that.  COSC will be the cheapest BY FAR of the Big 3; UMPI may or may not end up being the cheapest, it depends on how quickly you can get through.

Oh my gosh, yes. I'm open to getting "any" degree at this point. Still trying to investigate how to obtain my records with SVC. If I they do exist and have any credit, then it would now play a big part as to where I go.

[dfrecore]

Next month? That's awesome.

I zoned in on TESU because it was easier to find a clear path as to which classes I'd need to take and where to take them. I'd love to be able to see what a path at UMPI would look like. I think I'll try to see if I can put together a similar program for other schools.

With UMPI, the fastest and easiest route, especially for a BSBA, is probably to complete everything at Sophia and then complete the rest at UMPI. This is what ashkir here has done and you can find posts about it here. They have other degrees besides a BSBA and the advice for those would be about the same. Everything at Sophia would most likely leave you with somewhere between 30 and 40 credits to complete at UMPI. Since it's competency based, they don't charge you any more or less if you take 1 class in a term or 5 of them.

---

WOW! You did that so quickly! It was SVC. Thank you! 

I attended way, way, waaaaay back in 1998. I'll find out to see if they have any of my records. Would I just ask them for it or would that then be when I'd need to make sure that I have already applied for a school so that they can transfer them to see if any of the courses (or modules as SVC called them) would count for anything?

I have absolutely no idea what the certificate you completed was because some schools do offer non-credit certificates in addition to credit-based ones. So, you'd want to contact them and ask for the following:

1) Do they still have a record of you attending at all? (They should!)
2) If yes to the above, were these courses for credit or not?
3) If they were for credit, how can you get an unofficial transcript emailed to you? An unofficial transcript should be free.

Now, with some further digging, I see that SVC/SVU was nationally accredited. Which means that neither COSC nor TESU will touch any credits you might have. But Excelsior might. This would possibly allow you to get a BALS at Excelsior more quickly and easily. You've already said that you are interested in a BSBA or psych degree, but I throw that out there as a possible option.

I just called SVU and the person told me that they get mistaken for SVC all the time. He said that they don't have anything to do with SVC but referred me to Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) and said to start there to see if they might have it. I called BPPE and they told me that SVC became a part of Western Career College and SVC became exempt from BPPE and when they do that, they don't have to provide info and could have possibly destroyed my records. Upon googling Western Career College, I found out that they're now Carrington College....sigh... So now I'm on the phone with them to see if they have my transcript and how I could go about obtaining them.

---

Silicon Valley College was an NA school, so your only options for transferring credits is Excelsior or WGU, I think.

I would take a bunch of Sophia courses to see how you do.  They have a lot of business courses, and you may find that they're "ok" at worst, and you might actually like them or at least be able to get through them.

I'd say that the problem with a Psych degree is that you can't really get a job with a bachelor's in Psych, you need a Master's to do anything in the field.  That being said, if you just want a degree, it works to get you over that bar.

And honestly, if you just want "any" degree, I'd consider a BALS/BSLS at any of the Big 3, or UMPI.  And, if you're just doing that, then you should seriously consider the price, and go with that.  COSC will be the cheapest BY FAR of the Big 3; UMPI may or may not end up being the cheapest, it depends on how quickly you can get through.

Oh my gosh, yes. I'm open to getting "any" degree at this point. Still trying to investigate how to obtain my records with SVC. If I they do exist and have any credit, then it would now play a big part as to where I go.

[tallpilot]

I am proud of you for getting this done with everything else you have on your plate. I am 42 and just finished mine. I let it languish for a long time.

You are going to like how fast self paced options like Sophia and Study.com are. The speed at which you can knock out basic credits will encourage you to keep going.

A degree is better than no degree. A specialized degree is better than a non-specialized one. But it depends on what you wish to do. A BSBA with an accounting/finance concentration or CIS would likely be more marketable than a general one. But if you hate numbers or computers it probably isn't for you.

My advice (which differs from many here) is pick a marketable concentration even if it costs more to finish it. Especially in your case, since it isn't just about checking a box, it is about retraining for better opportunities.

Good luck and keep coming back here with updates so we can provide encouragement!

[carebear_007]

I am proud of you for getting this done with everything else you have on your plate.  I am 42 and just finished mine.  I let it languish for a long time.

You are going to like how fast self paced options like Sophia and Study.com are.  The speed at which you can knock out basic credits will encourage you to keep going.

A degree is better than no degree.  A specialized degree is better than a non-specialized one.  But it depends on what you wish to do.  A BSBA with an accounting/finance concentration or CIS would likely be more marketable than a general one.  But if you hate numbers or computers it probably isn't for you.

My advice (which differs from many here) is pick a marketable concentration even if it costs more to finish it.  Especially in your case, since it isn't just about checking a box, it is about retraining for better opportunities.

Good luck and keep coming back here with updates so we can provide encouragement!

Thank you so much. I signed up for Sophia to try them for free just to see how I'd do. It probably took me about 30 minutes to do it. The biggest problem that I have is even as I'm reading materials, my mind wanders and then I find myself reading it again (such an annoying cycle...lol). To top it off my daughter kept on with the "mommy, look!" Even with that, I can't have excuses. I just need to figure out which school, figure out the best possible options that would work with the way I learn, and start cranking them out. I'm still in step 1. My biggest dream right now is to come back here in two years and say "I DID IT!"