Brand New to this

[supermom]

My oldest is 16 and ready to start college courses. He has been homeschooled and wants to hold public office, possibly be President some day. Of course, he needs to have a job before he wins an election, so we need a degree which will help him get a job (and I don't know what that will be other than teaching.) We would like to be able to test out on all courses, but know that may not be possible. I really am totally overwhelmed trying to figure this out. We do not even know what degree would be best for him.

First of all, what degrees are possible to test out completely?

Which college/university is the best (easiest and least expensive) for us?

Once we pick a degree, I will need help figuring out our degree plan. Is this something the college will help us with if we are not enrolled? I assume not and I need to figure it out myself, so will be looking for someone who has gone before us to help me figure this out.

Thank you to "operalady" for referring me to this site, and TIA for replies.
Monica

[alleycat]

My oldest is 16 and ready to start college courses. He has been homeschooled and wants to hold public office, possibly be President some day. Of course, he needs to have a job before he wins an election, so we need a degree which will help him get a job (and I don't know what that will be other than teaching.) We would like to be able to test out on all courses, but know that may not be possible. I really am totally overwhelmed trying to figure this out. We do not even know what degree would be best for him.

First of all, what degrees are possible to test out completely?

Which college/university is the best (easiest and least expensive) for us?

Once we pick a degree, I will need help figuring out our degree plan. Is this something the college will help us with if we are not enrolled? I assume not and I need to figure it out myself, so will be looking for someone who has gone before us to help me figure this out.

Thank you to "operalady" for referring me to this site, and TIA for replies.
Monica

Welcome Monica,

It is very hard and overwhelming trying to figure out what someone might want their degree in. Well every degree there are certain Gen Ed's that need to be apccomplihed. So that might be a good starting point for someone that is unsure. Natural sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, English Comp and so on. Also he might find what he wants to study just by getting into his Gen Ed's.

Will the college help you deside on your degree plan. Probably not if you are not an enrolled student. They might have alittle guidance but plan on doing this one by yourself. All I can say is just read prior posts and thread and take in the information. This forum is full of it.

At this point I think there are only a few degrees left that you can test out on completely. One being Liberal Studies. Someone else can please chime in with what else is available for degrees that are completely tested out on.

Now which school you pick is a matter of personal preference. Once again reading about what each school can offer is essential. Some people love Excelsior and a very happy they had picked that school. Other people have gone/going to TESC because they have a certain degree they offer that the other two don't. People have sadi COSC has great customer service. It just all depends what your needs are and what you want. I am not very well versed on the numbers and costs of the three different schools. But there are threads devoted to that subject.

Hope this helps.

[NAP]

Welcome to the forum!

It sounds like it would be a good idea for him to try a variety of tests to find his interests.

.....
First of all, what degrees are possible to test out completely?
.......

Business, psychology, history, and liberal studies tend to have a lot of testing options.

He will find a lot of information and help on this forum, when he is ready to create a degree plan.

[dcan]

Just be aware if you spend a lot of time/money testing and then try to transfer a pile of credits into a college other than the Big 3 (Excelsior, TESC, or COSC) you will likely be disappointed. Just don't want to see you waste time/money if you are aiming for a different school. Other schools cap the amount of transfer credits they will accept, I believe around 30 is usually the most, with the remaining 90 in-residence at the school. The Big 3 will take unlimited transfer credits, meaning at least in theory you can complete a degree without ever setting foot inside a classroom. (using a combination of tests, distance learning independent study courses, FEMA courses, etc)

Actually, now that I write that, if he is interested in public service one thing he may want to look into is the FEMA Independent Study courses. They are only really accepted as college credit at the Big 3 (and a few community colleges) and only TESC accepts them without cost, but otherwise they are free and they teach you A LOT about how government works at the "ground level". There are a lot of leadership and management courses, and a lot of material on how the various levels of government (Fed, state, county) interface and interact before, during, and after a disaster. It would probably be good background for him, actually.

They are very easy if you put the time into reading the material, and many of them are accepted for 1 credit each by the Big 3.

Emergency Management Institute - FEMA Independent Study Program

The Professional Development Series (7 FEMA courses) focuses on the leadership aspect.

I'm in the government myself and I was amazed at how thorough the courses are. If he is just getting started it would be good to learn how things work at the county level, which is exactly what the FEMA courses are aimed at -- running a county Emergency Management Agency.

A politician who only knows how to sell himself and doesn't know how the government really works is just a snake oil salesman. Running government is an art and science just as much as running business, with some similarities and many differences, and it would be good to really understand the pros and cons of each if he wants to pursue higher office.

Just a thought. Hope this helps.