Burbuja's "I'm Done" Post

[cookderosa]

Tonight I just submitted the last of my assignments for my Capstone course at COSC. As of today, I have a 96% in the class, so even if I do a horrible job on my final paper, I've still passed with flying colors.

Before I discovered IC and CLEP/DSST, I was a hard worker with a random assortment of college credits under her belt. As the mom (and step-mom) to a total of five children, a loving wife, and frequent business traveler, I thought that a degree was YEARS away. It really made me sad, and I have to admit that I had a huge chip on my shoulder, feeling like even though I am very successful at work, that somehow I was inferior to my colleagues because I didn't have a degree.

Luckily my younger brother read the BAin4weeks site and learned about CLEP/DSST, but more importantly he also found out about IC. This was several years ago and he passed all of his tests using IC alone. He didn't even know about the forum and graduated with his BS from COSC, went on to a masters and is now working on his doctorate!

At first I didn't believe my brother that it was possible to test out of subjects. Then, once I did the research and learned that yes it is possible and legitimate, I didn't believe that I could do it. It sounded so incredibly difficult and learning about new topics on my own seemed impossible.

However, as time went by and my career luckily went well, I found myself not only surrounded by people with graduate degrees, but even HIRING people with master's degrees. It made me feel even more inadequate. After all, what if my direct reports found out that I didn't have even my undergrad! I became really discouraged and decided to give the "CLEP thing" a try. After all.. I wasn't going to finish college without doing anything, right?

In June of 2010, I enrolled at COSC. I took my first CLEP in July and then slowly built up my test-taking speed. My formula has always been the same:

IC + Specific Feedback Forum = Success

I've used google and Wikipedia and often times Youtube lectures, but I have only rarely spent more money than my monthly IC membership. My study pattern is usually the same: After my toddlers go to bed around 7:30pm, I open up the laptop and start studying. I read through an IC set of cards and google topics that I don't understand until I've learned everything I can about that set. I will usually stop studying between 10:00pm and 11:00 and averaged about one set of IC cards per night.

If I can do this, everyone here can. You just really need to take the leap of faith and move forward. The single most important piece of advice I could give is to take things one test at a time. Move slowly if you have to, but MOVE. If you don't set small goals, the big goal will never happen. Schedule your next test NOW!!

Thank you to all of my wonderful forum friends for giving me advice and lots of help. A big THANK YOU to Steve and IC because the cards were what got me through most of my tests!!

I will be turning 35 on May 12 and my goal of getting my bachelor's before my 35th birthday seemed so far off. I really still can't believe that I'm done!!! I will be the absolute proudest graduate at the COSC ceremony next month and I am not even sure how I'll make it without sobbing the entire time!

You are so awesome, you cry till your heart's content!!!!!
Congratulations!!!

[burbuja0512]

Awwww thank you every body for the kind wishes.

I don't plan on 'going' anywhere. I'll still be posting here for a while. Even though my hope is to get accepted to my dream MBA program, I still don't feel like I'm quite done testing. I'm not sure what my testing future is, but there may be more CLEP/DSST's there..

Also, in addition to my full schedule, I also homeschool my 15 year old DS. It's not as bad as it sounds. Thankfully I work from home and we each have a desk in our office. I work all day and stop to help him every hour or two. Now that we've gotten his ADHD under control, he's started to move a little quicker in his studies. The goal is to have his associates degree by the time his peers graduate from high school. I am truly blessed.. not many people get to work with their teenager all day!

DH is also very slowly but surely testing and since he's not the type to post on a forum, anytime a question comes up from him, I'll be the one to do the research.

Lol.. not to mention that this is the absolute friendliest group of people I've ever met and I would miss you guys if I didn't post here

[Maniac Craniac]

OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS!!!!

Anoche, celebramos!!!!! cheersmate

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My number one/exclamation point key just broke hilarious

[emichele20]

Congrats

[SRT12]

Congrats!! You earned it!

[sevyn220]

:willynilly: :willynilly: :willynilly: :willynilly:
My goal is to get my bachelors by 35 as well. And I can relate to every almost every word, (except the mom stuff cuz I'm a single guy) Your story's an inspiration!

Congrats and best wishes!

[rebel100]

Great work! Your a real role model for how it's done! I'm proud of you, and the way you have so selflessly given back to this forum.

CONGRATS and THANKS!!!!!

Mike

[ryoder]

Con friggin gratulations!

[vickyvicky]

sorry, if this might be stupid question, but can you actually use CLEP or DSST score for graduate degree? i mean if you take more now, can they be used later?

[burbuja0512]

sorry, if this might be stupid question, but can you actually use CLEP or DSST score for graduate degree? i mean if you take more now, can they be used later?

Great question and the answer is no. I hope to enter the MBA program if I'm accepted and maybe once I'm done do another undergrad through testing if I still have the interest.

Thanks again everyone for the great wishes!!!!