CS Degree plan

[Student00]

So I've decided to pursue a degree in computer science. I want to complete it as soon as possible, hopefully in 2 years or less, and I am overwhelmed because I don’t know where to start. I want to complete as much of it through tests( general ed). and the rest by taking online classes online at tesc. I'm having a hard time creating a degree plan, and confused about the tuition plans and which one would be best for my situation. If any one can give me advice it would very much be appreciated. Also should I enrol now? or complete most of the courses through test first then enroll?

I have completed a few classes at my local community college, but I'm not sure if they will transfer because most are preparation for college courses.
they are: Music theory I, Intro to Astronomy, Elementary algebra, Biological Anthropology, Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, Introductory Physics, Intro Chemistry, Plane Trigonometry, And Pre-Calculus

[smrt]

Welcome to the club! I can nudge you a little in the right direction, but others will have to fill you in on the CS-specific stuff.

I'm 99% sure all of those would transfer for credit, except Elementary Algebra - But it's worth checking. You've got a really good start there. Most people take the Per Credit Option and take enough TECEPs (from this list) to fulfill the residency requirements.

TESC is a bit expensive for taking actual classes there -- There are others on this forum who can point you to specific CS classes and tests and where to take them for cheaper. This thread is some good food for thought: http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...ience.html

Good luck!!

[Student00]

Thnks for the quick reply. Im kind of on a budget, i read it would cost 520 per credit? that’s kind of expensive ='

[dfrecore]

You can almost completely test out of this degree plan. The only things you can't do with the "regular" tests we talk about here regularly are the Capstone (obviously - you have to take that at TESC), Data Structures, and either Discrete Math or Linear Algebra (you need to choose one of the two). But I'm sure someone on here can help you figure out where to take those for less than TESC offers them for. Your CC may offer them (mine does).

All of your CC courses will transfer over except Elem Algebra. That one is prep, all the rest are actual college courses (not just at TESC, at any college these would count).

You need to decide a couple of things:
1) If you want to do the Per-Credit Tuition Plan, then you'll need to plan in 7 TECEP's (plus the capstone makes 8 courses for residency)
2) Would you prefer to take your courses at Saylor, SL, etc. or via testing like CLEP/DSST if you have a choice? Saylor will be $25 per course, but they're not all user-friendly. SL is a preferred choice here on this forum, because you can take several (many) courses in a month, making the price quite a bit less than a testing fee of $100 or so.

[Student00]

I was thinking of using clep/dsst and SL to get my general ed done. then take classes online in my area of study to complete residency. is that a good idea or not? and would it cost too much?

[rebel100]

Thnks for the quick reply. Im kind of on a budget, i read it would cost 520 per credit? that’s kind of expensive ='

It's mind bending unbelievably expensive...

For comparison purposes, even at out of state prices you could take courses at a Florida public college at around $300/credit. Likewise price for one of many CS options at Harvard Extension.

What state are you in!

[Student00]

Im in California =/, looks like money is gna be my main obstacle.

[TrailRunr]

California has some of the cheapest community college prices in the country for in-state residents. With the BOG waiver, you can take classes for free other than the cost of books, which you can get financial aid for. It's not all bad in California. Community college is not the speedy way, but it is cheaper than almost anywhere else.

Have you thought about choosing BSBA: CIS instead of CS. CIS can be tested out. CS has 3 harder math classes and major requirements that can't be tested out.

What type of IT experience do you have already? Why are you choosing this major?

[Student00]

Havent thought about it..Because I want to become a software engineer and maybe eventually do research

[dfrecore]

Yay for cheap CA colleges! I'm in CA too, and it's one of the main benefits of living here, besides the weather...and the beauty...well, I could go on. The politics, not so great.

Anyway, one of the things at our local CC is that Discrete Math can be taken after Calc I, and Linear Algebra can be taken after Calc II. You need to see what your local CC has for prerequisites for those courses, and when you can take them (for instance, our semester begins on Jan 19, so could you complete Calc I and then enroll in Discrete Math for this semester? I'm sure it totally depends on your math abilities and whether or not you want to accelerate into the math portion of things so quickly).

Also, our local CC has Data Structures, but the prereq's are Programming Fundamentals I © and Programming Fundamentals II (Java). Could you take C++ at SL, and self-teach Java, and be ready to take Data Structures Jan 19? Maybe, maybe not. Do you want to do JavaOnline.org to get a solid foundation in Java? It probably depends on how useful you think it will be and how much it costs.

Do you think that you can take your computer science courses at school, to get a better understanding? Or do you want to test out of what you can study for and take as few CC classes as possible?

So, you just need to figure out how you want to go about taking these courses so that it won't take forever to get through the process, but you will gain the understanding that you need in order to be successful.

In the meantime, you can start working through the rest of your requirements via test-out. I can help you come up with a plan if you'd like. PM me and I can send you a spreadsheet.