Crippling self doubt! (aka starting college at 40!)

[Mil0]

Keep in mind that if they end up as electives (or anything non AOS) there are far cheaper ways to gain back those 27 credits than paying $88 Per Credit to have them converted (27 credits is only 9 courses/exams).

Thanks for this reminder!! I just went to double check as well because for some of the FEMA IS courses to count as 1 credit hour, you have to take 2-5 classes. Luckily it turns out it is $88/per credit hour and they've got them combined properly, at least. 

Since finishing the TEEX courses, I have so much free time that I'm sitting here waiting. I'm still trying to figure out the ALEKS secrets that a couple of people have posted about, which I just don't understand. I'm tryin to figure out what math class I should take from ALEKS that will cover my 3 or 4 math credits that are needed but I'm not sure which class will translate and is the easiest out of what would count. It's not that I am trying to avoid working hard, it's just that if I don't need to take a really hard course, why bother! 

If anyone has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it!

All the Big 3 take NCCRS credits, and since you need both gen eds and electives I'd recommend you use this free time while you wait for which school works best for you to take some courses through OD (https://www.onlinedegree.com/) - $9 for 3 credits (expect Cooking - it's a 2 credit elective), work at your own pace (as most things posted here are).

I'd recommend you try the FREE ethics course (see the wiki) - I believe it is currently set to expire at the end of this month - so grab it while you can, and if you do opt for TESU it will meet the Ethics requirement (they apply a waiver for the one credit difference), it will just be applied elsewhere for the other Big 3 schools.

Also ALEKS is only one (very cheap) ACE option for your needed math credit. I personally did a few with them and then my Statistics with SL (I was never going to pass the ALEKS Stats - at least not in any affordable time frame)  - so I wouldn't worry about that one subject at this time as it applies to the Big 3.

Edit: as far as the TESU program you posted about (https://www.tesu.edu/watson/bs/homeland-security), other than the Area A 6 Required AOS courses, the rest can gained through alternative methods we talk about here, including the B Area of Study Electives. And that just with a quick glance - it is possible that some of the Required AOS may have alt sources as well.

Thank you! I'm going to check out OD and see what courses I can knock out from there. I really need to figure out my degree plan so that I can make sure I'm taking things that make sense or will translate properly but for some reason, this is all super intimidating. I think it's because college was always something that wasn't even worth discussing in my family because we were generally just trying to make sure we had food to eat the next day. It's crazy how much things have changed now and where I've gone in life but that still doesn't get rid of the old baggage you pick up while growing up!

[Merlin]

I thought with Aleks, you take a course and then once you're at 70%+, you take a test and if you score above 70%, you're done. Is that how it works or no?

It used to be that when you hit 70% on an assessment or knowledge check you were done and you could just request credit. Now, when you complete an assessment (either the initial assessment or a knowledge check while you're learning) you will be prompted to take a second assessment known as an "ACE Knowledge Check." This additional assessment requires the use of a custom "lockdown" browser, which is intended to ensure academic integrity by locking down your system while taking the assessment (making it effectively semi-proctored). In any case, if you can complete the ACE knowledge check within the given time limit and achieve at least a 70% overall score, you pass the course and can submit the request for credit through ACE.

[Mil0]

I thought with Aleks, you take a course and then once you're at 70%+, you take a test and if you score above 70%, you're done. Is that how it works or no?

It used to be that when you hit 70% on an assessment or knowledge check you were done and you could just request credit. Now, when you complete an assessment (either the initial assessment or a knowledge check while you're learning) you will be prompted to take a second assessment known as an "ACE Knowledge Check." This additional assessment requires the use of a custom "lockdown" browser, which is intended to ensure academic integrity by locking down your system while taking the assessment (making it effectively semi-proctored). In any case, if you can complete the ACE knowledge check within the given time limit and achieve at least a 70% overall score, you pass the course and can submit the request for credit through ACE.

That sounds pretty good to me. I'm fine with taking a test and earning the credit that way. It is just a lot easier to find courses I can work through while I'm deployed to an area that may not have testing sites open due to recent disasters.

[zzzz24]

Yes, that is how it works with ALEKS, so for $19.99 i'd give it a shot, but it does take longer to complete than just taking a single test like a CLEP

[Mil0]

And.. I'm back. Wow. I guess I know what it feels like to be an addict now! I was on a work trip in the Carolina's for a week and I had extremely limited cell service and no internet the whole week. I couldn't get online to do anything and could barely even make cell phone calls.

Someone asked me what was wrong because I seemed distracted and I said "I can't get online to work on my college classes and it's bumming me out." I'm 100% sure they thought I was nuts. I drove 6 hours to get home today and the first thing I did was finally take the exam for the institutes ethics class. Got an 84%, which I'm perfectly fine with. A little bummed since I could have done better had I taken the test immediately after reading the materials but c'est la vie! I passed and I'll take it!

[rvm]

My only concern with doing a single test for my math requirement is that I clearly need to study more and I'm not "getting it" when it comes to learning algebra again. I went through the entire khanacademy.com college math sections from Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. I thought I did pretty well too. I felt like I "got it" as far as most of it was concerned. I even took the practice tests and I was doing just fine. 

Now I know these aren't the same tests and it's hard to compare them since it's apples to oranges but when I took the ACCUPLACER for Montgomery County College, I felt like I didn't know a single answer or how to do anything. I ended up getting a 54 out of 62 (but that's not how the scoring works, I was at the top of the algebra section but didn't get into college math). I've always considered myself pretty good at math so that was the weirdest part. I just don't remember the kind of math I simply don't use in real life. 

I thought with Aleks, you take a course and then once you're at 70%+, you take a test and if you score above 70%, you're done. Is that how it works or no? I'd also like something that I can do from my computer and don't need to visit a testing center. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a week to do a site visit and then when I get back, it may just be for a couple days and I'll be deployed. 

I'm not as concerned about what the cheapest is, I'm more concerned about my time and keeping my head in the game. I don't want this to end up being a stumbling block that causes my "self destruct" tendencies to over react.

I was the poster who suggested I would share Aleks tips.  If you are concerned about learning math - college algebra, statistics and possibly college trigonometry - Aleks may not be your best route.  I'll try to explain.  Here's a little info about how Aleks works.  

Aleks is most effective when you already know the material.  When you are at that stage, you can take the Aleks pre-assessment and if you score at least 70%, you will get credit for the entire course - without taking the course.  That one pre-assessment can be taken without time restraints.  Take as long as you want or go as rapidly as you want because there is no proctor and you either understand it or you don't.  I took a few weeks to do one of Aleks pre-assessments because I was answering 1-3 questions per day.  I worked through each question at least 3 times to make sure I had it correct before I answered because once you submit, your answer is set in stone and you cannot go back.   My understanding is you can reset the assessments and re-test at any time, though.

The kicker is: Aleks does not really teach well.  It's an AI tool which keeps track of your progress in each topic and presents you with more difficult math problems as you master the less difficult problems.  If you don't understand the individual problems, Aleks gives you basic hints but it is severely deficient as a learning tool.  In other words, it doesn't really really teach you.  You learn yourself - mostly from other sources - then prove to Aleks you have mastered the topic.  Then you are allowed to progress.  

Each Aleks course has pie chart that shows your progress within each in section.  My understanding is if you don't score at least 70% on the pre-assessment, Aleks shows you the chart with your weaknesses in each section and you work on those weaknesses until you reach 70% within that section.  Then you can move to the next topic and wash-rinse-repeat and repeat and repeat...  Not understanding the math will put you in a repeating loop where it seems like you are doing the same types of problems over and over and not getting anywhere and you will probably be very frustrated.  You can always reset the tool and do another assessment.  But none of this really has a positive impact on learning math, IMO, because Aleks tool does not teach math.

There are other ways to get your math credits.  I'm unfamiliar with the math requirement for Homeland Security + EM degree but I would think it will require a minimum of college algebra.  

Perhaps Straighterline (commonly referred to on this forum as SL), Study.com (may see it referred to as SDC here), Shmoop, Sophia or Onlinedegree.com could be better choices.  They are more expensive (except OnlineDegree.com which is $9 for the final exam) but perhaps they are better platforms for learning.   Check out the section on this forum devoted to those online sources and see what others are saying.

If you are dead-set on using Aleks, try Texas A&M Math Lab to improve your math skills before attempting the Aleks pre-assessment.  This site seems to be a good, free source with helpful tutorials that teach college-level math.  http://www.wtamu.edu/academic/anns/mps/math/mathlab/  

Once you get a better understanding of college algebra, that's the time to try Aleks.  You want to get that credit by scoring at least 70% on the pre-assessment so you don't have to get into Aleks hell (aka the Ai loop).

[Cheeseburrito]

And.. I'm back. Wow. I guess I know what it feels like to be an addict now! I was on a work trip in the Carolina's for a week and I had extremely limited cell service and no internet the whole week. I couldn't get online to do anything and could barely even make cell phone calls.

Someone asked me what was wrong because I seemed distracted and I said "I can't get online to work on my college classes and it's bumming me out." I'm 100% sure they thought I was nuts. I drove 6 hours to get home today and the first thing I did was finally take the exam for the institutes ethics class. Got an 84%, which I'm perfectly fine with. A little bummed since I could have done better had I taken the test immediately after reading the materials but c'est la vie! I passed and I'll take it!

SO addicting! You'll start to feel a little weird as you finish your capstone knowing that it's about to end.

Tip #45576423: Don't worry so much about the grade you get unless it's < 70% and you're getting a grade assigned on your transcript for it.
The reason I say that is, depending where you're at now with credits based on this thread, you're going to be taking ~30 classes. If they're ACE, remember that not all schools assign a letter grade for those classes. I'm not saying that you should do the minimum  - but just remember that the extra 2 hours you study to raise your grade over that 70% passing score is 2 hours lost (unless you're truly learning something and enjoy it, that's very different!)

[Merlin]

Aleks is most effective when you already know the material.  When you are at that stage, you can take the Aleks pre-assessment and if you score at least 70%, you will get credit for the entire course - without taking the course.  That one pre-assessment can be taken without time restraints.  Take as long as you want or go as rapidly as you want because there is no proctor and you either understand it or you don't. [...]

FYI, ALEKS changed the process their ACE credit courses a few months back when they most recently renewed their ACE recommendation. The new process is:

1. Take your initial assessment to get your starting percentage.
   
2. If you achieve a 70% or better score on the initial assessment, or subsequently score a 70% or better on a knowledge check, you are then prompted to take a second "ACE knowledge check".
   
3. The ACE knowledge check requires the use of a specific "lockdown browser" (which creates a semi-proctored environment so you can't use your computer to look up the formulas or use online calculators) and is time-limited (2 or 3 hours is the limit as I recall). If you pass the ACE knowledge check with a 70% or better within the time limit, then you can submit the request for credit via ACE.
   
4. If you score less than 70% on any assessment or knowledge check, you are tutored in the subject areas you are weak in, adding new areas to your pie until you are ready for a new knowledge test.
   

So, expect at least one assessment followed by a second "ACE knowledge check" which is semi-proctored and time-limited.

[rvm]

Aleks is most effective when you already know the material.  When you are at that stage, you can take the Aleks pre-assessment and if you score at least 70%, you will get credit for the entire course - without taking the course.  That one pre-assessment can be taken without time restraints.  Take as long as you want or go as rapidly as you want because there is no proctor and you either understand it or you don't. [...]

FYI, ALEKS changed the process their ACE credit courses a few months back when they most recently renewed their ACE recommendation. The new process is:

1. Take your initial assessment to get your starting percentage.
   
2. If you achieve a 70% or better score on the initial assessment, or subsequently score a 70% or better on a knowledge check, you are then prompted to take a second "ACE knowledge check".
   
3. The ACE knowledge check requires the use of a specific "lockdown browser" (which creates a semi-proctored environment so you can't use your computer to look up the formulas or use online calculators) and is time-limited (2 or 3 hours is the limit as I recall). If you pass the ACE knowledge check with a 70% or better within the time limit, then you can submit the request for credit via ACE.
   
4. If you score less than 70% on any assessment or knowledge check, you are tutored in the subject areas you are weak in, adding new areas to your pie until you are ready for a new knowledge test.
   

So, expect at least one assessment followed by a second "ACE knowledge check" which is semi-proctored and time-limited.

Thank you Merlin.  Looks like I just barely escaped the "ACE knowledge check", though it wouldn't have mattered for my College Algebra & Trig credits.  Statistics did take quite a bit more time so I lucked out on finishing before Aleks implemented that new policy.  

It's good to know this because I have been recommending Aleks to a few friends.  I want to make sure I'm truthful with them, not mention giving accurate advice here on this forum. 

[Mil0]

I've got to get caught up on a few posts but I wanted to post this really quickly.

I was plugging in a different course into my ACE account and noticed I'd received this:

Ethics and the CPCU Code of Professional Conduct (online course)
American Institute For Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, Insurance Institute of America
Denied by Organization on 01/28/2019
Reason: The student did not take this course/examination at the requested location.

I searched for it on the forum and saw that people received this message when they did the CE course ($5 one instead of the free one). My question is, I definitely took the free course.

What went wrong?

And never mind, figured it out myself. Apparently I didn't make the mistake that other people make when they take the CE course. I took the wrong course entirely.

There is apparently a course titled "Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals", which also has the same set up where it has a free course and a $5 course. So I took the free one, it just wasn't the right one.