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Part of me just wants a degree because I'm 36 and was so close when I was younger everyone thought I was ridiculous for not finishing, myself included. I just fell out of love with the nursing path at the time and being a paramedic was in my heart so I went and did that instead and didn't care about making lots of money. Then I developed rheumatoid arthritis and could no longer do it so that part of my life was over, sadly. Now, I just want a masters degree in counseling, psych, or social work so I can do some sort of counseling. I've always been good at that and love helping ppl but now I'll just have to do it from a chair in a room instead of being wild and free as a paramedic lol.
I want to be finished as quickly as possible but I want a better gpa too. I didn't care about studying when I was in college so my gpa was only 2.5. When I went to paramedic school I had a 3.5 (but I can't use that siiighh)because I'd gained maturity by that time so I think since I'm getting old and decrepit I'm more prone to studying lol. Something that concerns me about the TECEPs is that you don't get a letter grade so I guess I'm stuck with taking at least one or two classes to gain a gpa there. About 5 minutes ago I applied to TESC because it "fits" better. I just hope the advisors are better than I've seen ppl on this board say. ECEs are cheaper so I guess I need to look at a few to see if I can get a letter grade from them at TESC. I'm just chompin at the bit to get started taking a test, any test but I don't know where to start yet without the tesc eval.
Thank you for sharing about tesc and about your lives. I learn more and more everyday about things here so I hope to help someone else the way I've been helped. 
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cookderosa Wrote:>>
Like a degree in liberal arts, you are really too general for any practical application.
I think a person's last degree is the most important.
If I were to plan my BA/BS as my exit point- I would choose it carefully.
I always appreciate reading your viewpoints even if it conflicts with others and completely throws my 'justification' out the door. lol So many posts I read say it doesn't matter what your bachelors is in and that most employers just want a bachelors.
Subsequently, my son (not being a math/science kid) is working on his degree in Liberal Studies. It gives him the option of taking classes he's somewhat interested in. I don't know if he'll ever go on. If he does, it certainly won't be for several years and thus his BA in Liberal Studies could be his 'last' degree. He wants to go into music ministry (but isn't interested in a music degree). I imagine he'll probably end up working at a church (although he probably leans more to an evangelistic outreach type of ministry) and hopefully the BA in Liberal Studies along with his ministerial classes will suffice.....
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01-15-2009, 11:31 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-15-2009, 11:41 AM by cookderosa.)
a mom Wrote:I always appreciate reading your viewpoints even if it conflicts with others and completely throws my 'justification' out the door. lol So many posts I read say it doesn't matter what your bachelors is in and that most employers just want a bachelors.
Subsequently, my son (not being a math/science kid) is working on his degree in Liberal Studies. It gives him the option of taking classes he's somewhat interested in. I don't know if he'll ever go on. If he does, it certainly won't be for several years and thus his BA in Liberal Studies could be his 'last' degree. He wants to go into music ministry (but isn't interested in a music degree). I imagine he'll probably end up working at a church (although he probably leans more to an evangelistic outreach type of ministry) and hopefully the BA in Liberal Studies along with his ministerial classes will suffice..... >>
I agree that ANY finished degree is better than ANY partially completed degree. Whatever it takes- graduate. Also, I was really trying not to generalize and keep my situation specific.
What I would have done isn't necessarily relevant to what your son should do. Really, I mean that with sincerity. I'm a 38 year old women with 4 kids- a husband who provides for us- and 17 years on the job (ready to take me back full time as soon as I want). It's NOT the same situation on so many levels.
I think your decision is good. Get him through it. ANY finished degree is better than ANY partially completed degree.
---- and later, when he is a husband and provider, if (on his own) decides he wants to go back to school, so be it! LOL Hey, that's what many of us are doing- does that mean our parents let us down?? NO! I agree that ANY finished degree is better than ANY partially completed degree.
State Rankings--Statistical Abstract of the United States--Persons 25 Years Old and Over With a Bachelor's Degree or More, 2004
That link shows what % of the population has a bachelor's degree...I won't spoil it- go look. Oh, and did I mention that I think ANY finished degree is better than ANY partially completed degree?
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I'm just chompin at the bit to get started taking a test, any test but I don't know where to start yet without the tesc eval.
Thank you for sharing about tesc and about your lives. >>
You are welcome! You can do a lot of planning now. Locate test centers, get hours and fees. Get a list of exams, start collecting study material. Find out "for sure" which tests you will need and make a list. Oh yeah and most important of all, read the archives on this board hilarious
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LOL I already "snapped up" the princeton and kaplan gre psych books bout a month ago. Figured I could study and it couldn't hurt no matter what. Got IC too and been studying that...sparknotes. No matter what I take in psych I'm preparing for it. I'd already signed up for abnormal psych ece when I thought for sure I was going to EC but I guess it can't hurt to go ahead and take the ece unless I'm taking the GRE. I hope I can request to keep that ece on my transcript at TESC if I take the gre like I've heard one can do at EC. (guess I need to look that up too) My logic is if I can't get a gpa from taking expensive TECEPs one by one then why not knock several psych credits out with the GRE for less money. Were I getting letter grades out of a TECEP I'd have a different outlook.
I've sat for hours on end reading the archives, reading EC and TESC but sometimes I read so much that some of it doesn't stick so I have to go back and read more. I/we are all definitely on the right path just by being here, just takes time to read so much and understand it, compare notes, schools and so forth.
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cookderosa Wrote:>>
I think your decision is good. Get him through it. ANY finished degree is better than ANY partially completed degree.
---- and later, when he is a husband and provider, if (on his own) decides he wants to go back to school, so be it! LOL Hey, that's what many of us are doing- does that mean our parents let us down?? NO! I agree that ANY finished degree is better than ANY partially completed degree.
LOL. I HEARD you! It's hard not to second guess myself, but it is what it is so there's no use mulling over it. Thanks for the link!
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Just want an opinion, do you think it'd hurt anything to get a few easy, free fema credits while I wait for my tesc eval and study psych stuff or do you think it's a waste of time?
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Lioness088 Wrote:Just want an opinion, do you think it'd hurt anything to get a few easy, free fema credits while I wait for my tesc eval and study psych stuff or do you think it's a waste of time? >>
In any of the BA degrees you'll need 27 free electives. Without knowing your transcript it's hard to say. If you think you would have open spaces I'd say go for it though, you could probably do quite a few this weekend without too much trouble.
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Hi Lioness!
I think you should call Excelsior and talk this over with an adviser. You may not be as far away from the degree you want as it looks, especially with the Psychology GRE.
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I thought excelsior nor tesc would talk to us about our evals if we weren't enrolled? Excelsior sure isn't answering my emails anymore after the eval....I'm not crazy just thinking that either, lol, I've read other ppl saying that around here too. I only have 24 psych credits left with tesc and bout 6-10 free electives (fema yaaaay) left to get at tesc but can only get the psych by exam or classes, no gre. grrr. but if i test out of everything, no letter grade or better gpa. If I go with excelsior, no matter what, I have a good deal of general ed to finish, plus a depth, plus the psych major tests but at least I could get grades on the tests and a better gpa and take the gre. siighhhhh. looks like there's some core psych classes i can't test out of at EC tho unless it's by gre i guess. i wish i could combine parts of ec and tesc together lol. i'd love tesc if they awarded letter grades to those HARD earned exam scores. Not awarding letter grades to their own tecep is just really chappin my butt because it represents them being difficult and trying to force you into taking their classes if you want a gpa. but noooooo there have to be things I hate bout both places. ha.
I thought someone told me there were two psych classes needed for the EC psych degree that they don't offer? seems a little odd to me.
what have you decided to do NAP?
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