Finish in 4 months at TESC? Is this even possible? Help, please!

[sammeecat]

I've been lurking here seemingly forever, and have been pursuing my degree off and on (more off) for even longer than that. I had the realization that maybe I could achieve the goal of finishing my degree at TESC before my 40th birthday in March, but I'd like some advice. Would anyone be able to weigh in and see if what I'm trying to do is remotely possible?

My background... I'm going to cut and paste only what I need at TESC, not the completed credits, as I don't think that info is relevant. Here goes:

Program: BA in Liberal Studies
Catalog: 2012
S.H. S.H. Applied S.H. Comm Coll S.H to Overall TESC
Required to Degree Req Remaining S.H. Applied be Planned GPA Met GPA
120.00 94.50 25.50 29.00 25.50 YES

BA Liberal Studies (33 Sh)
Semester Hours Completed: 18.00
GPA Achieved/Needed: 3.325 / 2.000
Complete both subrequirements:
A: Lbrl Stds 18 upr lvl (In Progress)
> Complete 18 semester hours of 300 and 400 level Liberal
> Studies coursework. <snip>
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
1.. REL-405... Intro. to World Religions 3.00 CR REL-405 *NE
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
BA Free Electives (27 SH)
> Complete 27 semester hours of Free Electives.
Semester Hours Completed: 16.50 Required: 27 Remaining: 10.5
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
3.. CMHL120 Current Health Issues.... 3.00 A HEA-101 *TE
2.. 400104 Food and Health.......... 3.00 C NUT-102 *TE
5.. COLL100 Foundations of Online Lea 3.00 C- FEL-199 *TE
4.. MUS131 Keyboard Studies I....... 2.00 A MUS-104 *CC *TE
2.. 700123 Fund Musicianship I...... 2.00 B MUS-148 *TE
2.. 512140 Intro Amer Cultures...... 1.50 B HIS-199 *TE
2.. 701143 Concert Band............. 1.00 C MUS-110 *TE
2.. 701159 Piano Class I............ 1.00 D MUS-160 *TE
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
___________________________________________________________________ 1.5 credits
=====================================

Essentially, I have to complete 5 UL classes/exams and 4 LL classes/exams, pay the enrollment fee (my enrollment lapses over a year ago), then graduation fee when I'm closer to the finish line, and then I'm done. I need to do this as cheaply as possible, but that's where I'm at a loss. What would be a cost efficient method of doing this in 3-4 months?

For the UL classes, I can retake the TECEP Abnormal Psych, as I attempted it back in the summer, but failed it due to lack of thorough studying. I did take the ECE World Population exam a year ago, but TESC won't evaluate it until I pay the enrollment fee. Any suggestions for 3 more classes after that? I'm also open to suggestions for the LLs, hopefully something a bit easier. Straighterline, maybe? Would that be the cheapest?

Thanks in advance and kudos to those who read this far.

[dfrecore]

First, you will want to reassess your credits with the new catalog (2016). Your catalog is 2012, but you can't stay on that if you haven't been enrolled. Things change each July 1, and there will definitely be some changes to your degree plan at this point. Even to the GenEd section.

Second, the enrollment plans changed as well. Now they have a Per-Credit Tuition Plan (PCTP) as well as an Enrolled Options Tuition Plan (EOTP) and a Comprehensive Tuition Plan (CTP). Assuming you are out-of-state:
- the PCTP is free, but you will have to take 24 "residency" units at TESC. The good news is that TECEP's count. Since you'd have to take the 3cr Capstone at TESC ($1560), you can take 7 additional TECEP's to get your residency fulfilled ($777).
- the EOTP is $3300, and gives you a break on course fees (each course is $741), but you only come out ahead if you're going to take more than 3 courses there
- the CTP is $9000, but includes 12 courses in that fee (making each course $750 with no "enrollment fee" per se)

If you want to do this as cheaply as possible, then you will want to enroll under the PCTP, and figure out which 7 TECEP's you need/want to take. If there aren't 7 that you need towards your degree, you can take some for courses that you've already taken and they will replace those courses, or take random ones (the easiest ones).

If you don't want to take 7 TECEP's, you can pay the $3000 fee and take the Capstone, and test out of the remaining courses.

If I were you, I would post the entire Eval on here so we can see what you have and advise you on it. Some courses will move around a little. But at least you'll know how close you are, and which courses you can take before you apply and decide which tuition plan you want to go with.

[GMT]

If you took a TECEP back in the summer, do check your enrollment status.

10 days after the term started for your TECEP, you may have possibly been enrolled on the Per-Credit Tuition Plan, regardless if you failed it or not.
Enrollment via TECEP on the PCTP lasts a year, I understand.

I don't know if you have to inform TESC of intent to change to the PCTP, I'm just hoping you'll get to keep that 2012 catalog

Like dfrecore says, things have changed a lot

[GoodYellowDogs]

So, I posted this last weekend in response to another question. However, I think some of it is relevant to your question. You will need to check the catalog and make sure you are on track. However, when it comes to the length of time it will take you, part of it is up to you and your confidence level.

Here are some rambling thoughts on the subject... some on target, some completely off target... just needed to ramble

I took forever to get my BS. In retrospect, had I had more confidence and less procrastination, I could have done the last 60 units in four months or less easily. I had 60 units from my AS and I had 40 years of business/health/life experience. Had I been confident I could have easily done two tests (or as many as I could schedule) a week because I knew most of the stuff. Do I remember it iall - yes I remember it all because I already knew most of it already. My learnings from studying were more like the frosting on the cake. My BS has depths in Psych and Healthcare. I had enough units I could have had two more depths in History and Photography.

My advice on the confidence piece for a BS/BA for any adult is to compare yourself to the newly minted BS/BA students you know. Do you know as much of them? That's all that's required for a BS/BA. No more, no less. Had I gone into my BS with that in mind I would have taken most of the DSST/CLEP/TECEP/Uexcel without studying. I know, because they work for me, that I'm smarter and more "educated" than most BS/BA grads. Maybe not specific major STEM BA/BS grads, but definitely more than any liberal arts, social science, history, etc. BS/BA grad.

[sammeecat]

Thank you so much for the replies. Much appreciated!

I'm a little confused about the new changes, but hopefully it'll sink in soon enough.

Ok, I checked my status and it says, NJ Non-Matriculated with a start date of 5/14/15. (I goofed on the time frame of the 'summer' TECEP that I mentioned in my OP.) Does that mean I'm enrolled in the Per Credit Tuition Plan at this point?

I truly hope I can remain on the 2011-2012 plan, as I'm not looking forward to doing a Capstone. I am also cringing at the thought of how my credits will be reassessed, and it's not helping my anxiety about trying to get this done by March. Oh well, par for the course for letting this go on so long, I suppose.

Last night, I came up with a potential plan to knock out the upper level requirements, but it looks like I'll need to tweak it under the Per Credit plan. Bummer.

[sammeecat]

Ok, here is my full Eval. I still have an ECE World Population exam that was not included as part of the Eval since I wasn't enrolled at the time of taking the test, plus some old FEMA credit that likely won't be included either. I also tentatively registered to retake the Abnormal Psych TECEP, so that shows up, too.

S.H. S.H. Applied S.H. Comm Coll S.H to Overall TESC
Required to Degree Req Remaining S.H. Applied be Planned GPA Met GPA
120.00 94.50 25.50 29.00 22.50 YES
=============================

BA General Education Distribution (42 SH)
Semester Hours Completed: 42.00
Complete all 5 subrequirements:
A: English Composition (Completed)
> Complete one full year of English Composition with a grade of C or better.
Semester Hours Completed: 6.00
GPA Achieved/Needed: 2.300 / 2.000
Group 1 (Completed)
Semester Hours Completed: 6.00
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
2.. 350101 Expository Writing I..... 3.00 C+ ENC-101 *TE
1.. ENC-102... English Composition II... 3.00 CR ENC-102 *NE

B: Humanities (Completed)
> Complete 12 semester hours of Humanities, including at least two subject areas.
Semester Hours Completed: 12.00
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
3.. MUS161 Music Theory II.......... 3.00 B MUS-121 *TE
3.. MUS160 Music Theory I........... 3.00 B+ MUS-120 *TE
4.. MUS124 Music History Contemporar 3.00 A MUS-221 *CC *TE
1.. FRE-102... Beginning French II...... 3.00 CR FRE-102 *NE

C: Social Sciences (Completed)
> Complete 12 semester hours in the Social Sciences, including at least two subject areas.
Semester Hours Completed: 12.00
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
1.. HIS-113... American History I....... 3.00 CR HIS-113 *NE
4.. HIS122 History of Western Civ II 3.00 B- HIS-102 *CC *TE
4.. PSY123 Introductory Psychology.. 3.00 A PSY-101 *CC *TE
4.. AFS121 Intro to African Amer Stu 3.00 A AAS-199 *CC *TE

D: Mathematics (Completed)
> Complete a 3 semester hour college-level Mathematics course.
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
2.. 640103 Topics Math Lib Arts..... 3.00 C MAT-102 *TE-

E: Natural Sciences (Completed)
> Complete 9 semester hours in the Natural Sciences, including at least two subject areas.
Semester Hours Completed: 9.00
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
1.. COS-101... Introduction to Computers 3.00 CR COS-101 *NE
2.. 119150 Bio Soc & Biomed Iss..... 3.00 C BIO-104 *TE
1.. BIO-208... The Science of Nutrition. 3.00 CR BIO-208 *NE

BA General Education Electives (18 SH)
> Complete 18 semester hours from any of the following
> General Education subjects: Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences or Mathematics.
Semester Hours Completed: 18.00
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
4.. COM105 Intro to Communication St 3.00 B+ COM-120 *CC *TE
4.. SOC121 Introduction to Sociology 3.00 C+ SOC-101 *CC *TE
5.. SOCI315 Food and Culture......... 3.00 D ANT-430 *TE
4.. SOC123 Intro to Anthropology.... 3.00 D ANT-101 *CC *TE
2.. 050263 American Folklore........ 3.00 D ENG-321 *TE
3.. MUS283 Flute Ensemble........... 1.00 A MUS-299 *TE
3.. MUS162 Applied Music Major...... 2.00 A MUS-199 *TE

BA Liberal Studies (33 Sh)
Semester Hours Completed: 21.00
GPA Achieved/Needed: 3.325 / 2.000
Complete both subrequirements:
A: Lbrl Stds 18 upr lvl (In Progress)
> Complete 18 semester hours of 300 and 400 level Liberal
> Studies coursework. At least TWO or more different areas
> must be included to provide breadth of knowledge in the
> Liberal Studies Area (e.g., AREA I: Humanities courses:
> 18 semester hours; AREA II: Social Sciences courses: 9
> semester hours; AREA III: Natural Sciences courses: 6
> semester hours). The two areas can span the 15 credit and
> 18 credit requirements. **It is highly recommended that
> course LIB-495 be completed to satisfy 3 semester hours of
> this requirement.**
Semester Hours Completed: 6.00 Required: 18 Remaining: 12
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
1.. REL-405... Intro. to World Religions 3.00 CR REL-405 *NE
1.. PSY-350... Abnormal Psychology...... (3.00) ___ *PR
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits

B: Liberal Studies 15 (Completed)
> Complete 15 semester hours of Liberal Studies coursework. A
> maximum of 6 credits can be at the 100 level.
Semester Hours Completed: 15.00
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
3.. WS150 Racism Sexism in the U S. 3.00 B+ WMS-299 *TE
4.. MUS123 Music History Traditional 3.00 A MUS-220 *CC *TE
4.. SOC231 Indians of the Americas.. 3.00 A ANT-299 *CC *TE
2.. 709224 Indv Marriage & Family... 3.00 C SOC-210 *TE
1.. FRE-101... Beginning French I....... 3.00 CR FRE-101 *NE

BA Free Electives (27 SH)
> Complete 27 semester hours of Free Electives.
Semester Hours Completed: 16.50 Required: 27 Remaining: 10.5
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
3.. CMHL120 Current Health Issues.... 3.00 A HEA-101 *TE
2.. 400104 Food and Health.......... 3.00 C NUT-102 *TE
5.. COLL100 Foundations of Online Lea 3.00 C- FEL-199 *TE
4.. MUS131 Keyboard Studies I....... 2.00 A MUS-104 *CC *TE
2.. 700123 Fund Musicianship I...... 2.00 B MUS-148 *TE

2.. 512140 Intro Amer Cultures...... 1.50 B HIS-199 *TE
2.. 701143 Concert Band............. 1.00 C MUS-110 *TE
2.. 701159 Piano Class I............ 1.00 D MUS-160 *TE
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
___________________________________________________________________ 1.5 credits
OTHER COURSES:
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
--- ---------- ------------------------- ------- --- ---------- ---------
2 640027 Elements of Algebra 0.00 B DMT-004 *RI*TE*DEV
2 700103 Intro Music Theory 3.00 C MUS-120 *RI*TE*DUP
1 ENC-101 English Composition I 3.00 CR ENC-101 *RI*NE

[dfrecore]

Thank you so much for the replies. Much appreciated!

I'm a little confused about the new changes, but hopefully it'll sink in soon enough.

Ok, I checked my status and it says, NJ Non-Matriculated with a start date of 5/14/15. (I goofed on the time frame of the 'summer' TECEP that I mentioned in my OP.) Does that mean I'm enrolled in the Per Credit Tuition Plan at this point?

I truly hope I can remain on the 2011-2012 plan, as I'm not looking forward to doing a Capstone. I am also cringing at the thought of how my credits will be reassessed, and it's not helping my anxiety about trying to get this done by March. Oh well, par for the course for letting this go on so long, I suppose.

Last night, I came up with a potential plan to knock out the upper level requirements, but it looks like I'll need to tweak it under the Per Credit plan. Bummer.

Which eval is this? The one from 2012? If so, you can get a new eval, to see what catalog you are under. That would probably help.

[sammeecat]

Yes, that is the eval from the 2012 catalogue. They will not reevaluate until I choose a plan and pay the re-enrollment fee, right? I emailed them, but will call later today.

[dfrecore]

You can just go online to your MyEdison account, go into Academic Profile, and choose Academic Evaluation, and choose your degree (it should be there at the top with a cirlce, just click on the circle. It will give you your updated unofficial eval based on the catalog you're enrolled under.

I think you are very close, you just need to take the College Algebra TECEP, the Environmental Ethics TECEP, the Abnormal Psychology TECEP, the Liberal Arts Capstone, take any UL course that is considered a Liberal Arts course, and 4 additional TECEPs (I'd pick easy ones).

[LaterBloomer]

What do you mean by "finish?" Do you mean degree in hand, or have the courses completed? If it's the latter, you can do it. If it's the former, make sure you're checking TESC's dates for grade submission, etc. Because of paperwork requirements, I finished my course work in ?May? (Not even imagining I would pass the ALEKS College Algebra exam, I didn't have paperwork submitted.) of this year, but my degree wasn't conferred until September. If you're doing this for yourself - as opposed to "I have to have a degree by x date because of my work." - don't go crazy if you don't have your degree in hand by your 40th birthday. Completing the coursework is the biggest hurdle.

You can do this.