Graduated

[tallpilot]

I am pleased to say I was certified today for a Bachelor of Science degree with two AoS, Information Technology and Aviation Flight.  I want to thank the members of this forum for posting experiences and alternative credit avenues.  My situation is somewhat different compared to many here; I had a great deal of B&M credits from 4 year Universities and was eligible for the discount TESU offers ALPA members.  That lowered the cost to take a few courses at TESU significantly.  TESU is probably not the best or cheapest option for everybody but it was for me.

It was a big pain and a lot of work.  ProctorU sucks (although I was very fortunate to never have any major glitches or wait times).  Physics at TESU is reasonably easy.  It is expensive since it is 4 hours but if you need it; it isn't bad.  The best advice I can give is save as much money as you can but don't forgo your degree (or the AoS you want) because of the cost of one of two courses.  Scrape the money together and do it.  One thing we can probably be assured of; it is only going to get more expensive.

Hopefully someday we see a complete revamp of the post-secondary education system in the U.S.  It's exploitative and produces relatively poor outcomes.  However in this case as in many others, it is better to have and not need than need and not have.  If you have been on the fence, get serious and get it done.

Thank all of you for sharing your stories and information.  This is a great place!

[bjcheung77]

Wow, a double major in Aviation Flight and Info Technology! That's awesome! Congrats!
Yes, I also agree, TESU is a great option for some people but may not be for everyone...

[innen_oda]

don't forgo your degree (or the AoS you want) because of the cost of one of two courses. 

Congrats! Great advice too - I think here we get a bit caught up in getting THE VERY CHEAPEST AND FASTEST degree, and forget the unquantified value in having the degree you really want over 'just any degree'.
Assuming that most concentrations will require at least one or two full cost courses is probably the healthiest way to begin to plan your total degree costs. And if it is in an area you enjoy, the courses should be an opportunity for learning and enquiry, not a miserable slog.

What are your plans with this degree? Continue study and move on to masters or another bachelor's? New job?

[LevelUP]

Congrats.  

I agree to get that degree done as fast as you can.  It's better to spend a little extra money than trying to save a few hundred bucks and wasting a bunch of time.

[dfrecore]

I agree to getting a degree - but not everyone has the time and/or money to take extra courses. That's why it's best to weigh the value of getting a degree you want, vs. getting a degree that will work for what you need ("dream" vs. good enough). I'm glad I spent zero extra on a "particular" degree, and just got the one that worked for the least amount of monney. I didn't have extra cash, taking the capstone was already a stretch.

[tallpilot]

don't forgo your degree (or the AoS you want) because of the cost of one of two courses. 

Congrats! Great advice too - I think here we get a bit caught up in getting THE VERY CHEAPEST AND FASTEST degree, and forget the unquantified value in having the degree you really want over 'just any degree'.
Assuming that most concentrations will require at least one or two full cost courses is probably the healthiest way to begin to plan your total degree costs. And if it is in an area you enjoy, the courses should be an opportunity for learning and enquiry, not a miserable slog.

What are your plans with this degree? Continue study and move on to masters or another bachelor's? New job?

I began the big push for this degree over the summer because I was afraid I would lose my airline job and wanted to be prepared to move into something else.  I did tech work before I went to flight school so it isn't completely foreign to me but it has been a long time.  So far my position looks far more secure now than it did in March or July, but I wouldn't say the industry is out of the proverbial woods yet.  Not having a degree was holding my airline career back so with a little luck I can end up where I expected to be at age 40 by 50.
 

I agree to getting a degree - but not everyone has the time and/or money to take extra courses.  That's why it's best to weigh the value of getting a degree you want, vs. getting a degree that will work for what you need ("dream" vs. good enough).  I'm glad I spent zero extra on a "particular" degree, and just got the one that worked for the least amount of monney.  I didn't have extra cash, taking the capstone was already a stretch.

I agree.  Some people are in a situation where not having a degree is holding their career progression up but it is virtually guaranteed if they obtain the credential.  In that case any degree will do so why not the cheapest?  That was in fact my original goal until the world fell apart.  Then I added the IT concentration.  That was little extra since I already had enough RA courses that I could fulfill the rest of the requirements with SDC.

Other people are in a situation where they would like to effect a career change.  In that case I respectfully submit that a no concentration BALS would be far less useful to that end (but ostensibly more useful than no degree) than a degree in a concentration related to the desired employment.  The cost difference may be several thousand dollars and I am sympathetic to the notion that is a great sum for most people.  But I see more than a few people post here and basically give up when they find out they need 1-2 'real' courses.  My point was to discourage that behavior.

If one is close to a degree now, it is a near certainty it will require more work and more expense in the future so scrape the money up if at all possible.  The key is to not give up.  I did (twice) and all it did was cost me time and money, perhaps an astonishing amount due to stymied career progression but it is impossible to prove that counterfactual.

[SweetSecret]

This is awesome, congratulations! Sending you a PM.

[AppleStarr]

I am pleased to say I was certified today for a Bachelor of Science degree with two AoS, Information Technology and Aviation Flight.  I want to thank the members of this forum for posting experiences and alternative credit avenues.  My situation is somewhat different compared to many here; I had a great deal of B&M credits from 4 year Universities and was eligible for the discount TESU offers ALPA members.  That lowered the cost to take a few courses at TESU significantly.  TESU is probably not the best or cheapest option for everybody but it was for me.

It was a big pain and a lot of work.  ProctorU sucks (although I was very fortunate to never have any major glitches or wait times).  Physics at TESU is reasonably easy.  It is expensive since it is 4 hours but if you need it; it isn't bad.  The best advice I can give is save as much money as you can but don't forgo your degree (or the AoS you want) because of the cost of one of two courses.  Scrape the money together and do it.  One thing we can probably be assured of; it is only going to get more expensive.

Hopefully someday we see a complete revamp of the post-secondary education system in the U.S.  It's exploitative and produces relatively poor outcomes.  However in this case as in many others, it is better to have and not need than need and not have.  If you have been on the fence, get serious and get it done.

Thank all of you for sharing your stories and information.  This is a great place!

Congratulations! ?

[davewill]