How do I actually get started?

[Bonz]

Hello all, I'm new to this whole CLEPS and distance learning thing.
I'm a 22 year old american, whose never been to college, so this is all a bit confusing.
My goal is to get a Bachelors in ideally, a degree that requires the least bit of math. I don't really care as all I want is a degree so I can qualify for a work visa in Japan.
However, I'm a bit confused, do I do the CLEPS and then enroll in one of the big 3? Or do I enroll in a school and then take CLEPS?
Also, my biggest worry is funding this, is there anyway to get student loans to fund this? So far I could take private loans but that would require me to pay back right away which might be difficult...

[UptonSinclair]

Typically, people work on most of the requirements before enrolling in school. This avoids paying more than necessary for annual enrollment fees.

The first step is to make a plan. There are several degree plans on the degree forums wiki and there are several spreadsheets for TESC in my signature that you may use to create a plan. I would suggest taking the Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP first. It typically requires little study and will give you an idea of the process. It is worth 6 humanities credits which will get you started.

For the math requirements, people typically use Aleks which costs $20 per month and has several ACE evaluated courses.

Another source of quick ACE credits is Straighterline. A motivated student can complete several courses in a month.

Once you start putting together a plan, ask questions here and forum members will help you understand which courses meet a given requirement.

[Photog]

I started by reading a lot on this forum, searching for answers to any questions, and then asking a few. The best way to search this site is using Google: whatever info you need site:degreeforum.net

From that I starting getting a good idea of how it all works, and made a plan to start on General Ed requirements first. A lot of the basic Gen Ed. requirements are the same for all degrees, English, Math, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, plenty to get through in the beginning.

Then:
Make an account at ACE.
Start by doing some of the free courses for credits, it feels good to actually get some credits banked there, TEEX, Kaplan and NFA are pretty straightforward.
Brush up on your math by using some of the free sites, so that you can knock out all the credits at Aleks in one month for $20. Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, Trig or Precalcus, and choose one of the stats courses.

That is a good start, and very low cost.

By the time you have completed those, and continued hanging around here, you will start to get a good idea of how it all works and what you want to do. Don't rush into the 'any degree' will do, the options are actually really great, and you can carve out a degree in something you are more interested in studying. It takes a bit if time and finding the right courses, but it's actually fun trying to find, and figure it all out. It becomes a healthy obsession.

[Bonz]

Thanks guys, I guess I should probably start off with the free courses first.