I can taste it

[Zachcleigh]

This time last year I had 0 college credits.

I took my first CLEP on June 13, 2016 and I got hooked. I started studying harder and more often and knocking out tests left and right. Here we are.. not quite a year later... I'm at 85 credits and hopeful to finish before the full year is up.

I still need to take the following:

CLEP Financial Accounting
SL Financial Accounting
SL Managerial Accounting
Penn Foster Intermediate Accounting II
TECEP Strategic Management
TECEP Federal Taxation
DSST Principles of Finance
STUDY Business Law
STUDY Business in Society
STUDY Advanced Accounting
STUDY Public Speaking
STUDY Applied Managerial Accounting

UGH!! I just realized I have 12 classes left! 36 Credits. Gotta get on it.:hurray:

[teacher2]

Yep, I am afraid you have it. You are one of those ACCD peoples -Alternative Credit Compulsive Disorder. I am afraid I can't help you 'cause I got it too! I am jealous! I started from zero as well on May 23 2016 and by the time I get to my year anniversary I will only be at 67 credits! Hmm... maybe I should look into some more of those free credits so I can bump up!
Congratulations on your progress!

[Zachcleigh]

The free credits help a ton haha. The big thing for me that helped me get ahead was honestly lack of knowledge. At the time I started this journey, I only knew about CLEP and DSST. I would cram study for a few days take a test and be done. Knocked out probably 30 credits in the first 2 months from being able to test out. Now I am at the courses where I have to use Study.com or SL etc. and they're taking much longer to complete.

[TrailRunr]

The free credits help a ton haha. The big thing for me that helped me get ahead was honestly lack of knowledge. At the time I started this journey, I only knew about CLEP and DSST. I would cram study for a few days take a test and be done. Knocked out probably 30 credits in the first 2 months from being able to test out. Now I am at the courses where I have to use Study.com or SL etc. and they're taking much longer to complete.

Lack of knowledge..... yes I agree.

The advice from the regulars lately to take SL and Study.com for everything is slowing folks down a lot. Lack of knowledge is better than the advice to take study.com/SL. Of course I wouldn't turn down the study.com scholarship and the $100 off SL coupon during a single month with a bunch of SL courses, but that still leaves room for testing for most. Testing should be a good chunk of the advice rather than almost completely ignored due to test anxiety. Testing is faster and requires less busywork. Everyone has test anxiety. Part of dealing with normal test anxiety is to take a test rather than make up excuses. Only a few have full blown test phobias that require avoidance of CLEP/DSST. If you choose the right exams while considering your background, you might be able to pass a few cold or with just an hour or two of studying. IC makes it cheap and easy to pass tests with minimum study.

Acquiescing to normal test anxiety is preventing many from being enrolled in TESU by taking a TECEP. It's very important to lock down the catalog and take that TECEP. Test anxiety can be very expensive when (not if) TESU makes a degree more expensive and more difficult to earn. Why do so many folks delay taking the Strategic Management TECEP? It's required for a BSBA. And apparently it's easy to pass with minimal study. This TECEP appears to be going away shortly, so everyone doing the BSBA should sign up for it today.

That being said, SL can be somewhat fast with open e-textbook during non-proctored exams with finals only worth 20-30% of the total grade. If random guessing will result in a passing grade of 69.5 or if you already exceed 69.5 total course grade, there is no need to spend more than 10 minutes taking the SL final.

[dfrecore]

I agree that you should test if possible, especially if you already know the material. BUT, I would certainly recommend Saylor over CLEP/DSST first, for cost alone. If they had the Prin of Management and Prin of Marketing Saylor exams back when I took the CLEP's, I would not have wasted hours of my time, and hundreds of dollars, on those exams when I could have spent $50 on Saylor, from the convenience of my own home.

CLEP/DSST are good options for some, and there are some options that are better for others. A mix of things is always good as well. I never recommend just 1 thing for everyone, but rather for each person to figure out what works for them and then do THAT. I couldn't care less if you want to take a CLEP, Saylor, SL, Study.com, or whatever. No skin off my back whichever you choose. Whatever gets you the most credits for the least amount of money is what you should do. That's why I try to include ALL of the available options for a course in my degree plans. I can't decide for YOU what you want to do, so I let you decide.

The other thing about testing - grab that low-hanging fruit. If you can pass without any studying, take an exam, and do it ASAP. Why waste your time on a course if you don't need to?!? But if you need to study for weeks to pass, then it may be faster to take a course. Again, whatever is fastest/easiest for you is what you should be shooting for.

BTW - the reason I usually recommend almost anything above a testing center is purely for convenience. I guess I value that over almost anything else. With 2 kids, and a testing center not convenient to where I live, it's just much easier for me to do what I can from home. But that's me. You do you!

[Synicaal]

Love this thread!! I started my journey to getting an Associates Degree right around this time last year. I didn't start anything I just made the decision to finally do something. So I purchased a text book for Financial Accounting to start studying for the Financial Accounting CLEP exam. I ended up not earning my first Credits until 7/16/2016. (Although I was enrolled in 3 CC courses at this time). If all goes according to plan and I don't miss any major deadlines or have some form of break down trying to get passed the Strategic Management TECEP I should have already had my Graduation Audit done by 7/16/2017 and just waiting on the whole "Walk" part. Right now I am at the 91 Credits mark for my Bachelor's degree and its all thanks to the people on this forum.

[StoicJ]

Very impressive. I think back on all the hours I spent in class, and commuting. How nice it would have been to knock out 60 or 100 hours in a year. A YEAR! With no commuting. And when I went to university over 20 years ago, it cost me about 1/4 of what it costs to go to that same school now. It just doesn't make much sense to do it except the way you all are.

[zapproximator]

Wow! That's awesome! :hurray: