Interested in mentoring a Newbie?

[Idreamofadegree]

A whirlwind of information on this forum, especially if you are new, but I believe I may have the basic information down.  That being said, if you were to help (or maybe even hold the hand) of a newbie, could you start by answering these questions?

1) I know the best place to start (especially when starting from scratch, which will be my case) is to knock out any currently free courses/credits....BUT, there are a lot of "deadlines" in these areas and it's hard to know which ones should take priority. There seems to be some feelings out there of some taking a large investment in time that could be utilized in other areas. Suggestions on where to start?

2) Would you be willing to elaborate or clarify these "deadlines" that are current?  (I understand this is ever-changing, but I'm looking for a good starting point)  Example: Study.com scholarship ending or if a school chooses to no longer accept a course for credit, is their end date a "have to enroll at our school by this date" deadline or a "you need to complete this course somewhere by ..." deadline? 

3)  I am looking at BALS TESU.... with possible COSC as plan B.  Based off a degree plan from this forum, it states that 90 credits of CLEP is the maximum allowed.  This may sound like a dumb question, but is that criteria specific to CLEP or ALL testing out options such as study.com?

Also, has anyone gone through the PLA at either school that could give some insight as to how that process worked?  I had a chance to speak to that department at COSC but unless I am enrolled and then attempt that route, I couldn't get much info.

Thanks in advance for the assistance.  This is such a great resource and place of encouragement.

I have only taken and passed The Institues- Ethics course to get my toes wet and start this whole process.  ;o)
 
But hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?!

[dfrecore]

This is just my perspective, others will jump in with their own.

1) I don't necessarily think it's important to grab all free credits first.  If a course doesn't interest you, and is going to take a long time, it's not worth it IMO.  So, for instance, TEEX wouldn't be one that I would personally do.  But if you're very computer-literate, it might be a great free 6cr in a short amount of time.  If you're a good test-taker and there is a CLEP testing center near you, ModernStates/CLEP exams are worth doing (free); and you should sign up with OnlineDegree.com, as they have 15 free courses coming online soon.  Those both would be worth doing sooner rather than later (you never know when they will run out of money, or go down the tubes).  But again, I'm not one to panic, as there's always other ways to get credit.

2) Biggest issue at this time is trying to transfer Shmoop courses to TESU, so I wouldn't take any of those at this point.
TEEX - current end date is 5/31, so I would not do those unless you could finish by that date (and there are multiple courses within each course, so it may take a while)
Saylor ACP - some courses will expire on 5/31, so I would either take them now, or not worry about them (there are 8 of them)

3) 90 credits from a single source - so 90 from CLEP, 90 from DSST, 90 from Study.com, etc.  So if you have a preferred provider, you would have to branch out a bit to take 24-27 credits elsewhere - not a problem for most people.

I would wait a month or two to apply for the Study.com scholarship.  I wish I'd known ahead of time to plan it out, because I got it before Thanksgiving, and I was crazy busy during Thanksgiving and Christmas with home stuff, plus right in the middle of my capstone course.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have applied in February, when my capstone was completed, and I could spend the time I wanted on the courses I needed.  Instead, I wasted 2 months and 4 courses because I couldn't get to them right then.  Luckily I only needed 2 courses to complete my degree.  So, wait until you are actually ready to buckle down and do the courses before applying for the scholarship, and I would say that it would be nice to have some courses under your belt so you know how to plan your time before starting.

The other thing you need to do is determine which course providers/exams you do best at.  Some people are great at testing, some are better at courses, and others can do any of it (I've done a mix of both).  It takes some time to figure out what works for you.  So I started with testing out of courses I knew I could pass, then did courses for the rest (I'm terrible at creating study plan for testing - I'm just not that disciplined).  Others are great and can study for and knock out tests like crazy.  Figure out what you're good at and then do as much of that as possible.  When you find a course provider you like, stick with it and do as much as you can that way.  Work WITH yourself, not against.

Here are degree plans for the TESU BALS, and the COSC AA (I don't know enough about COSC to create a plan for the BA).  Good luck!

[cookderosa]

Dfrecore's advice is right on- and let me add that I've been here a long time and there is ALWAYS a sense of urgency. Always. So, I totally get that you're feeling "behind" and need to get this figured out posthaste. But, trust me, that you are here puts you ahead. The trick is to read posts often, I try to read all the posts every day (am not always successful) but it's important to just jump in and start where you are then keep up. I promise you, as soon as you think something is set in stone, it will change. NOTHING stays the same. So, do what you can and keep going!

[Idreamofadegree]

This is just my perspective, others will jump in with their own.

1) I don't necessarily think it's important to grab all free credits first.  If a course doesn't interest you, and is going to take a long time, it's not worth it IMO.  So, for instance, TEEX wouldn't be one that I would personally do.  But if you're very computer-literate, it might be a great free 6cr in a short amount of time.  If you're a good test-taker and there is a CLEP testing center near you, ModernStates/CLEP exams are worth doing (free); and you should sign up with OnlineDegree.com, as they have 15 free courses coming online soon.  Those both would be worth doing sooner rather than later (you never know when they will run out of money, or go down the tubes).  But again, I'm not one to panic, as there's always other ways to get credit.

2) Biggest issue at this time is trying to transfer Shmoop courses to TESU, so I wouldn't take any of those at this point.
TEEX - current end date is 5/31, so I would not do those unless you could finish by that date (and there are multiple courses within each course, so it may take a while)
Saylor ACP - some courses will expire on 5/31, so I would either take them now, or not worry about them (there are 8 of them)

3) 90 credits from a single source - so 90 from CLEP, 90 from DSST, 90 from Study.com, etc.  So if you have a preferred provider, you would have to branch out a bit to take 24-27 credits elsewhere - not a problem for most people.

I would wait a month or two to apply for the Study.com scholarship.  I wish I'd known ahead of time to plan it out, because I got it before Thanksgiving, and I was crazy busy during Thanksgiving and Christmas with home stuff, plus right in the middle of my capstone course.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have applied in February, when my capstone was completed, and I could spend the time I wanted on the courses I needed.  Instead, I wasted 2 months and 4 courses because I couldn't get to them right then.  Luckily I only needed 2 courses to complete my degree.  So, wait until you are actually ready to buckle down and do the courses before applying for the scholarship, and I would say that it would be nice to have some courses under your belt so you know how to plan your time before starting.

The other thing you need to do is determine which course providers/exams you do best at.  Some people are great at testing, some are better at courses, and others can do any of it (I've done a mix of both).  It takes some time to figure out what works for you.  So I started with testing out of courses I knew I could pass, then did courses for the rest (I'm terrible at creating study plan for testing - I'm just not that disciplined).  Others are great and can study for and knock out tests like crazy.  Figure out what you're good at and then do as much of that as possible.  When you find a course provider you like, stick with it and do as much as you can that way.  Work WITH yourself, not against.

Here are degree plans for the TESU BALS, and the COSC AA (I don't know enough about COSC to create a plan for the BA).  Good luck!

dfrecore,

Thank you SOOO much for your input. As a newbie, one spends a lot of time ready and absorbing information from numerous threads/posts and it became obvious very quickly that you are well informed and well known in this community and I feel honored that you have taken the time to reply to my post.... I truly am, thank you.

I'm glad to hear your take on the TEEX courses.  Those were the ones I was referring to that seem to have a reputation of taking quite some time to complete.  Although, I have singed up and started taking one of these courses, I may at this point take your advice and move on to another course.  

As far as Saylor is concerned, is there a way to find out which courses will expire at the 5/31 date you referenced? I wasn't able to find that information on their catalog. I would like to know which ones to see if any of them are on my radar so I can maybe benefit by competing one if able. 

Thanks so much for clarifying the 90 credit max question for me.  I understand now. 

You mentioned waiting a month or two for the study.com scholarship.  Would that put me past the "deadline" or "expiration date" that seems to be floating around this site?  I'm under the impression it's a "don't want to miss out" kind of thing....???

I love that you have provided a few degree plans....that is SO valued.  It was one of yours from another thread that I am referencing as my starting point.  

There are 3 directions I would like to possibly pursue.... The BALS at TESU(this one seems to be the most flexible when testing out), BSBA at TESU (this one would probably benefit me the most currently) or if there was even a chance that this could be done, a bachelors in Teaching through WGU (but again, I'm geared more towards testing out as much as possible).

SO, if you have any suggestions or opinion on any of these comparatively, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts.

[Ideas]

I would try for the Study.com scholarship unless someone else is paying the bills I think it would take under a month to hear back.

I believe the WGU one requires 13 weeks of teaching full-time.

[dfrecore]

Saylor courses which are expiring through ACP on 5/31, but which may be extended to ACE or NCCRS at some point:

BUS101: Intro to Business
BUS103: Intro to Financial Accounting
MA121: Intro to Statistics
BIO101: Intro to Molecular & Cellular Biology
CHEM101: General Chemistry I
PHYS101 Physics: Intro to Mechanics
PHYS102 Physics: Intro to Electromagnetism
POLSC221: Intro to Comparative Politics

As for the Study.com deadline, that is not about taking courses, but about the pricing structure at TESU that will expire on 6/30/18. Since you're so new, and don't have any credits, I'm going to say that you should just forget about it and move forward and deal with the new pricing when that comes out. It really only applied to people who are ready to take the capstone and/or pay the residency waiver (so fairly close to graduation). For everyone else, you should just ignore it, and find out what the new pricing is when it comes out.

I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that for anyone who is very new, and is planning on but hasn't enrolled at TESU yet - you might want to wait. Depending on the prices, it might make more sense financially to switch to COSC or even EC at some point. Just keep your options open.

[Idreamofadegree]

Saylor courses which are expiring through ACP on 5/31, but which may be extended to ACE or NCCRS at some point:

BUS101: Intro to Business
BUS103: Intro to Financial Accounting
MA121: Intro to Statistics
BIO101: Intro to Molecular & Cellular Biology
CHEM101: General Chemistry I
PHYS101 Physics: Intro to Mechanics
PHYS102 Physics: Intro to Electromagnetism
POLSC221: Intro to Comparative Politics

As for the Study.com deadline, that is not about taking courses, but about the pricing structure at TESU that will expire on 6/30/18.  Since you're so new, and don't have any credits, I'm going to say that you should just forget about it and move forward and deal with the new pricing when that comes out.  It really only applied to people who are ready to take the capstone and/or pay the residency waiver (so fairly close to graduation).  For everyone else, you should just ignore it, and find out what the new pricing is when it comes out.

I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that for anyone who is very new, and is planning on but hasn't enrolled at TESU yet - you might want to wait.  Depending on the prices, it might make more sense financially to switch to COSC or even EC at some point.  Just keep your options open.

I see what you are saying.... makes sense.  Thank you.

I went ahead and signed up of the online degree courses as suggested. I will be interested to see how that works out.  It's amazing the ever changing options that pop up....but, I'm glad they do and will offer some other resources.  

I will review the information you have given and try to start planning out my path.... Thanks again for all your help!

[BSBRose21]

This is a great thread! As a newbie this is good information.

Thank you! Thank you!

[High_Order1]

Also, has anyone gone through the PLA at either school that could give some insight as to how that process worked?  I had a chance to speak to that department at COSC but unless I am enrolled and then attempt that route, I couldn't get much info.

Hi.

TESU PLA graduate here.

It is a very murky process. I haven't heard of anyone without substantial background attempting PLA credit. They leave the rules and criteria necessarily vague, so you can't do an apples-to-apples precheck to see if you'd be wasting your time.

If you do have a great deal to bring to bear, either in background, or in documentation, the process is fairly straightforward, albeit tedious. None of it affects your GPA, and none of it is letter graded. CR or NC.

Good luck on your journey!!

[Idreamofadegree]

Also, has anyone gone through the PLA at either school that could give some insight as to how that process worked?  I had a chance to speak to that department at COSC but unless I am enrolled and then attempt that route, I couldn't get much info.

Hi.

TESU PLA graduate here.

It is a very murky process. I haven't heard of anyone without substantial background attempting PLA credit. They leave the rules and criteria necessarily vague, so you can't do an apples-to-apples precheck to see if you'd be wasting your time.

If you do have a great deal to bring to bear, either in background, or in documentation, the process is fairly straightforward, albeit tedious. None of it affects your GPA, and none of it is letter graded. CR or NC.

Good luck on your journey!!

This is good information to now, thank you!!!!  I appreciate your response.  

I do have state certification in a health care field that I have had for over 15 years, but am no longer "active" as I am not currently practicing.  That is where my questions were originating from.  I was hoping to get information as to how the process worked for PLA and if it was a difficult road so your response was helpful. 

Thank you!