Is anyone familiar with bain4weeks.com-share your stories!

[journey21]

Okay,

So, I just discovered: Overview of process - BA in 4 weeks degree guides

In the process of reading the site.

Is it saying that one can get their BA or BS in 4 weeks?

Just trying to begin a discussion about this site.

Thanks!

[JanusthePhoenix]

That site was how I was introduced to the concept of testing out of a degree.

The idea she presents is that one can theoretically test out from start to finish in 4 weeks IF you are already capable of passing every one. The 4 week timeframe includes the actual testing only: she does not account for processing time on the college's end, or studying time for you.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the way she makes it all sound so easy could very well lead a person into a false sense of confidence regarding the tests and end up failing some of the harder exams.

All that said, it is a good website, and my degree plan is loosely based on her framework. I will warn though that some information is out of date. For example, it is no longer possible to test out of a Business Degree from Excelsior; you need to take at least the capstone course.

[alleycat]

That site was how I was introduced to the concept of testing out of a degree.

The idea she presents is that one can theoretically test out from start to finish in 4 weeks IF you are already capable of passing every one. The 4 week timeframe includes the actual testing only: she does not account for processing time on the college's end, or studying time for you.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the way she makes it all sound so easy could very well lead a person into a false sense of confidence regarding the tests and end up failing some of the harder exams.

All that said, it is a good website, and my degree plan is loosely based on her framework. I will warn though that some information is out of date. For example, it is no longer possible to test out of a Business Degree from Excelsior; you need to take at least the capstone course.

I believe Lawrie Miller is a Guy not a Gal! He authored a great guide post for people who wish to make a dream a reality.

[malcs]

Okay,

So, I just discovered: Overview of process - BA in 4 weeks degree guides

In the process of reading the site.

Is it saying that one can get their BA or BS in 4 weeks?

Just trying to begin a discussion about this site.

Thanks!

Based on my manic learning binge where I went from 86 credits to 120 in six weeks or so, I would say forget about it. I looked at that site a while back, and there were a few good ideas there, but you would have to be a super genius to meet that schedule. And, why would you want to do this? The title gets it lots of attention.

This forum is the real deal. There are people here that are working at max speed, and others who are taking it slower. I would advise you to take as long as you need to finish your degree unless you have a compelling reason to finish quickly. Find that magic point where you are not stressed out, retaining the info in long term memory, and moving forward at a good rate .

While you can do crazy things like take three tests in a week, you will live a much better quality of life, and learn more, if you slow it down a bit. The key is knowing when you are ready to test, and then going for it.

I am down to one test every two weeks and loving it. That is a rate of 75 credits per year, and very doable for me. If I slowed down a bit to one test every three weeks that would be around 50 credits per year, which is not to shabby either.

We should all be thankful that you can't get a BS online in 4 weeks, because that would make our degrees worthless.

I do remember a lot of silly stuff on that site like, "You will be taking three upper level exams today, so do be sure to relax between tests", or something to that effect. I don't know about others, but I am drained enough after one test that I just want to go home.

That web site actually has a pretty good plan, but the pace is unrealistic. I do remember being inspired by it also, but after a few tests I knew that I could never work that quickly.

Best of luck!

[journey21]

Based on my manic learning binge where I went from 86 credits to 120 in six weeks or so, I would say forget about it.

How did you do that? Tell me how PLEASE! : )

Awesome post. I love it!

[cookderosa]

The first thing I ever found out about credit by exam was through a book by Brad Voeller called Accelerated Distance Learning. I dove in and read that book from cover to cover in about 2 days and then hit the web. Of course, I found Lawrie's site right away. I have a personality that lets me see what is possible- then I make it my own- so for me, that site was huge motivation. Mathematically, I knew it was possible. Lawrie is a real person, so again, another huge motivation. That said, we are all individuals with our own lives and demands of such. So, I took his ideas and made them my own by building on them.
A few things I did differently, I started with the end in mind. I started with a grad school plan and worked backward. In the beginning, I planned to attend the University of Adelaide's Masters in Gastronomy (a now defunct program) and wanted to be sure I could get in. So, I wanted a lot of social science learning (note I didn't say credit). I also wanted to use classes for my major- based on my digging into grad school requirements at other schools and to qualify for financial aid.
Since I have home-schooled my kids for 14 years, I was already an "outside the building" learner and firm believer in the notion that learning doesn't happen when someone teaches at you in a classroom. As a college teacher for 17 years, I needed my degree to work within the system and not totally be different- and for me, that meant taking classes too. Budget was a factor, and time was a factor. Then, and now, my kid's school comes first- so anything I wanted to do couldn't be between 9-3 (my homeschool hours) or the 2 nights per week when I teach.
Knowing how Lawrie did it made me look like a slacker LOL, but I totally feel like I used his ideas to build on. My degree from 0-120 took 18 months. 6 on my own, then 12 at TESC.

[malcs]

How did you do that? Tell me how PLEASE! : )

Awesome post. I love it!

I enrolled at EC and did two ECE/DANTES tests per week, one week I did three. I burried my head in IC, textbooks, and the exam specific fourms for six weeks. I worked full time at it, but hardly on weekends. I picked courses that had some overlap. Notice all of the Psych courses, along with Gerentology. Even World Pop was related to Gerentolgy in a few areas. Marketting had various items from social psyc, and Research Methods in Psyc.
The most central courses here are Research Methods in Psych, and Statistics. Take those first because you will see them in every one of these exams.

ECE TESTS
---------------
INFORMATION LITERACY - P
March - PSYCHOLOGY OF ADULTHOOD & AGING - A
March - FOUNDATIONS OF GERONTOLOGY - B
March - RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY - B
March - CULTURAL DIVERSITY - C (took 3 tests this week and it shows)
April - ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY - B
April - SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY -A
April - WORLD POPULATION -A

DANTES
---------
March - DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE(450)
March - MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS (456)
March - HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH (445)
April - ENVIRONMENT AND HUMANITY:THE RACE TO SAVE THE PLANET (67)

At that point I was done with BSLS

In May I slowed it down just studying at breakfast, and did the following mostly using REA books:
CLEP - Marketting - 73=A
CLEP - Bus Law 1 - 70=A

Later this week I will CLEP Macro Econ, again using REA.
Two weeks after that I will take the Finance DSST.
Then I have to take the GMAT (Yuk!)

I had a fire to get my degree finished because lack of such was killing me getting a job despite my 30 years of experience in the IT field.

[malcs]

...

Knowing how Lawrie did it made me look like a slacker LOL, but I totally feel like I used his ideas to build on. My degree from 0-120 took 18 months. 6 on my own, then 12 at TESC.

That is a respectable, and probably sustainable rate of a little better than two courses per month for 18 months. It may seem slow to a few people, but 99% of the world would want to know how you did it.

That is also about the same rate that I am finding myself comfortable with since I am doing this part time now.

[cookderosa]

That is a respectable, and probably sustainable rate of a little better than two courses per month for 18 months. It may seem slow to a few people, but 99% of the world would want to know how you did it.

That is also about the same rate that I am finding myself comfortable with since I am doing this part time now.

>>

Exactly. The average bachelor finisher (and less than 50% of starters ever finish) will take longer than 5 years.

[Farmerboy]

His timeline is extremely aggresive, but one of our own members completed his degree in 12 weeks through EC. If I remember right he lost his job and wanted a degree so just put life on hold and got it done.