My "I'm DONE" Thread

[alissaroot]

Ok, first off - CONGRATULATIONS!!! What you have been able to achieve is incredible and you should take yourself out to dinner to celebrate. Somewhere where you are not ordering food in a clown's mouth and not driving while consuming said food (oh, yeah, wait -- that's most of MY dinners). :eek:

However, the thing that I am most impressed with is, not that you were able to do it (cause you seem like the kind of person who can just find a way to make things happen), but the timing of your tests. You did a fantastic job cramming in some difficult tests in a short period of time. You should write a book on how to efficiently study (while fending off a one-year-old) because I would buy it!

Alissa, congratulations on your achievement. I have to say that your story came at a great time for me. I really kind of needed to hear another success-story to get me moving again. Best wishes in your next step!

Kelly

Thank you so much for your warm wishes. I am very pleased to have inspired someone! You can do this!

I relied a lot on DVDs, online lectures, and books on tape (my old car still has a tape deck, heh), just as much as reading or taking notes. My little one doesn't pay much attention to tv or radio, except he now starting to dance and snap his fingers, sooo cute. So I used that for hands-free learning, since I could still play peek-a-boo and such, plus keep the housework to a manageable level, and absorb information at the same time. With my factory closing, the workload has been so light I could do most of my reading while at work, which is not a luxury most people have. Then I read exam descriptions and tried to take all the ones I could with overlap on the same days. If I took a practice test and got more than 50% correct, I scheduled the exam for the next day. I was always surprised when I passed.

My company went ahead and paid us for all vacation time they owed us back in December, so I had a little extra money. I figured I would just try and take as many tests as possible, as quickly as possible, and if I didn't pass some, so what, there are other exams to take instead. I just have that sort of adventurous, dive-right-in spirit, though. I didn't see any reason to be afearin' any little old test. That's all I did, really. Just went and took them, rather than agonize for weeks, and even if I only felt half-ready. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone on a tight budget, though.

Also, my goal was to be done by the end of June, so I took as many as I could cram in around December and January so that if I failed and had to wait six months to retake something, I could still make my deadline. So set a deadline for yourself, if you can, and just go take them. I think one of the main reasons I didn't finish two years ago when I discovered CLEP exams and this forum is because I didn't have a deadline, I just figured I'd study and take them as I could. Other things in life interrupted pretty quickly! So this time, I applied and enrolled at Excelsior as soon as I could, while my energy and motivation was high, and then just put my head down and plowed right on through them. I didn't expect to pass them all, I couldn't believe I did.

I am also fortunate enough to have a very good support system. My son is the first grandchild, and I get a lot of help from my parents and my aunt who lives near me. Tell everyone about all your plans and be very vocal about it, and you may be surprised at how much help you get.

That's all my advice. Not enough to fill up a whole book, and hey, it's free!

[ShotoJuku]

[COLOR="Purple"][SIZE="7"]Congrats!![/SIZE]

[SIZE="5"]Welcome To The Club!![/SIZE][/COLOR]

[cookderosa]

Excellent!!! I am very proud of you!

[motuterry]

[SIZE="5"]CONGRATULATIONS!!! [/SIZE]

[SIZE="3"][SIZE="5"]Alissa, I'm very pleased and proud of you!!!
One of the knocks about online study is that we miss out on having classmates. Thank you for proving that not to be the case at all. Thank you for all your support and for being my friend.

Your a class act. Well done indeed!!!

-Terry[/SIZE][/SIZE]

[barcotta]

Congratulations!!! You really burned through that thing--baby and all. I really enjoyed all your posts and watching your progress--although I guess I didn't realize you were moving THAT fast!

I love when people join this forum and really make an effort to absorb all the info that is available here and then turn around and help other members. Your willingness to join any discussion and volunteer your time helping others with their degree plans really set you apart. For all who benefit from this forum, there are only a handful who put forth the effort you did--so on behalf of myself and the legions of silent lurkers--THANK YOU!!!

You have distinguished yourself as a an InstantCert officer of the highest order and I'm hopeful that others will rise to the occasion and follow your example.

Please stick around and good luck with all of your future endeavors!

[jadechow]

Thank you so much for your warm wishes. I am very pleased to have inspired someone! You can do this!

That's all my advice. Not enough to fill up a whole book, and hey, it's free!

Well, even it it's not enough to fill up a whole book, it's still incredibly valuable! And - free! Even better.

Again, thanks for sharing your story. I always find it both interesting and inspiring to see what path others have taken, obstacles overcome, and eventual achievements.

My best to you and (as my friend Samir refers to children) the ankle-biter,
Kelly

[mapalo]

Congratulations


Job well done

[zeroglory]

Congrats, one helluva pace! You did great! Best of luck with finding another (hopefully better and more secure) job.

[aj133283]

Congrats! You have taken a lot of tests and I know that you are very happy.

Question, tell me what the Principles of Supervision (DANTES) focused on?

Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks.

[alissaroot]

Wow, what an amazing effort. Congrats and good for you!

One favor, could you post the exams that you took, resorted in order of difficulty? Thanks!

Well, no. That would take me a long time. And I just don't remember the specifics enough to say. GRE Psych was the most difficult. DSST Business Law II was next most difficult. DSST Foundations of Education and Organizational Behavior felt easiest. But that was for me, not for you. What you think is easy or difficult could be much different from what I think. Here's more opinions: Easiest/Hardest CLEP and DSST Exams Thread - Distance Learning Discussion Forums --that may answer this more clearly for you.

Great job,

I am taking the here's to your health DSST next week and was hoping for a little intel into the test. I think I am pretty well prepared, but thought someone out there might remember something specific.

Thanks,

Robert

I point you toward the exam specific feedback thread---> http://www.degreeforum.net/specific-exam...-dsst.html

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Alissa, I'm very pleased and proud of you!!!
One of the knocks about online study is that we miss out on having classmates. Thank you for proving that not to be the case at all. Thank you for all your support and for being my friend.

You're a class act. Well done indeed!!!

-Terry

Terry! You are the best! I am thinking about buying a plane ticket and actually attending the graduation. I never really thought about going, but if you're going I'm going.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I am so happy for you! You have much to be proud of, and I hope you are celebrating!!!

I cannot wait for your "I'm DONE" thread! My best IC gal pal! I couldn't have done it without you!

I am looking for a good recipe for shrimp. I think I will prepare that for my celebratory meal, as suggested by jadechow.

Congratulations!!! You really burned through that thing--baby and all. I really enjoyed all your posts and watching your progress--although I guess I didn't realize you were moving THAT fast!

I love when people join this forum and really make an effort to absorb all the info that is available here and then turn around and help other members. Your willingness to join any discussion and volunteer your time helping others with their degree plans really set you apart. For all who benefit from this forum, there are only a handful who put forth the effort you did--so on behalf of myself and the legions of silent lurkers--THANK YOU!!!

You have distinguished yourself as a an InstantCert officer of the highest order and I'm hopeful that others will rise to the occasion and follow your example.

Please stick around and good luck with all of your future endeavors!

Wow, this means so much to me! Especially coming from one of my favorite posters. I have always admired your straightforward, shoot-from-the-hip style. I enjoy a person who can just tell it like it is, and there are several times where I wouldn't have bothered to read a thread, except I saw you had posted in it. Well, then I had to read it to see what you had to say. And of course it was always good advice. Thank you so much for everything!

Yes, I will still be around. I am thinking of using the IC flashcards to help prep for the GRE General exam. Also, with the GRE Literature coming up, I will have to share that somewhere--in minute detail--or I will burst!

Congrats! You have taken a lot of tests and I know that you are very happy.

Question, tell me what the Principles of Supervision (DANTES) focused on?

Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks.

I point you in the direction of the exam specific feedback thread--->http://www.degreeforum.net/specific-exam...-dsst.html

Special thanks to Shoto and cookderosa and all the others who took time to say congrats to me. It really does mean a lot when it comes from the people who I have learned from and admired!