My degree plan for TESU BA in CS; thoughts/recs?

[bjcheung77]

@bruh, skip the Sophia.org I mentioned (I was looking your post #25 and it mentioned Sophia.org and some other things...), work on the Study.com courses and focus on the TECEPs as you have freebies for up to 15 credits that can go towards your degrees. From your post #28, I suggest to take the TECEPs that go into the BACS, as an example, you can skip the CIS-107 E-pack and take the TECEP for it, I would skip TECEP's that don't hit any of the requirements you're missing for the degree. You're then left with the TESU courses you will take, change that e-pack to something else that will still fit your degree requirements. You need to mix/match the degree program to your choice...

[bruh]

As far as we're aware, the free TECEPs are ONLY for the September term. Use 'em or lose 'em. If you don't take them now, they'll almost certainly cost money later.

Ahh dang, I understand now.

Okay, so you've already got MAT-1050, so don't bother with College Math at Sophia. You can do Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics (MAT-1050-TE) if you want to replace the current course with RA credit. It's still supposed to be an easy exam.

Got it. Yeah, perhaps if all of the other TECEPs fall through, I can always do MAT-1050-TE for the 2 RA credit I mentioned a few days ago. In case I do pass a TECEP or two though, then that'll be pretty sufficient for me re: RA credits since I already have 13 RA and my TESU term will bring me 15 more RA.

In your electives, BUS-1010; ART-2210; LIT-292; and LIT-291 all have the potential to be bumped to the unused credits section if you take one or more TECEPs. This is a good thing, because it leaves more room for alt credit in the AOS.

I see. Got it! Hmm, the only non-alt, TESU credit in my AOS is Computer Concepts & Applications EP and SWE. Those two are pretty alright to leave in there though, right?

Ah, unless I pass the Network Technology TECEP, then I can get the residency credit later on w/ an easy elective class like PHI-1300-OL or something. I think see what you mean; feel free to let me know if I'm off though.

Some TECEP suggestions are:

• Network Technology - Difficult, but it's free! Might as well give it a shot. We've got resources in the Discord.
  

Ahh, okay!

• College Algebra - Not as easy as Liberal Arts Math, but doable. Depending on how comfortable you are with math, use Khan Academy and/or spend $25 to use https://ea.asu.edu/courses/college-algeb...g-mat-117/ to study.
  

Perhaps Sophia's Intro to College Algebra is an okay study resource for this too. Based on what you say later on too, I might be starting a subscription anyway to perhaps study/earn credit for other subjects as well.

• Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics - As already stated, you've got this one already. But you can replace it with the RA credit of the TECEP if you want.
  

Alright. Perhaps I'll save this one in case I don't feel confident enough w/ any other TECEP by the time I register. 

• Intro to Biology or Science of Nutrition - Being a 100-level course, Biology is probably going to be a slightly easier exam than the 200-level Nutrition course. But you can use Nutrition at Sophia to study for the TECEP and wind up with credit for both Sophia and TECEP; they don't overlap.
  

Hmm, okay. I'm trying to think through how else can I maybe take advantage of getting this many bio credits* since I may already be good w/ RA credit if I pass the math TECEP(s).
* Extra note: It doesn't make too much sense professionally so it's not that likely/relevant, but the prospect of getting 6cr via nutrition sorta makes me wanna go for an extra concentration in biology on my ASNSM in Math. I'd already gotten myself into a handful a month or two ago w/ planning the AAS in CJ though, which was also a bit of a stretch for me at the time, hehe. Maybe if I find myself with a lot of time on my hands or somehow my graduation goal gets pushed back even further to June 2024, I could go for it. It doesn't make too much sense for me professionally though.

• Operations Management - If you pass this one, you're just one class away from being able to get a certificate in Operations Management. Could look good on a resume. https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...Management
  

Oh wow, I didn't realize how close that is. It might be a little bit of a stretch like the concentrations in CJ or bio, but it's a much shorter stretch. I'll think about it.

• Introduction to News Reporting - Elective; based on your previous courses, may overlap well with current knowledge.
  

Perhaps!

Pick the 5 that look easiest/make the most sense for your goals. Even if you only pass 1 or 2 of them, free credits are free credits. With the 15-credit term, you should have plenty of RA credits to graduate.

Got it.

Why are you planning on taking the College Math CLEP exam? Are you also attempting to get the ASNSM Math?

If so, it's possible that you won't get the 6 credits for the CLEP because that expired at the end of March. You might only get 3 credits.

Yes and yes. And ahh, I see what you mean. I was only looking at the TESU website but not at the actual ACE National Guide. Thanks for the heads-up.

For the ASNSM in Math:

• MAT-1050 (already taken, gen ed)
  
• Calculus I (already taken, BACS & ASNSM requirement)
  
• Discrete Math (already taken, BACS requirement & ASNSM AOS elective)
  
• STA-201 (already taken, should count as ASNSM AOS elective)
  
• Intermediate Algebra (planned as part of 15 credit term)
  
• CLEP Math (planned - may only be 3 credits)
  
• College Algebra (TECEP - free)
  
• Precalculus (take at Sophia if CLEP is only 3 credits and TECEP isn't passed)
  

Math ASNSM only requires 15 credits in math electives + Calculus I and the quantitative literacy in the gen eds. For BACS students, most of this is filled in automatically - including the Additional AOS Electives.

Got it. It looks like if CLEP is only 3cr and I don't pass the TECEP, I'll even have to take another course/test in addition to Sophia's Precalc (here's the spreadsheet of what my ASNSM eval looks like). Got it. I'll make sure to be aware of that then.

Thank you for all the insight and help!

---

@bruh, skip the Sophia.org I mentioned (I was looking your post #25 and it mentioned Sophia.org and some other things...), work on the Study.com courses and focus on the TECEPs as you have freebies for up to 15 credits that can go towards your degrees.  From your post #28, I suggest to take the TECEPs that go into the BACS, as an example, you can skip the CIS-107 E-pack and take the TECEP for it, I would skip TECEP's that don't hit any of the requirements you're missing for the degree.  You're then left with the TESU courses you will take, change that e-pack to something else that will still fit your degree requirements.  You need to mix/match the degree program to your choice...

Ohh okay, I understand now. Got it. Thank you!

Edit: Whoops, I thought I made these into two separate posts; I don't know how to separate them. It's all good though, thank you both for all the help over the past months.

[LevelUP]

Edit: Whoops, I thought I made these into two separate posts; I don't know how to separate them. It's all good though, thank you both for all the help over the past months.

You have a wait a few hours before making another post. Otherwise, it will combine the posts.

It ok to add something to your post if you need to.

[rachel83az]

If you don't pass the TECEP and the CLEP is somehow only worth 3 credits, your 15 math credits would be:

Discrete Math
Statistics
Intermediate Algebra (as part of 15 credit term)
CLEP (3 credits)
Precalculus or College Algebra from Sophia.

If really wanted/needed, you could do one or both of the SAS Programmer certificates: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Coursera STA-399 would count for both the ASNSM Math and be UL credit for the BACS.

Sophia's College Algebra is a big abridged, compared to what you'll learn from ALEKS via ASU or Khan Academy. So it's not really a great study resource, but if you're already using Sophia, then it's not the worst option out there.

[bruh]

From your post #28, I suggest to take the TECEPs that go into the BACS, as an example, you can skip the CIS-107 E-pack and take the TECEP for it, I would skip TECEP's that don't hit any of the requirements you're missing for the degree.  You're then left with the TESU courses you will take, change that e-pack to something else that will still fit your degree requirements.

I'd like to ask more about CIS-1070 in particular. I'm just a little curious about why you'd recommend the TECEP if the E-pack is also known for being a good source of residency credit (at least based off the wiki  ). If I can kill two birds w/ one stone using the E-pack for both residency and RA credit, why might I want to make CIS-1070 one of the TECEPs I take and then take some other class? Might there be some other class that has a lighter load to reduce the pressure of a 15cr term? If so, like what?

Well... I'm sorta answering my own question here - perhaps it's just because of this unique time where 5 TECEPs are free for Sep. '23, it'd be recommended to do the easy CIS-1070 TECEP and then take a similarly easy class for residency. Might that be correct?

I'm completely open to doing the TECEP as opposed to the E-pack though, just to clarify. If I wasn't doing the E-pack for residency anymore, I think I'd go for Introduction to Critical Reasoning (PHI-1300), A World of Art (ART-1000), or Introduction to Geography (GOG-2300) instead since, according to the wiki, it looks like you can't go wrong with those classes either. It looks like they all have zero textbook cost and offerings during every term too. Based on the wiki's descriptions too, it even sounds like they might be better.

From you guys' experience, how might you rank CIS-1070, PHI-1300, ART-1000, and GOG-2300 against one another? After reading about all these classes, it honestly feels like a dice roll for me; I'd be okay with any one of them. I'm a little drawn toward GOG-2300 though, just a little more interesting for me personally.

[rachel83az]

bjcheung77 makes a good point. Take the CIS-1070 TECEP because it's super easy to pass.

I would suggest taking a look at the syllabus for ART-1000 and GOG-2300 and deciding between those two. Although PHI-1300 is supposed to be easy to pass, it does have 2 proctored exams. After dealing with the TECEPs, you might not want to touch the proctored exams again. ProctorU can be... annoying at the best of times.

Free credit is free credit, but I'm not looking forward to the ProctorU experience again.

[dfrecore]

From your post #28, I suggest to take the TECEPs that go into the BACS, as an example, you can skip the CIS-107 E-pack and take the TECEP for it, I would skip TECEP's that don't hit any of the requirements you're missing for the degree.  You're then left with the TESU courses you will take, change that e-pack to something else that will still fit your degree requirements.

I'd like to ask more about CIS-1070 in particular. I'm just a little curious about why you'd recommend the TECEP if the E-pack is also known for being a good source of residency credit (at least based off the wiki  ). If I can kill two birds w/ one stone using the E-pack for both residency and RA credit, why might I want to make CIS-1070 one of the TECEPs I take and then take some other class? Might there be some other class that has a lighter load to reduce the pressure of a 15cr term? If so, like what?

Well... I'm sorta answering my own question here - perhaps it's just because of this unique time where 5 TECEPs are free for Sep. '23, it'd be recommended to do the easy CIS-1070 TECEP and then take a similarly easy class for residency. Might that be correct?

I'm completely open to doing the TECEP as opposed to the E-pack though, just to clarify. If I wasn't doing the E-pack for residency anymore, I think I'd go for Introduction to Critical Reasoning (PHI-1300), A World of Art (ART-1000), or Introduction to Geography (GOG-2300) instead since, according to the wiki, it looks like you can't go wrong with those classes either. It looks like they all have zero textbook cost and offerings during every term too. Based on the wiki's descriptions too, it even sounds like they might be better.

From you guys' experience, how might you rank CIS-1070, PHI-1300, ART-1000, and GOG-2300 against one another? After reading about all these classes, it honestly feels like a dice roll for me; I'd be okay with any one of them. I'm a little drawn toward GOG-2300 though, just a little more interesting for me personally.

TECEPs are just exams, and are $52/cr (and free right now).  e-Pack's are also exams, but with quizzes and some additional stuff to make it easier to study/pass the final exam - but they are the same price as a regular online course ($545/cr).

[bruh]

I'm wondering about the timing/scheduling of my TECEPs. I registered for 5 TECEPs in the September 2023 term. I'm planning to take my business/management TECEPs in the later half of next month and then my math TECEPs in November. Is this advisable?

With SDC, I've been taking exams at my convenience, but I know that with TECEPs there's a little bit more to consider.

• Connectivity issues, bumpy testing experience w/ ProctorU
  
• Fee for scheduling within the next 72 hours
  
• Scheduling a time for a live proctor to watch you (as opposed to SDC's recorded proctoring)
  
• Funds for my TECEPs came from a shared scholarship
  
• etc
  

I'm not too sure if I missed anything else. I feel like I should still be pretty alright though. I didn't have any connection problems while doing CLEP last February/March. I'll make sure to schedule my TECEPs ahead of time too to avoid the fee. I also think since I already registered for the TECEPs and they've been confirmed for me, I won't need to race to finish my TECEP ASAP unless others in the Sept/Oct TECEP term "use up" the remainder of the scholarship fund, ahah. (But please let me know if I'm wrong about any of these   )

Do I need to watch out for anything else? For example, unexpected scheduling conflicts w/ others who wanna take the same test at the same time, giving a greater margin of error to schedule my exams (e.g. 1-2 weeks in advance instead of 4-6 days), not testing so close to the end of the term, etc?

Little general update too: After November, I should be done w/ all my alt credits! Just got 3 SDCs, 5 TECEPs, and perhaps 4 CLEPs left. Then when my 15cr term finishes up in January, I shall finally rest from degree hacking. This forum is awesome. Thank you all for the help.

[bjcheung77]

Do you have your action plan spreadsheet and a link to that on your one or google drive? It's a good plan to do the TECEPs for RA and the 15 credit flat rate to finish off the degree. Work on all the ACE/NCCRS you can and study up on the TECEPs, otherwise, you just need to make the spreadsheet so we can see what is already there and if anything is missing, we can make recommendations then...

[bruh]

Do you have your action plan spreadsheet and a link to that on your one or google drive?  It's a good plan to do the TECEPs for RA and the 15 credit flat rate to finish off the degree.  Work on all the ACE/NCCRS you can and study up on the TECEPs, otherwise, you just need to make the spreadsheet so we can see what is already there and if anything is missing, we can make recommendations then...

Got it.   

And oh yeah, my bad; I keep forgetting to link my degree plan whenever I make a post for the first time in a while: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...sp=sharing

As for a specific action plan for these last few months (like the sequence/times I plan on finishing each remaining course/exam, it's just this rough list (not a spreadsheet :p):

• 9/22 - [SDC] CS302: Systems Analysis & Design
  
• 10/2 - [SDC] CS303: Database Management
  
• 10/13 - [SDC] CS306: Computer Architecture
  
• 10/16 - [CLEP] Principles of Management
  
• 10/23 - [TECEP] Operations Management (OPM-3010-TE)
  
• 10/28 - [TECEP] Public Relations Thought & Practice (COM-2100-TE)
  
• 10/30 - [TECEP] Computer Concepts & Applications (CIS-1070-TE)
  
• 11/1 - [TECEP] Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics (MAT-1050-TE)
  
• 11/4 - [CLEP] College Mathematics
  
• 11/6 - [TECEP] College Algebra (MAT-1210-TE)
  
• 11/9 - [CLEP] College Algebra
  
• 11/14 - [CLEP] Precalculus
  

I didn't include it in the bullet list above, but I also plan on getting an InstantCert subscription to practice for the TECEPs/CLEPs (hence why they span from 10/14 - 11/14).