Need Advice. Want a degree, don't want to spend money. Should I take this path?

[David.Hamad]

So, I'm 24 years old and have experience in many fields of work. I've started a few companies in the past few years and some worked some failed. I'm a very disciplined and determined individual. Never partied and no drug issues. I've always worked. When it comes to college I could never get myself into it though. The whole system is messed up. I've tried college multiple times in the past but it just does not entice me. The return on investment is so low and it's only getting lower. It sucks! Like for real.

I need a college degree though. It would make my mother proud and it would put me in the right position to land a job that will set me on a career. It will also give me the education and experience I need to invest the cash I make into my own business ventures if I so choose. In all seriousness I am so tired of this life. I refuse to work at McDonald's/Walmart/etc. I can't do it. Up until two months ago I ran a wholesale distribution company that sells novelty items and smartphone accessories to gas stations etc. It did well but it took 100% of my time. Six months in and it came to a dead end after some issues with suppliers and other outside factors. I realized it was not worth the effort so I sold everything and now I live off the grid and work as a car salesman trying to hustle more cash to re-invest what I have. I've been trying to reach a point to where I can work on a college degree without putting myself in debt and live by my means comfortably, but after months of looking into that I realize it is near impossible! Until I found this site. Credit by Examination. I love the idea! Lets go! I am so ready!! I want a bachelors in Business Management with a focus on Marketing/finance.

My questions for you guys are:

• How far can I get acquiring credits through examination? Can I completely skip my first two years? How close can I get to a bachelors?
  
• Am I correct in my understanding that I must first research the degree I want to achieve at the College I want to graduate from?
  
• If that is correct. Would I first acquire the credits from either of these 'Big 3' online schools then once I get as close as I can I transfer to the college of my initial choosing?
  

I have many more questions but those questions may not be relevant once these are answered. Also, I appreciate any help from anybody who is willing to read this thread and chime in. I appreciate it so much!

[davewill]

1. You can "test out" of an entire BSBA except for one, easy 1cr Cornerstone class for $300 at TESU. Even that course you can simply study lightly and power through the tests in it if you like. You won't have to take any regular classes if you don't want to. Other degrees require a 3cr Capstone course as well.

2. Different schools accept different "test out" options. Many are very strict, other less so. The "Big 3" are unique because they will let you do virtually all of your degree using test out options, and they accept credits from so many different sources. However, if you want to graduate from a particular school, you have to pay attention to their rules, and the Big3 won't be very helpful.

Start here: Beginners Guide To Getting Cheap/Fast College Credit | Degree Forum Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia

Then read a bunch of the threads on here. You'll quickly understand how to get started.

[dfrecore]

What normally happens on this forum is that you choose one of the Big 3 schools (TESU, COSC or EC), and then you get your bachelor's degree there by transferring in all of the credits you need. For a BSBA from TESU for instance, you can test completely out of the degree, start to finish, including the capstone.

Here's a good place to start doing the research (start at the beginning and read through): http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...llege.html

You may also want to start reading through the forum, looking at each thread that pops up each day, and start at the beginning of it and read all the way through. In a very short amount of time (a few weeks to a couple of months depending on how much time you spend), you will start to figure some things out. Then, you can decide on the school and plan your credits.

[cookderosa]

So, I'm 24 years old and have experience in many fields of work. I've started a few companies in the past few years and some worked some failed. I'm a very disciplined and determined individual. Never partied and no drug issues. I've always worked. When it comes to college I could never get myself into it though. The whole system is messed up. I've tried college multiple times in the past but it just does not entice me. The return on investment is so low and it's only getting lower. It sucks! Like for real.

I need a college degree though. It would make my mother proud and it would put me in the right position to land a job that will set me on a career. It will also give me the education and experience I need to invest the cash I make into my own business ventures if I so choose. In all seriousness I am so tired of this life. I refuse to work at McDonald's/Walmart/etc. I can't do it. Up until two months ago I ran a wholesale distribution company that sells novelty items and smartphone accessories to gas stations etc. It did well but it took 100% of my time. Six months in and it came to a dead end after some issues with suppliers and other outside factors. I realized it was not worth the effort so I sold everything and now I live off the grid and work as a car salesman trying to hustle more cash to re-invest what I have. I've been trying to reach a point to where I can work on a college degree without putting myself in debt and live by my means comfortably, but after months of looking into that I realize it is near impossible! Until I found this site. Credit by Examination. I love the idea! Lets go! I am so ready!! I want a bachelors in Business Management with a focus on Marketing/finance.

My questions for you guys are:

• How far can I get acquiring credits through examination? Can I completely skip my first two years? How close can I get to a bachelors?
  
• Am I correct in my understanding that I must first research the degree I want to achieve at the College I want to graduate from?
  
• If that is correct. Would I first acquire the credits from either of these 'Big 3' online schools then once I get as close as I can I transfer to the college of my initial choosing?
  

I have many more questions but those questions may not be relevant once these are answered. Also, I appreciate any help from anybody who is willing to read this thread and chime in. I appreciate it so much!

Time is of the essence, so I'm going to be be straight with you. Your story isn't unique. It's common. Roughly 2/3 of the American population doesn't have a bachelor's degree, and most of them feel like you do. I tell you this not to be mean, but because you have to realize something asap - the system isn't messed up and earning a degree isn't about enticing you. If you read the archives here, introductory post after introductory post is like yours, the only difference is that we also read it when the person is 34, and 44, and 54....... in other words, the world is full of frustrated underpaid people who want more out of life. It's just a matter of WHEN they decide to buckle down and do something about it. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll realize that getting a degree is about checking the boxes - working the list and getting it done. Nothing more. It's not even as hard as you're imagining.
So, if you haven't blocked me yet......

You can earn credit by exam for almost an entire degree. Depending on the school and major you choose, you may have as few as 1 classes to as many as 5-6. Classes can be taken online, but take more time. Testing is self-directed learning, so the pace is on you to set.

Researching a degree/college- the bottom line is if you're trying to test out, there are really only 3 colleges that you can still do that through. They are regular, accredited colleges, but they don't cap test out credit, so people here maximize that opening and pour gas on the whole process. People here earn 4 year degrees in 1-2 years. I suggest spending absolutely as much time reading the archives here as possible. The more you know, the more you can take advantage of the opportunities in front of you. Ignorance costs money, but it also costs time. Investing a month "researching" here is worth 3 years of wasted college.

You can -literally- start today. You don't have to pay anything or enroll anywhere. My advice is to pick 1 exam, study this week, and test next week. You have to find out if you have a DSST or CLEP testing center near you, and you'll need $100 to do it. $80 for the test, $20 for the proctor fee (sometimes that fee varies).
If you're nearest a DSST testing center, how about Introduction to Business? Exam Fact Sheets | DSST | Get College Credit
If you're nearest a CLEP testing center, how about Principles of Management? https://clep.collegeboard.org/exams/offered

[OakLakeNC]

Business degrees seem to be the most popular for credit by exam. What field are you most interested in? If I was just starting out, I would start knocking LL credits out on Study.com and Straightliner. Then start looking at CLEP and DSST for UL credits. I think a good place to start would be the six written English credits, everyone needs those regardless of major.

[F00251377]

Dear David,

You are a very disciplined and determined individual. You just want the paper degree not the learnings. You want it now. This is what I read from your post. If you are willing to fork our about $15,000 you can actually buy a degree now in many unscrupulous websites. However, I think you may really want a degree. I would expect you want it the cheapest way possible. You must balance time and money. You must also balance your amount of determination without personal interaction if you wish to take everything (or almost everything on line).
That being said testing out of what you know is a great option accepted at many schools. I would research the careers you are interested in and see what the requirements are. Make sure it is just the paper if that is what you are going for. MANY careers do accept that. Many do not. Your discipline will appreciate a checklist you create including where to earn your degree from and when it can be achieved and how much it will cost you. You determination will appreciate the checklist as it is a timely occupation and many people's determination wavers.
Good luck to you.

[David.Hamad]

Jennifer!

I appreciate being straight forward as that will benefit me the most. I agree with everything. Thank you for your input. So tomorrow I meet with my local university to get a print out of the credits required for a bachelors in Business Management with a minor in Marketing. I have no idea how credit works but I will have an understanding by tomorrow. The only thing I do not fully understand is how important it will be to graduate from a regular university. I know first I must enroll in one of the big 3 and start working on these credits, but must I graduate from them? Can I transfer say a couple credits short of my bachelors and continue for a semester at my local university (UCF Orlando, FL.) and earn my degree from there? Is there a difference? Will it show on my degree how long I was enrolled there? Etc...

[Nixi]

If you are willing to fork our about $15,000 you can actually buy a degree now in many unscrupulous websites. However, I think you may really want a degree.

No shit lol.

[David.Hamad]

Thank you. I do want the learnings as well and I figure if I do the learning on my own with my own determination I will also have a better understanding of the subjects. Also, I've looked at many of these websites that offer degrees and honestly $15,000 would take me a year to save up, but it is not worth it. I want the knowledge to back it up. I don't want to make a fool of myself on my first job. Not only that, but it is cheating. I like to bend the rules, push the boundaries, work the system, but I don't like to play dirty. Anyways! I have done much research on the career I am looking to get into. They all point to Business Management/Business Finance/Business Administration Degrees. So that is what I am going for. I agree, the checklist is what I must focus on. My question to you is where to I find a list of required credits for each major/degree? And how can I utilize that into the checklist. My understanding of how credits work on a scale from 1-10 is like a 4. Also, I've looked on different colleges websites, some classes seem like the same thing but have different names. Are they the same? If I transfer from one of the big 3 to a local university how can I be certain the credits will carry over?

[David.Hamad]

Business degrees seem to be the most popular for credit by exam. What field are you most interested in? If I was just starting out, I would start knocking LL credits out on Study.com and Straightliner. Then start looking at CLEP and DSST for UL credits. I think a good place to start would be the six written English credits, everyone needs those regardless of major.

What does the LL and the UL stand for?? lol Also, I am looking to get into Business Management and I'm interested in either finance or marketing but I would rather have both.