Need a degree plan!

[emily.wager]

I am very new to all of this but I really want to know more about the fastest/simplest way to get a BA/BS with the least mathematics possible. Which clip tests do I need to take? Can I take the tests and then apply them to a degree with a school later or do I need to enroll now? Which school is best for something fast like a BA in business? There is a huge promotion opportunity in a little over a year that I have been told is pretty much would be mine if I had a Bachelors degree. Any help would be amazing! Thank you!

[bjcheung77]

Hello, Hello... Your best bet right now is to review the Beginners Guide and also the Wiki for more details.
If you have taken any college or higher education courses/certifications, list them all here in your thread.
As I mentioned in the Beginners Guide/Wiki, you want to get a spreadsheet of what you have and need.
Get started on the FREE credits, ALEKS math courses and continue you way with the Guide/Wiki.
Keep this as "your go to thread" and ask questions in this thread... it'll be your "accountability" thread!

[dfrecore]

If all you want is a BA to check the box at work, then a BALS (BA in Liberal Studies) is definitely the way to go. TESU, COSC or EC are all good options, all similar in price. TESU is the easiest in terms of UL credits as they only require 18cr (5 courses plus their capstone, and all in the Area of Study), while COSC and EC both require 30cr throughout the degree.

Here is a BALS plan from TESU. It shows all courses having an average price of $100, but you can find some for less which would bring the pricing down a bit.

[emily.wager]

Thank you so much! Thats so helpful. Now, would I need to enroll with them and then take all of the clep tests or do I have to do that through them? What is the 100$ cost for? Taking the test? Thanks and sorry im so new to all of this!

[emily.wager]

Wonderful! Thanks! Im having trouble finding the beginners guide and wiki. Do you have some links you could share with me?

[Ancapman]

I would recommend enrolling by end of june just so you are locked in to their current rules.

WIth that said you dont need to enroll until you have everything complete except for the capstone.

This saves you money in the long run if it takes you longer than you think it will to complete your degree..

If you need help with a degree plan, the beginners guide is a good start. I started in earnest on 4/4/2017 and I already have 41 credits (I got 5 prior to 4/4). so in like 13 days I have gotten 36 credits via straighterline. thats almost a class a day. If you are willing to do the work and time you can get alot of credits done quickly via straighterline. CLEP and DSST are also a good way.

The $100 is the cost of CLEP/DSST +proctor fee.

DEFINITELY take the college comp CLEP... its 6 credits and gets it out of the way, but do practice and study for it. Basically balance speed/cost/level of difficulty to what suits you best.

[bjcheung77]

Wonderful! Thanks! Im having trouble finding the beginners guide and wiki. Do you have some links you could share with me?

The Beginners Guide is a "sticky post" and it's under the Forum, Main Category, General Education and Testing Discussion.
Here's the "older outdated guide", it's an informative read as well. http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...llege.html

Here's the wiki (updated resource), and specifically The Basic Approach, but there are many many other pages you can review.
Degree Forum Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia and The Basic Approach | Degree Forum Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia

[dfrecore]

Thank you so much! Thats so helpful. Now, would I need to enroll with them and then take all of the clep tests or do I have to do that through them? What is the 100$ cost for? Taking the test? Thanks and sorry im so new to all of this!

The $100 is about average for classes and exams. For example, CLEP and DSST exams cost $80 each, but testing centers normally charge a fee of ~$20 per exam, so the average cost is ~$100 per exam. YMMV. Straighterline is $99/mo and then an additional $59 per course (depending on the course) - most people sign up for several courses in a month to make the most of their membership fee. So if you did 2 courses in a month at $59 each, the total cost would be $217 or $108/course. If you did 3 courses in a month, the total cost would be $276 or $92/course. Study.com is $199/mo for 2 courses & exams - so each course is $100. If you did 3 courses in a month, it would be $269 or $90/course. There are also free courses.

You should probably read the Beginner's Guide to see what we're talking about, it explains this pretty well.

[Ancapman]

The $100 is about average for classes and exams. For example, CLEP and DSST exams cost $80 each, but testing centers normally charge a fee of ~$20 per exam, so the average cost is ~$100 per exam. YMMV. Straighterline is $99/mo and then an additional $59 per course (depending on the course) - most people sign up for several courses in a month to make the most of their membership fee. So if you did 2 courses in a month at $59 each, the total cost would be $217 or $108/course. If you did 3 courses in a month, the total cost would be $276 or $92/course. Study.com is $199/mo for 2 courses & exams - so each course is $100. If you did 3 courses in a month, it would be $269 or $90/course. There are also free courses.

You should probably read the Beginner's Guide to see what we're talking about, it explains this pretty well.

And trust me you can do WAY MORE than 2-3 courses a month at straighterline... I would say 6 hours per course + 1 hour for the final is my average. I think 2-3 courses a week is rather easily done.

OP,
Some DSST's are easier than others and require less study... but the key is to get a plan, and begin. Get some credits going as inexpensively as possible. Take some practice CLEPs and DSSTs in the subjects you need them in... you may find you know more than you think you do.

[emily.wager]

So Ive been doing a ton of reading and it has helped clear things up just a bit but I still feel like im drowning in information! Is there somewhere that can give me an exact mapped out plan of the courses i need and the corresponding tests and basically exactly what to do? If there is a plan like that for a fast and cheap Bachelors, that would make all my dreams come true!