Newbie looking for help

[Simran]

Hello

I am planning to study towards getting an associate degree from Charter Oak,Excelsior or TESU to support my family .I have been reading the forum and am very happy that I came across this place of exchanging ideas .I've read about CLEP,InstantCert and am sold on it and am eagerly looking to get started .
My basic question is
Given that I finished my GED and am planning to get an associate degree,should I register with TESU or Charter Oak before I get started with certifications with CLEP?
Or should i just get going with CLEP and then enroll in TESU or Charter Oak to get my credits transferred ?

I'm pretty confused right now except for the part that I somewhat know what kind of associate degree I want to take and that the fact that degree has 69 credits requirement .

Also how do I know what equivalent course in CLEP is present for the required Associate degree course that I want to pursue if I don't register with colleges first .

I'm thankful for any directions or help that this wonderful community can provide .looking for help.

[sanantone]

Do you plan on getting a bachelor's later? An associates, on its own, usually won't help much with qualifying for better paying jobs. An associate's in general studies, liberal arts, or liberal studies is not worth much. An associate's in business may help you land a job as a secretary. An associate's in criminal justice might help you land a court clerk position, but that usually requires experience in administrative assistant-type work. Unless you're an LVN or Paramedic bridging to an RN with Excelsior, there aren't any applied healthcare associate's at the Big 3. Out of what they offer, an associate's in IT or computer science would be the most helpful.

You never stated what kind of associate's degree you want. Most associates programs are 60-63 credit hours. 69 credits doesn't tell us anything. What's most important is the major, not the number of credits.

[Simran]

Do you plan on getting a bachelor's later? An associates, on its own, usually won't help much with qualifying for better paying jobs. An associate's in general studies, liberal arts, or liberal studies is not worth much. An associate's in business may help you land a job as a secretary. An associate's in criminal justice might help you land a court clerk position, but that usually requires experience in administrative assistant-type work. Unless you're an LVN or Paramedic bridging to an RN with Excelsior, there aren't any applied healthcare associate's at the Big 3. Out of what they offer, an associate's in IT or computer science would be the most helpful.

You never stated what kind of associate's degree you want. Most associates programs are 60-63 credit hours. 69 credits doesn't tell us anything. What's most important is the major, not the number of credits.

Thanks for the quick reply and the great advice .
I am definitely planning to do my BS but for now I am looking to get Associate degree online ,get a job and then pursue bachelor degree part time .
The associate degree I was focussing on was indeed "Associate in Science in Applied Science and Technology (ASAST) " that requires 60 (and not 69) credits (ASAST Degree in Computer & Information Technology | Thomas Edison State University) . Given this information - what is the best path I should take - Should I go to TESU and register and then start looking at CLEP ? or I should start knocking down courses one by one and register later on.

Also I'm aware that I have to do algebra and Physics 1&2 as a pre requisite for this .So that is something I can start on now,maybe

Please advice me if I'm on the wrong path as I'm clueless and any proper direction towards my journey of education will be immensly useful .keep up the good work.

[sanantone]

At Excelsior and TESU, it is better to complete your credits before enrolling since they charge an additional fee each year. If you have a lot of transfer credits, then you can pay the application fee and get an evaluation. I don't know how long Excelsior gives you to enroll. TESU will dump all of your records after six months and require you to apply again.

[kalishakti]

@OP also mention to the forum if you have ever taken any college courses or credit-bearing exams, have any professional licenses or certifications, or have completed training programs with certain employers, government agencies, or the military. You may have some credits already

Algebra requirements can be completed quite cheaply through ALEKS http://www.aleks.com/ which is $20 each month for as many courses as you can complete during the month. Saylor College Algebra https://learn.saylor.org/course/view.php?id=24 is another option for $25-30.

[KayV]

OP, if you took the "new" 2014 GED and earned 175+ on any of the subjects, you can receive college credit on your ACE transcript.

Here are some useful "getting started" threads:
http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...llege.html

http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...iness.html

Also, if you are looking for a useful and easily test-able associate degree, the Associate in Science in Business Administration from TESU is manageable:
Associate in Science in Business Administration Degree Program

Good luck!

[Simran]

At Excelsior and TESU, it is better to complete your credits before enrolling since they charge an additional fee each year. If you have a lot of transfer credits, then you can pay the application fee and get an evaluation. I don't know how long Excelsior gives you to enroll. TESU will dump all of your records after six months and require you to apply again.

Thanks for this pointer .Exactly what I was looking for . .I will start working towards getting my credits before applying to the university.
Keep up the awesome work .!!!.

[Simran]

@OP also mention to the forum if you have ever taken any college courses or credit-bearing exams, have any professional licenses or certifications, or have completed training programs with certain employers, government agencies, or the military. You may have some credits already

Algebra requirements can be completed quite cheaply through ALEKS http://www.aleks.com/ which is $20 each month for as many courses as you can complete during the month. Saylor College Algebra https://learn.saylor.org/course/view.php?id=24 is another option for $25-30.

Unfortunately - not any .This is first path into learning after a gap of 6-7 years . So I thought of starting with an accredited college and working backwards towards the courses it requires .

Thanks for the tips on Algebra requirements . I will look at both the options and decide .

Thanks for all the help !!! .

[Simran]

OP, if you took the "new" 2014 GED and earned 175+ on any of the subjects, you can receive college credit on your ACE transcript.

Here are some useful "getting started" threads:
http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...llege.html

http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...iness.html

Also, if you are looking for a useful and easily test-able associate degree, the Associate in Science in Business Administration from TESU is manageable:
Associate in Science in Business Administration Degree Program

Good luck!

Those threads are IMMENSELY helpful. I unfortunately did my GED in 2012 .So a bummer on that front . But with what I'm seeing - I think this will be an exciting journey for me to get onto .

Taking idea from one of those threads ,I'm putting together an Excel for some subjects that I can find equivalent/alternative on CLEP or Saylor and will post it here for sanity check once complete ..

Thanks for the good work you all are doing .

[cjtheo]

Do you plan on getting a bachelor's later? An associates, on its own, usually won't help much with qualifying for better paying jobs. An associate's in general studies, liberal arts, or liberal studies is not worth much. An associate's in business may help you land a job as a secretary. An associate's in criminal justice might help you land a court clerk position, but that usually requires experience in administrative assistant-type work. Unless you're an LVN or Paramedic bridging to an RN with Excelsior, there aren't any applied healthcare associate's at the Big 3. Out of what they offer, an associate's in IT or computer science would be the most helpful.

You never stated what kind of associate's degree you want. Most associates programs are 60-63 credit hours. 69 credits doesn't tell us anything. What's most important is the major, not the number of credits.

Would it be hard landing a job If I obtained a BSBA in HR management with 0 HR experience?