No Credits, Starting from Scratch Business Administration

[ashkir]

Hello all! I had a heart transplant recently. I grew up terminally ill, so each time I tried to go to a brick and mortar college, I got so sick I had to drop out. Recently I was given the gift of Sophia.org and told I can work on it. I'm blowing through things, and I am looking for advice.

My Goals:

• Associate of Science in Business Administration
  
• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
  

I am located in California, United States, if that makes any difference. 

My Plan:

1. Take as many Sophia.org courses I can (Especially College Algebra, English Composition I, II, History, and the basic Business Administrations). From what I can tell the English Competitions don't transfer.
   
2. Sign up for Study.com to CLEP in higher level courses.
   
3. Transfer to a college to get a AS or BS when I can, with minimal amount of time needed at the college.
   

What I need:

• Advice on what to focus on.
  
• School advice.
  
• Encouragement (my family told me education is a waste of time)
  

[ss20ts]

Hello all! I had a heart transplant recently. I grew up terminally ill, so each time I tried to go to a brick and mortar college, I got so sick I had to drop out. Recently I was given the gift of Sophia.org and told I can work on it. I'm blowing through things, and I am looking for advice.

My Goals:

• Associate of Science in Business Administration
  
• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
  

I am located in California, United States, if that makes any difference. 

My Plan:

1. Take as many Sophia.org courses I can (Especially College Algebra, English Composition I, II, History, and the basic Business Administrations). From what I can tell the English Competitions don't transfer.
   
2. Sign up for Study.com to CLEP in higher level courses.
   
3. Transfer to a college to get a AS or BS when I can, with minimal amount of time needed at the college.
   

What I need:

• Advice on what to focus on.
  
• School advice.
  
• Encouragement (my family told me education is a waste of time)
  

What school are you looking at attending? Many do accept English Composition I & II. 

You can take actually courses on Study.com. If you want CLEP exams, check to make sure testing centers are open where you're located. Many of them are closed due to COVID. No point in studying if you can't take the exam. I would stick with Sophia for now and complete every class they offer. It's $79 a month with no limits on how many courses you can complete in a month. The Foundations courses are the ones that don't typically transfer, but if you haven't done college before or it's been a very long time, they are a good refresher. Education is NOT a waste of time. You've made the hardest step already - you decided to get a degree and you started classes.

[allvia]

Do you have any existing credits from those schools you started at?

[rachel83az]

Education is never a waste of time, especially when you're not going bankrupt to get a degree (the cost of standard degrees can be ridiculous!). Even if you are too sick to work, getting a degree is going to be less of a waste of time than just sitting around watching Netflix all day. Follow your dreams. Get your degree.

[Merlin]

Sign up for Study.com to CLEP in higher level courses.

So you know, CLEP is a proctored examination offered by the college board as a means for students to earn lower-division college credits. It is not a generic term for alternative credit courses and examinations. When you "CLEP something", this generally refers to sitting for a subject-specific CLEP exam.

Since you're new I wanted to make sure you were aware of this to avoid future confusion when having conversations with others on the forum. The nomenclature can be confusing sometimes.

Also, Study.com courses are one of the best ways to complete upper-level courses for ACE-recommended college credit. So you're definitely on the right track there!

As far as encouragement goes... as others have said, pursuing an education is never a waste of time. Particularly if you love to learn like I do. Yes, it will take time, effort, and a bit of money but all that is an investment. Maybe it takes you a year or two to complete a degree... at the end you will theoretically be more employable. But, more importantly, you will have learned a lot along the way. On the other hand, if you don't pursue a degree you'll still be a year or two older but what will you have to show for it? How will your life be enriched by not completing a degree?

My original goal was to pursue a degree because of imposter syndrome. I felt weird interviewing people who had degrees while I did not. However, once I got into it I found that I love education. I went on to pursue my associate, bachelor, and master's degrees and now I'm looking at a Ph.D., or at least a second master's degree. I'll probably pick up a second bachelor's degree along the way as well. Mostly because I enjoy learning. While you may not have the same interests that I do, I think most of us find the academic journey fulfilling no matter how far we go down the rabbit hole. Hopefully you will too!

[Lacedonia4]

I have to admit learning is addictive. If I am not enrolled in a course or another I feel like something is missing. I have always loved learning but since I resumed my studies after a 20 year hiatus, I have to say it has become like a routine exercise for my brain. I was terrified at first. And multiple times I wondered if any expense was justified, I thought of any excuse on the planet on why I didn't need to pursue it, but now I have found a purpose and really happy with my progress. I am looking into a master degree right now. Something to look forward as I complete my BA in History. So yes, it is always worth it, for personal satisfaction or as an example to your children or extended family, I know resuming my studies has inspired others around me to do the same and that in and by itself is a good thing.

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