Please point me in the right direction

[vintagemother]

Hi Everyone,

For the short version, please skip to questions in red, LOL!

This website is a wealth of information! I have a few questions and want to know if someone, anyone can point me in the right direction.

My circumstance is that I have 90 credits from mostly community and state college and want to finish my degree super fast - within about 6 months, so I can apply to an accelerated bachelor's degree registered nursing program.

If I was to return to state school (Cali), all of my general ed or lower division would be complete except 1 or 2 classes maximum.

Therefore, I'm not too worried about earning credit for my lower division/general education coursework. I assume I will transfer in credit or test out of all requirements.

Can someone please confirm that it is true that I can test out of all general ed at EC?

I really need some direction with regard to selecting a major. My old major was Human Development / Early Childhood Education. I don't think EC has a similar major.

I'll be taking nursing school prerequisite coursework through EC, so selecting a major that requires anatomy, microbiology, pathophysiology, etc. would be great, since I would not need to take the courses separately. However, i am willing to do that if need be.
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My primary goal is to complete a BA or BS degree fast & easily. [/COLOR] I test well and have a pretty good breadth of knowledge on many subjects. I was considering psychology, because I could test out of the entire major with 1 GRE, but then learned there are required classes. I don't mind taking classes, but am concerned about them taking a long time to complete - eg - 1 whole semester.

So, in sum, is there a major you'd recommend that can be tested out of completely OR is not really difficult OR has required classes that are easily accessible/self paced?

Would liberal studies be a better choice for a major? If so, which depth's would you recommend?

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this.

~M

PS Background on me: I'm a 31 years old ad have been running a home based business for 11+ years while raising 3 active children ages 15, 11 and 5. I have a lot of time to devote to school, but my schedule is crazy busy on the go a lot. I love school and learning, but I don't like the time that studying plus in class seat time takes away from my kids, and I love independent study style learning, which I've done before.

[marianne202]

Welcome to the forum! You would be able to fully test out of a BSLS at EC. EC should transfer in most of your other credits so you could be very close to the finish line. EC also has a nursing degree you could do. Just be careful about your nursing pre-reqs at EC as their A&P doesn't have a lab and most nursing programs require a lab if you are going to transfer to a state school. Good luck!

[vintagemother]

Thank you so much for the reply and the tips about making sure my prerequisites will work.

Sadly, Excelsior isn't accepted by the grand ol' state of California's Nursing board anymore. I've been going through the community colleges and state colleges to take my prerequisites and it has been very hard to even get into the classes. If I do manage to "add" a class I need, the time away from my kids is intense when I look at in class time plus study time.

So, I'm planning on applying to a private Nursing School, Samuel Merrit, and they list on their website which Excelsior classes to take.

The catch is, you must have a bachelor's degree to apply.

[marianne202]

Just a thought, check with the CA BON, as they may not accept the Excelsior nursing directly, but usually if you work for a government facility, think military hospital or VA hospital, after a year most states will then license you. Military facilities don't usually require a state license, just your nursing degree. Are you living near a border that you could license in another state then transfer? I was in the EC nursing program and know this was an issue for students in several states and this is how they got around it so they could then get licensed in their own state. Just a suggestion. Good luck!

[vintagemother]

Thanks for that suggestion! I have been considering thinking about a work-around like the one you suggested.

Thanks a million!

BTW: I called EC and they did recommend the Liberal Studies Degree with no major as the fastest route.

Now, I'm on the website trying to figure out what tests I can start preparing for in December.

It looks as if I have to wait 3 months to register for a practice exam and then 6 months to register for an actual exam?

Do you know if that's correct?
I assume I can take Dante's/CLEPS/etc at any time I feel ready.

[TMW2010]

It looks as if I have to wait 3 months to register for a practice exam and then 6 months to register for an actual exam?

You should be able to sign up and pay for ECEs through Excelsior, and then within a few days, you'll get a confirmation, from that point you schedule the ECE and taken it whenever. I think the practice exams become available when you pay for them after registering for the exam itself, but I'm not sure on this, I didn't use their practice exams.

[vintagemother]

TMW2010, I read the statement below on the EC website, which is what led me to believe there was a waiting period.

The testing eligibility period for Excelsior College Examinations has been shortened from nine (9) months to six (6) months, from the date of exam registration. This change took effect on February 1, 2009. The eligibility period for practice examinations has also been reduced from 120 days to 90 days, from the date of practice exam registration.

But, it sounds like your telling me that I misinterpreted this and I should have no problem scheduling exams for areas that I believe I can pass, quickly.

Thanks!!

[TMW2010]

The testing eligibility period for Excelsior College Examinations has been shortened from nine (9) months to six (6) months, from the date of exam registration. This change took effect on February 1, 2009. The eligibility period for practice examinations has also been reduced from 120 days to 90 days, from the date of practice exam registration.

Thanks!!

As far as I'm aware, this was for retesting purposes (meaning if you had to retake a test, you were eligible to do so 6 months from the point you initially took it, and this used to be 9 months prior to the change.)


For my tests, I selected my test, paid for it, and (due to scheduling) took it a few days later (my first test was completed prior to me getting my 'Ok to test' papers in the mail.)

[marianne202]

Actually, this statement refers to the amount of time you have after you pay for the exam to take it. You register for the exam and practice exam then pay. You will have access to the practice exam within usually a day. I usually wait 2 days after payment to try to schedule the exam. Pearson Vue gets very busy and will book up quickly, so I recommend you schedule the exam right away. Just book it out as far you think you will need. You can always change it if you need to. The practice exams are worth the $65. I used them for several exams and found them extremely helpful. All of this info is directly related to the Excelsior exams. For the DSST and CLEP exams you can schedule these prior to payment. You pay the day of the exam. These are scheduled through various settings. Just go on their websites to find locations. These you usually have to schedule over the phone. I'm glad you are finding some helpful info here.

[vintagemother]

Thank you for the explanation. This is all new to me. I attended a college called WGU school that allowed me to test out of a lot of classes before and loved that pace. The only bad thing is that school counts all grades as B's.

I'm so glad to have found out about my other options!

I can't wait to get back to classes! (-: