04-06-2013, 09:19 AM
I am done!
I have read countless âI am doneâ threads, and it feels spectacular to be able to say this. I decided to document my journey starting back in September 2012! I now want to share my story in hopes of encouraging anyone thinking of or in the process of getting a degree.
I am writing this specifically for those seeking a cheap (testing), easy (not cheating on a test easy but in the most straight forwards sense), and FAST degree!
All that is required is a little bit of Money, dedication, and drive.
Please forgive me for any grammatical errors.
My Story: I am 22, went to a traditional university, and joined the Military. I started this journey with only 39 credits that would transfer. I stumbled on the BA in four weeks site in September when I was feverishly looking for the quickest way to a degree. I needed to secure a job promotion (which I have since received, but have decided to choose a different career field after I realized how many doors it can open). I found this forum and started to see post with people going from 0 to 120+ credits in months. I had my doubts and was initially very skeptical. I did my research, and everything proved legit. Once I decided to go for it, I picked Thomas Edison State College.
Reasons why I chose Thomas Edison State College:
- The Name / The name has an official sound to it, and people in my home state have actually heard of it.
- Accreditation (It shares that with a few more well-known schools, which you can toss out if someone has that strange :confused: âwere in the world is thatâ look on their faces.
- Money / It may not be the cheapest option, but if you are in the military I think itâs the best option.
- I originally wanted to go with COSC, but the website turned me off. Sounds a little superficial, but I just could not find the info I needed.
Total Cost: $2074
- $60.00 on InstantCert
- $1704 on Enrollment
- $280 on Graduation Application
- $30 on Prometric
*Keep in mind the cost of the capstone class, and other fees included that I had waived due to the Military degree completion program.
From September 2012 to March 2013 I earned 81 Credits and this is how:
I discovered this site on a Sunday and took my first test that Friday.
Here is the break down on dates that can also be seen in my signature.
Test taken:
DSST: Human Cultural Geography - 3Cr (9/14/12) - This was my âcan I do thisâ test. â A WEEK OF STUDY
DSST: Intro to Computing - 3Cr (9/14/12) â 2 DAYS OF STUDY
CLEP: A & I Literature - 6Cr (9/21/12) - EASY
DSST: World Religions - 3Cr (9/28/12) â A WEEK OF STUDY
DSST: Law Enforcement - 3Cr (9/28/12) Took Cold
DSST: Substance Abuse - 3Cr (10/05/12) â 4 DAYS OF STUDY
Notice the Gap in dates â Oh I took one⦠and failed by a point â Wanted to quit but my better half would not let me! I got back on here and found a replacement.
CLEP: Sociology - 3Cr (10/25/12) â 1 WEEK OF STUDY
CLEP: American Lit - 6Cr (11/02/12) â 1 WEEK OF STUDY
DSST: Organizational Behavior - 3Cr (11/16/12) â 4 DAYS OF STUDY
CLEP: Psych - 3Cr (11/28/12) â 2 DAYS OF STUDY
DSST: Fund of Counseling - 3Cr (11/30/12) â Skimmed a study guide
DSST: Techl Writing - 3Cr (11/30/12)- Skimmed a study guide
DSST: Lifespan Dev Psych - 3Cr (12/04/12) â 1 DAY OF STUDY
CLEP: Social Science - 6Cr (12/07/12) â 3 DAYS OF STUDY
Notice the Gap in dates: I kicked back and enjoyed the Holidays, and then things got crazy at work in January. I cancelled my test like 3 times.
DSST: Prin of Supervision - 3Cr (2/01/13) â Took Cold
DSST: Env & Hum - 3Cr (2/5/13) â EASY AS PIE IF YOU GET THE S.G. in the S.F. FORUM
DSST: Astronomy (2/27/13) â HATED!! â 2 WEEKS OF ON/OFF STUDY AND BARELY PASSED.
DSST: Vietnam (3/4/13) â Easier than it seems, not sure why its rated Hard â 1 night of study.
TESC LA Capstone (3/22/13) - Started in January 2013 and finished around March 20 something. Very easy, you have to be brain dead and purposely forget to submit something to fail. Took about 1-2 hours of my time a week. I feel short on the 25 pages and somehow got a 100 on the final.. tells you something Eh?
How I studied:
I strictly used the forums here to study. (the specific feedback) . I only used InstantCert once. My plan of action was to study 1 week for each test, and to take a test every Friday. I stuck to this plan in the beginning, but life happened. A couple test I took cold, a few test I studied for a day, and some I had to take on my lunch break. Literally.
I also knocked out all 15 FEMA credits I needed in about 3 days. I recommend Becoming a member of Course Hero and then knocking these bad boys out. Google is also your friend on these!
After I finished my last DSST test, I had a full transcript from fema and prometric sent to TESC. I Enrolled as a regular student and paid the fees mentioned above. I just received my final grade and confirmed my degree audit was done and should receive the Graduation confirmation in a few days.
I thought I could not do this at times. I work 40-48 hours a week, I also run a side business, and also have some weekend (army) warrior duties once a month. Letâs not forget this little thing we like to call a relationship some of us participate in!
I will say itâs challenging and you have to force yourself to just DO IT! Reading post here will definitely motivate you. You guys have helped me bounce back from failed test, answered all my questions, and just have been nothing short of supportive. Thanks again, and I am definitely passing this little secret on to others!
Anyone else graduating in June??
Sincerely,
Riley
I have read countless âI am doneâ threads, and it feels spectacular to be able to say this. I decided to document my journey starting back in September 2012! I now want to share my story in hopes of encouraging anyone thinking of or in the process of getting a degree.
I am writing this specifically for those seeking a cheap (testing), easy (not cheating on a test easy but in the most straight forwards sense), and FAST degree!
All that is required is a little bit of Money, dedication, and drive.
Please forgive me for any grammatical errors.
My Story: I am 22, went to a traditional university, and joined the Military. I started this journey with only 39 credits that would transfer. I stumbled on the BA in four weeks site in September when I was feverishly looking for the quickest way to a degree. I needed to secure a job promotion (which I have since received, but have decided to choose a different career field after I realized how many doors it can open). I found this forum and started to see post with people going from 0 to 120+ credits in months. I had my doubts and was initially very skeptical. I did my research, and everything proved legit. Once I decided to go for it, I picked Thomas Edison State College.
Reasons why I chose Thomas Edison State College:
- The Name / The name has an official sound to it, and people in my home state have actually heard of it.
- Accreditation (It shares that with a few more well-known schools, which you can toss out if someone has that strange :confused: âwere in the world is thatâ look on their faces.
- Money / It may not be the cheapest option, but if you are in the military I think itâs the best option.
- I originally wanted to go with COSC, but the website turned me off. Sounds a little superficial, but I just could not find the info I needed.
Total Cost: $2074
- $60.00 on InstantCert
- $1704 on Enrollment
- $280 on Graduation Application
- $30 on Prometric
*Keep in mind the cost of the capstone class, and other fees included that I had waived due to the Military degree completion program.
From September 2012 to March 2013 I earned 81 Credits and this is how:
I discovered this site on a Sunday and took my first test that Friday.
Here is the break down on dates that can also be seen in my signature.
Test taken:
DSST: Human Cultural Geography - 3Cr (9/14/12) - This was my âcan I do thisâ test. â A WEEK OF STUDY
DSST: Intro to Computing - 3Cr (9/14/12) â 2 DAYS OF STUDY
CLEP: A & I Literature - 6Cr (9/21/12) - EASY
DSST: World Religions - 3Cr (9/28/12) â A WEEK OF STUDY
DSST: Law Enforcement - 3Cr (9/28/12) Took Cold
DSST: Substance Abuse - 3Cr (10/05/12) â 4 DAYS OF STUDY
Notice the Gap in dates â Oh I took one⦠and failed by a point â Wanted to quit but my better half would not let me! I got back on here and found a replacement.
CLEP: Sociology - 3Cr (10/25/12) â 1 WEEK OF STUDY
CLEP: American Lit - 6Cr (11/02/12) â 1 WEEK OF STUDY
DSST: Organizational Behavior - 3Cr (11/16/12) â 4 DAYS OF STUDY
CLEP: Psych - 3Cr (11/28/12) â 2 DAYS OF STUDY
DSST: Fund of Counseling - 3Cr (11/30/12) â Skimmed a study guide
DSST: Techl Writing - 3Cr (11/30/12)- Skimmed a study guide
DSST: Lifespan Dev Psych - 3Cr (12/04/12) â 1 DAY OF STUDY
CLEP: Social Science - 6Cr (12/07/12) â 3 DAYS OF STUDY
Notice the Gap in dates: I kicked back and enjoyed the Holidays, and then things got crazy at work in January. I cancelled my test like 3 times.
DSST: Prin of Supervision - 3Cr (2/01/13) â Took Cold
DSST: Env & Hum - 3Cr (2/5/13) â EASY AS PIE IF YOU GET THE S.G. in the S.F. FORUM
DSST: Astronomy (2/27/13) â HATED!! â 2 WEEKS OF ON/OFF STUDY AND BARELY PASSED.
DSST: Vietnam (3/4/13) â Easier than it seems, not sure why its rated Hard â 1 night of study.
TESC LA Capstone (3/22/13) - Started in January 2013 and finished around March 20 something. Very easy, you have to be brain dead and purposely forget to submit something to fail. Took about 1-2 hours of my time a week. I feel short on the 25 pages and somehow got a 100 on the final.. tells you something Eh?
How I studied:
I strictly used the forums here to study. (the specific feedback) . I only used InstantCert once. My plan of action was to study 1 week for each test, and to take a test every Friday. I stuck to this plan in the beginning, but life happened. A couple test I took cold, a few test I studied for a day, and some I had to take on my lunch break. Literally.
I also knocked out all 15 FEMA credits I needed in about 3 days. I recommend Becoming a member of Course Hero and then knocking these bad boys out. Google is also your friend on these!
After I finished my last DSST test, I had a full transcript from fema and prometric sent to TESC. I Enrolled as a regular student and paid the fees mentioned above. I just received my final grade and confirmed my degree audit was done and should receive the Graduation confirmation in a few days.
I thought I could not do this at times. I work 40-48 hours a week, I also run a side business, and also have some weekend (army) warrior duties once a month. Letâs not forget this little thing we like to call a relationship some of us participate in!
I will say itâs challenging and you have to force yourself to just DO IT! Reading post here will definitely motivate you. You guys have helped me bounce back from failed test, answered all my questions, and just have been nothing short of supportive. Thanks again, and I am definitely passing this little secret on to others!
Anyone else graduating in June??
Sincerely,
Riley
39 B&M Credits To Start With
Goal: 18 Test + 1 Capstone + 15 Fema = BALS TESC :hurray:
Plan: Started 09/10/12
Degree by June 2013
Test taken:
DSST: Human Cultural Geography - 3Cr (9/14/12)
DSST: Intro to Computing - 3Cr (9/14/12)
CLEP: A & I Literature - 6Cr (9/21/12)
DSST: World Religions - 3Cr (9/28/12)
DSST: Law Enforcement - 3Cr (9/28/12)
DSST: Substance Abuse - 3Cr (10/05/12)
CLEP: Sociology - 3Cr (10/25/12)
CLEP: American Lit - 6Cr (11/02/12)
DSST: Organizational Behavior - 3Cr (11/16/12)
CLEP: Psych - 3Cr (11/28/12)
DSST: Fund of Counseling - 3Cr (11/30/12)
DSST: Techl Writing - 3Cr (11/30/12)
DSST: Lifespan Dev Psych - 3Cr (12/04/12)
CLEP: Social Science - 6Cr (12/07/12)
DSST: Prin of Supervision - 3Cr (2/01/13)
DSST: Env & Hum - 3Cr (2/5/13)
DSST: Astronomy (2/27/13)
DSST: Vietnam (3/4/13)
TESC LA Capstone (3/22/13)
120/120 Credits Achieved
Goal: 18 Test + 1 Capstone + 15 Fema = BALS TESC :hurray:
Plan: Started 09/10/12
Degree by June 2013
Test taken:
DSST: Human Cultural Geography - 3Cr (9/14/12)
DSST: Intro to Computing - 3Cr (9/14/12)
CLEP: A & I Literature - 6Cr (9/21/12)
DSST: World Religions - 3Cr (9/28/12)
DSST: Law Enforcement - 3Cr (9/28/12)
DSST: Substance Abuse - 3Cr (10/05/12)
CLEP: Sociology - 3Cr (10/25/12)
CLEP: American Lit - 6Cr (11/02/12)
DSST: Organizational Behavior - 3Cr (11/16/12)
CLEP: Psych - 3Cr (11/28/12)
DSST: Fund of Counseling - 3Cr (11/30/12)
DSST: Techl Writing - 3Cr (11/30/12)
DSST: Lifespan Dev Psych - 3Cr (12/04/12)
CLEP: Social Science - 6Cr (12/07/12)
DSST: Prin of Supervision - 3Cr (2/01/13)
DSST: Env & Hum - 3Cr (2/5/13)
DSST: Astronomy (2/27/13)
DSST: Vietnam (3/4/13)
TESC LA Capstone (3/22/13)
120/120 Credits Achieved
![[-]](https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/images/collapse.png)
I just got an email saying they received my graduation application and that they are reviewing it. So, I too will be graduating in June. Are you planning on attending the ceremony (whenever it may be)?
