What is the best college/option for me?

[ZKL111]

Hello all, this is my first post on this site. I am a 19 year old who wants to attempt a Bachelor's of Computer Science. Now, a lot of the stuff I am going to say is predicated upon another thread https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...ternatives . I have a similar number of credits, maybe four or five more, around 58 if I had to say. 

The proctoring situation is very similar to how that OP described it, they made me move a lot of stuff around, took about 35-40 minutes to set up the room, at that point my anxiety was through the roof. I decided I was not going to continue at WGU, so here I am, looking for more options. 

I'm willing to do something like study.com, though I really prefer something like Sophia, where I can both work at my own pace as well as writing an essay or test. The proctoring isn't my primary issue to be clear, however if I had to, I would prefer no proctoring. It's also a privacy issue for me, I am very private about a lot of my information, and I wouldn't really feel comfortable doing something that requires proctoring.

I would like to either attempt a BS CS or MS CS. I am also open to other degrees, Finance, Economics, Political Science, Physics, I have really enjoyed studying classes with those focuses. 

I am willing to get student loans or trying to get financial aid, however I am only 19, so what I can come up with in terms of cash on hand is limited. I would prefer something a bit cheaper, if possible.

I also need to have a self paced option, for example over the week I am usually busier, I have a job doing IT work, I have my own projects and freelancing, as well as volunteering occasionally, etc. so the best time for me is over the weekend, which would require self pacing. 

I am not too well versed in the options that I have, that is why I came here, I figure someone might have advice that can really help me out. Thanks!

[rachel83az]

What credits do you have? Are they all WGU or are they Sophia/SDC?

If they're WGU, TESU has a Comp Sci degree that can be done mostly self-paced via Sophia and SDC. The exceptions are the cornerstone and capstone, which aren't technically self paced but can be done on your own schedule as long as you meet the due dates. No class meetings or anything like that. Only taking 6 credits from TESU would cost a bit more than doing 16 credits, so that's something to be aware of, but it's not that much more of you have the budget for it.

It's a BACS, not a BSCS, but for 99% of employment purposes that does not matter. If desired, you can later continue on to Georgia Tech's OMCS or something similar.

It's also possible to get a BSBA CIS and/or a BSBA Finance at the same time for little additional time/money/effort.

[ZKL111]

What credits do you have? Are they all WGU or are they Sophia/SDC?

If they're WGU, TESU has a Comp Sci degree that can be done mostly self-paced via Sophia and SDC. The exceptions are the cornerstone and capstone, which aren't technically self paced but can be done on your own schedule as long as you meet the due dates. No class meetings or anything like that. Only taking 6 credits from TESU would cost a bit more than doing 16 credits, so that's something to be aware of, but it's not that much more of you have the budget for it.

It's a BACS, not a BSCS, but for 99% of employment purposes that does not matter. If desired, you can later continue on to Georgia Tech's OMCS or something similar.

It's also possible to get a BSBA CIS and/or a BSBA Finance at the same time for little additional time/money/effort.

I would have to look specifically at my credits in the morning, as I don't have the transcripts in front of me right now. I can tell you this, I would say about 42 Sophia.org credits, about 15 or so community college based credits. Apologies for not clarifying, I have not done study.com yet. I am debating whether or not to do their program. I also have about six WGU credits as well.

I have heard TESU is proctored, not sure if that is true or not. Cornerstones and Capstones in previous attempts are usually good for me, I have usually achieved high scores on them. I am heavily considering TESU as I have seen they have a wide variety of programs, and I generally like the layout as I have seen it. For TESU, I just would like to know if it's proctored and if you might have a link to a degree pathway, that converts from study.com or sophia.org, either way.

For me, whether it's BA or BS, as you pointed out, doesn't matter really at all. Minor differences as far I can tell. I looked into GT's program, that looks like something I would be interested in later. TESU does seem like a good option, just wondering if there are any others. I have heard SNHU mentioned a lot, but as far as I can see, that is not a competency based program, where you take the courses as fast or as slow as you need. Plus the price...

I wouldn't have a problem double or triple majoring to be honest, I have tried it before and it worked out in getting me credits with relatively good grades. Thanks.

[rachel83az]

The capstone for a BACS at TESU has, I believe, a single proctored exam. They use ProctorU which isn't great but is easier to deal with (usually) than the proctor that WGU uses.

You can see degree plans for TESU here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ts_Roadmap

Just about everything else can come from Sophia, Coursera (not proctored) and Study.com (proctored, but it's the recorded proctor RPNow). As long as your workspace is clean and you stay in-frame while taking the exam, SDC generally doesn't care if your room isn't perfectly clean. It's a lot easier and almost 0 stress (except for normal exam jitters) when compared to a live proctor. I've taken a lot of RPNow-proctored exams and I've never had one rejected or come back as "questionable".

You'll need at least 24 RA credits (not counting the capstone & cornerstone) for TESU. If you have 15 CC credits, that leaves 9. Depending on your budget, you've got a few options there.

1. You can do a 16-credit-term at TESU. This would eliminate the need to pay the residency waiver fee. There are a number of "easy" classes that have NO proctoring and that can be finished early. As long as you hit the course deadlines, they don't care very much when you finish. No set class times or anything like that. While not completely self-paced, it's pretty close. 
   
2. Take 3 courses from ASU Universal Learner. These are $425 each. Some are 100% self-paced, others have weekly course deadlines. The ones with weekly deadlines are usually 1-2 hours of work per week and can be completed during the weekend, if needed. The "week" begins on Tuesday, giving you plenty of weekend time to finish what needs to be done. Most of them have a proctored final exam, but it's RPNow and I've never had an issue with them (as stated above). https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Ar...al_Learner
   
3. Complete either XAMK's Intro to Video Games Creation certificate or your choice of at least 20 ECTS from Metropolia University. Both of these options are self-paced, no proctoring. There would be a $200 evaluation fee from ACEI to transfer the Finnish credits to TESU. You can see more information here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Fi...iversities There is also a sample BACS/BSBA CIS plan that incorporates Metropolia credits here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...z_version)
   

[ZKL111]

The capstone for a BACS at TESU has, I believe, a single proctored exam. They use ProctorU which isn't great but is easier to deal with (usually) than the proctor that WGU uses.

You can see degree plans for TESU here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ts_Roadmap

Just about everything else can come from Sophia, Coursera (not proctored) and Study.com (proctored, but it's the recorded proctor RPNow). As long as your workspace is clean and you stay in-frame while taking the exam, SDC generally doesn't care if your room isn't perfectly clean. It's a lot easier and almost 0 stress (except for normal exam jitters) when compared to a live proctor. I've taken a lot of RPNow-proctored exams and I've never had one rejected or come back as "questionable".

You'll need at least 24 RA credits (not counting the capstone & cornerstone) for TESU. If you have 15 CC credits, that leaves 9. Depending on your budget, you've got a few options there.

1. You can do a 16-credit-term at TESU. This would eliminate the need to pay the residency waiver fee. There are a number of "easy" classes that have NO proctoring and that can be finished early. As long as you hit the course deadlines, they don't care very much when you finish. No set class times or anything like that. While not completely self-paced, it's pretty close. 
   
2. Take 3 courses from ASU Universal Learner. These are $425 each. Some are 100% self-paced, others have weekly course deadlines. The ones with weekly deadlines are usually 1-2 hours of work per week and can be completed during the weekend, if needed. The "week" begins on Tuesday, giving you plenty of weekend time to finish what needs to be done. Most of them have a proctored final exam, but it's RPNow and I've never had an issue with them (as stated above). https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Ar...al_Learner
   
3. Complete either XAMK's Intro to Video Games Creation certificate or your choice of at least 20 ECTS from Metropolia University. Both of these options are self-paced, no proctoring. There would be a $200 evaluation fee from ACEI to transfer the Finnish credits to TESU. You can see more information here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Fi...iversities There is also a sample BACS/BSBA CIS plan that incorporates Metropolia credits here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...z_version)
   

Ah ok, so as I understand TESU's only proctored exam is the final one for the capstone, none of the courses? I have no problem with a bit of proctoring if I am being honest.

The degree plan looks pretty straightforward which is good.

With Coursera, I thought they were not accredited? I am guessing some courses are though, it would now seem. I will probably look into as many courses before I enroll, I have always found that to be the best option. Is there anything like Sophia that I could take, something non proctored but provides a decent amount of credits?

[rachel83az]

Some of TESU's courses do have exams, but you can look at the syllabus to avoid those. If you did decide to take more TESU credits, there are suggestions for "easy" and/or non-proctored courses here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Th...timization

Coursera has a few courses that are ACE-approved and that are accepted by TESU: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Coursera It is not proctored, but some of the certificates require multiple projects.

XAMK, Metropolia, Sophia, and Coursera are the only places to earn "lots" of unproctored credits. You can fill out most of your credits that way, if you plan carefully. You'll still need a few from Study.com, though. Especially for the upper level credits.

[ZKL111]

Some of TESU's courses do have exams, but you can look at the syllabus to avoid those. If you did decide to take more TESU credits, there are suggestions for "easy" and/or non-proctored courses here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Th...timization

Coursera has a few courses that are ACE-approved and that are accepted by TESU: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Coursera It is not proctored, but some of the certificates require multiple projects.

XAMK, Metropolia, Sophia, and Coursera are the only places to earn "lots" of unproctored credits. You can fill out most of your credits that way, if you plan carefully. You'll still need a few from Study.com, though. Especially for the upper level credits.

Sounds good. I will look into them. Appreciate all the help you have been so far. Thanks a million.

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, you pretty much answered the template and addendum info without using them... Interesting, I would recommend the double BSBA CIS/BACS combo for a few extra classes.  You're really young and there's no need to rush things, especially since you have a job and volunteer.  Take your time, you have the 15+ RA credits, you can take the remaining 16 credits at TESU to finish the degree after you get the bulk of your credits from alternative credit sources...

Create a spreadsheet, copy these two templates created by our moderators and post the link to your one drive or google drive.  Have the link viewable and not editable, we just want to see your current credits completed, you should list them all in the template, for those that don't hit any requirement, place it at the very bottom outside the degree requirements. Competency based degree options right now isn't going to work at this time...

LevelUP: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...egree_Plan
Rachel83AZ: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...z_version)

[ZKL111]

Hmm, you pretty much answered the template and addendum info without using them... Interesting, I would recommend the double BSBA CIS/BACS combo for a few extra classes.  You're really young and there's no need to rush things, especially since you have a job and volunteer.  Take your time, you have the 15+ RA credits, you can take the remaining 16 credits at TESU to finish the degree after you get the bulk of your credits from alternative credit sources...

Create a spreadsheet, copy these two templates created by our moderators and post the link to your one drive or google drive.  Have the link viewable and not editable, we just want to see your current credits completed, you should list them all in the template, for those that don't hit any requirement, place it at the very bottom outside the degree requirements. Competency based degree options right now isn't going to work at this time...

LevelUP: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...egree_Plan
Rachel83AZ: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...z_version)

I don’t know what you mean with regards to the addendum? I can edit the link I suppose. Thanks.

[LevelUP]

WGU Disadvantages over TESU
- Doesn't accept international students
- No grades. This might be a factor if planning on doing master's, etc, at a competitive college.
- All-or-nothing exams (some don't like that)
- More rigorous overall (though not by a lot but something to consider. Discrete Math II, Data Structures II, Software I/II)
- Timewise takes a bit longer than TESU to do due to the extra rigor (1-3 months)
- 8 required courses to do at WGU versus 2 at TESU (or 1 course if you do SOS-110 at edX for CS degree)
- Strict on transferring old credits (5+ years)
- One degree you get versus multiple degrees possible at TESU, which adds a lot of value for TESU
- No customization of degree. With TESU, you have 30 Free electives and lots of choices in GE.

That being said, WGU is a great school. It's just not for everybody. I have seen people try WGU, then quit looking for other options.

People that do great on exams and have industry experience. WGU is perfect for these types of people.

Since you already have 58 credits, hopefully, the BA in Computer Science will use up most of those credits. There are 30 free electives for that degree.

If you do Business Administration with whatever concentration, then you could get the Associate in Computer Science for free without having to do additional courses depending on what transfers.