Starting Out

[theirishman]

I'm throwing around the idea of taking Uexcel/CLEP Sociology (no preference over the two).

Perhaps flash cards for the glossary and researching the sociologists should do. Don't want to over study but don't want to wing it. I passed a regular sociology class in high school years ago.

I have been out of high school for a long time (4yrs). Never took CP, AP, or Honor's classes.

I'm flirting with the idea of liberal arts related degree, don't see myself as a number cruncher or STEM guy. But would be willing to settle for just enlightening myself via college if degree(s) are too much a leap for me. Probably going to avoid business degree too. At least if I had a English degree I could write a book. Not saying I'd get anywhere, but I would be another hobby. My favorite classes in HS were English, Psychology, Sociology, History and Economics.

I don't have that much experience with research papers and I'd like to change that too, they are hard to avoid in college unless you test out.

I haven't focused on analyzing literature much, HS was just recite information, and do research papers for English class.

Another thing is I'd like to learn how to make beautiful artwork. Didn't learn much art in high school at all.

I think college will be a big jump for me in terms of not being spoon feed information. I'll have to become an autodidact to adapt.

But I like the idea of independent study and CBE's. I don't like the idea of being locked into semesters, group projects when people don't pull their own weight ect.

I'd see myself starting out part time and all year round to make up for the slow start.

My favorite books are Economics for Dummies, Holt Economics, Hamlet or pretty much any Shakespeare, and any good novel.

My main weakness is I plan too far in advance, although it's a good idea to flirt with plans after BA/BS, it's best to focus on the present. I need to get some credits under my belt first and go from there.

So I'd start off with something that seems interesting and easy for me (Sociology).

Sorry if I went overkill with a big monologue. I'm not signed up as a paying member of instantcert, don't want to lock in yet monthly if I'm not cut out for college. I talking about sociology a few months ago on here, but I'm ready to study now and enlighten myself.

[Westerner]

Welcome! Good idea to test in a subject you're interested in. Uexcels are generally considered to be harder than CLEPs. The CLEP Sociology isn't too hard. Theories and theorists, and some applications.

Just from looking at your intro, and this:

Hamlet or pretty much any Shakespeare, and any good novel.

you might be interested in taking the Analyzing & Interpreting Literature CLEP. It's just interpreting what a passage is saying. Reading comprehension, basically. If you're widely read it's not hard.

[UptonSinclair]

I have been out of high school for a long time (4yrs).

milelol: Most of us around here have been out of high school for decades.

There are several good Sociology courses on iTunesU if you enjoy lectures. Also, Thriftbooks is a great source for textbooks that can be found for less than $5.

[LaterBloomer]

Thank you, Upton. Four years? Four years? I suspect that I have shoes older than the irishman!

That said, I applaud your quest for knowledge. You will see different approaches to courses and exams here. Some folks are happy with a pass - however low it is. (That line forms behind me.) Others study like demons to try to get the best score possible. I suspect you're in that line. Not 'cause scores drive you, but because you are interested in investigating topics and learning. Just remember, if you're out to get a degree, you want to watch out that you don't spend all of your time contemplating your navel, the meaning of life, etc. I sorta think that the unexamined life is loads easier than the examined one, and everyone comes out the same way in the end.

However you go, I hope that you have lots of fun and learn loads of fascinating things.

[EI2HCB]

Irishman, Welcome to the forum. From one Irishman to another, just put one foot in front of another any you'll be well on yer way! Two years ago, I was out of school for twenty years and sitting unemployed looking at the Irish sea, and decided to do something, currently I have almost 40 credits and taken one exam so far. America is great of course compared to Ireland when it comes to work. I'm working three jobs at the moment and taking two classes. There are days I ask, "am I cut out for this" but I just keep plodding along and as they say back home "Toicfaid an la seo" That day will come. What part of Ireland are you from?

[theirishman]

I'm American born, perhaps I should have picked a more American name? Anyways my British bloodline is from Cornwall. Never been there myself but I heard great things about that part of Britain.

[Getiton1]

Welcome TheIrishman ,

Actually Cornwall us arguably the best part of England. Except now it's in terrible trouble with massive flooding. I have family over there in the Southwest and it's been flooded for 5 weeks. Moorland where my husbands parents live has been evacuated. Only 16 families remained post the evacuation order given over a week ago. They stay because nasty looters will come and steal…are you ready…their heating oil and then their belongings if they are away for more than an hour or so. It's a mess there now. Google Arial Shot of Southwest England and you will see the whole South part of England is a soggy mess. When it's not flooded (this has been the most rain since records have been kept)…it's absolutely charming! "Cornish Pasties" are from Cornwall and loads of Famous Brits go there of live there in the summer (i.e. Kate Winslet, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, etc.)

Anyway back to you and your question. You have nothing to lose taking a CLEP (as long as you study for it). It's WAY less expensive than sitting in a college classroom and if you are thinking about going to one of the Big 3 (I went to both Excelsior and Thomas Edison and liked both), you have everything to gain. Check out the majors form their website and look at our Instant Cert Member Upton Sinclairs signature with required classes. When you see a major or two that seem like they would be fun or easy for you, take note of that. Go down the list until you find a good fit for you. Notice that pretty much all of us have to take the following classes, the ones with a * next to them mean they have CLEP's you can take. I wouldn't take the English Comp CLEP, too much worry and work. I would start with Sociology or Understanding and Interpreting Literature. Once you see how easy it is,it just becomes addictive and easier for the next test you schedule. Anyway here are the usual core classes. Look at YOUR major for the official guidelines:

English Comp I *
English Comp I *
US History I *
US History II *
American Government *
College Math, * (You can use other things besides CLEP for math/algebra just ask)
Literature Understanding and Interpreting Lit. *
Sociology *
Psychology *
Humanities * (this is a big test, but looking at your interests you should be fine)

Etc., so why not start with one of these? Use the website Free CLEP Prep for a breakdown of the exams and how hard they are.

Clep Difficulty List - Free-Clep-Prep.com

Here's a sample for sociology and it's FREE :

Introductory Sociology CLEP Study Guide - Free-Clep-Prep.com

Also always use the official study guide info as a map for what you HAVE to know. Here's a link for the sociology one:

Introductory Sociology | CLEP

Use THIS site! It's great! Use the flashcards and the exam specific feedback to focus your studies. The exam feedback is the key to a confident test taker and I have never failed an exam using this site.

Then let us know when you pass and share what you think is important for the next person to study on the exam feedback thread for your exam

It's that easy. And a WHOLE lot cheaper than going to your county college or taking a TESC or EC course for 1200.00! Plus no entrance exam to waste your time and money. With CLEP, you just register, pay and take the test you need. Get a printout for your records before you leave the test center.

One note of caution….make sure your CLEP exam WILL indeed count toward your degree. Also keep in mind that if you want to go to an ivy league school down the road for an advanced degree, they may not take all your alternate testing methods (like CLEP) for transfer credit.

I hate to sound all Pollyanna now, but it's WONDERFUL! Finding CLEP and TESC was a dream come true for me. I LOVE learning and this online method is a great fit for a busy, not rich, type A person like myself. If you are motivated and want that degree, CLEP and one of the Big 3 could be a great fit for you too!

Welcome and best of luck!
Tara

PS Go to Cornwall in the Summer (not now, it's a mess)! Cornwall/Devon are charming and the people are lovely

I'm American born, perhaps I should have picked a more American name? Anyways my British bloodline is from Cornwall. Never been there myself but I heard great things about that part of Britain.

[GMT]

I'm American born, perhaps I should have picked a more American name? Anyways my British bloodline is from Cornwall. Never been there myself but I heard great things about that part of Britain.

Well I'm sitting in Cornwall right now, and it's pretty windy! We've had nearly 40ft waves in the last week or so and the surfers have been loving it!
Of course some parts of Cornwall are struggling with the storms and thankfully the local council have stopped charging people for sandbags now.

Getiton1 I'm so sorry to hear about your husbands parents town being evacuated, and appalled about the looting I don't know what's happened in the U.K. I remember the time when that would never have happened.
Sadly we have had a lot of people from north of the Tamar that have moved to Kernow/Cornwall and sadly they've brought their unwanted bad behaviour with them too.

[Getiton1]

HI GMT

How are you today? Hope the waves and winds have stopped? I have been glued to the SKYnews and the BBC online. My in laws are part of the now slightly famous (though I know they would rather NOT be dealing with the constant threat of losing their home)…."The Moorland 15". It's actually 16 families that have refused to evacuate their homes because of looting and sheer pride over taking care of their homes. I think they are still on the BBC news online. Anyway, they live up the road from a millionaire developer named "Nataro" who was a feature on the BBC news for being the "Last" man standing because he basically built a moat and used pumps to make his home look like an Island. I am sure you will see that feature on the BBC online because the picture shows the huge house that looks like an island now. Anyway, my sister-in-law was so annoyed that Nataro was seen and reported as the last person in Moorland since that was not true. My in-laws are in their 60's and the HAND DUG damns and ditches…and like you bought and used thousands of sandbags to build defenses against waves of water that threaten their homes daily. They had a pump dropped off and basically figured out how to use it only to discover it only had enough diesel for a few hours. The neighborhood pulled together and take shifts to watch over the pumps (they will break if they go dry). Watching the pumps is a 24 hour responsibility, and they have no employees…it's all just villagers taking turns even in the middle of the night to try to save their homes. There is no septic so the had to get Port-a-loos brought in and they have had to boil water to bathe. My sister and brother-in-law could only get to the them recently when FINALLY the MP, and PM allowed the military to come in and help. 2 days ago my sister-in-law and my niece came to their house to bring food and clean laundry for them via amphibious vehicle. (I am sure my niece who is 7 will remember this a long time into the future). The residents were basically abandoned in week 4 of this 5+ week ordeal with massive flooding. Some areas of flooding are up to 4-5 feet! Now that the EA came in they moved the water through East Lyne and very sadly even with preparations to keep the water moving in a stream and out of people in East Lyne's homes…it's too much water…and it is actually coming UP THROUGH THE FLOORBOARDS not through the windows and doors. I feel awful for them now too. It's just a horrible mess. My in-laws work in Taunton and had only just put their house on the market. It's a LOVELY home (I got married in their garden). But even though it has not flooded they will likely be stuck selling for a loss even if they do sell it. They are getting on now, and their property is too large to manage. My Mother-in-law is a superb gardener, but is really suffering with arthritis, so it's just to much for her to do on her own. It's really stressed them out and I feel so helpless here to try to help them.

ASDA was awesome and brought the Moorland 15 (really Moorland 16) a free meal! It really brightened their spirits.

Also, I have loads of people on my Facebook page as well as my family here praying for them, their home and neighbors. Anyone that doesn't pray has been sending them good wishes. My brother-in-law is in Taiwan now, and he's got people sending up balloons of hope…with messages to basically "carry on"! It's really amazing to know there has been so much support. So I truly thank you for it And anyone reading this who would like to say a prayer or send some good vibes out there to the people of England that are battling with this crazy weather… thank you! They felt abandoned by the MP (who actually has come out in strong support of them all) and the EA, and the PM. But things turned a corner for the better as soon as my family and I asked for support/prayers/good will. So since that's the thing that's working to keep them going, a little more of it can't hurt.

Hey, I am so sorry about people moving down and ruining Cornwall. I grew up in a small town and I know what you mean about never thinking that would ever happen. The world is always changing, but to do think as soon as trouble makers are identified, they should be watched. If they break the law, they should be dealt with swiftly and made an example of. We each have a right to defend a decent way of life. When kids (and adults) go around beating up old people, or stealing from merchants who have been there for generations (or are just trying to make an honest and decent living) they should be made to actually SERVE the same people they have hurt so that they can understand the impact of their bad deeds. I LOVE Cornwall. I saw a fisherman that had been docked down there that had a really positive attitude, and I had just been saying the same thing he was getting at to my husband…maybe now that the Southwest actually has the VAT break and all this money pouring in, then they can actually use that funding to make the Southwest even BETTER! His other point was that the Southwest IS a money MAKER…everyone from England knows that Cornwall has the best beaches in England, and Cornish Pasties…MMMM! My husband

Well I'm sitting in Cornwall right now, and it's pretty windy! We've had nearly 40ft waves in the last week or so and the surfers have been loving it!
Of course some parts of Cornwall are struggling with the storms and thankfully the local council have stopped charging people for sandbags now.

Getiton1 I'm so sorry to hear about your husbands parents town being evacuated, and appalled about the looting I don't know what's happened in the U.K. I remember the time when that would never have happened.
Sadly we have had a lot of people from north of the Tamar that have moved to Kernow/Cornwall and sadly they've brought their unwanted bad behaviour with them too.

[dewisant]

I'm throwing around the idea of taking Uexcel/CLEP Sociology (no preference over the two).

Perhaps flash cards for the glossary and researching the sociologists should do. Don't want to over study but don't want to wing it. I passed a regular sociology class in high school years ago.

I have been out of high school for a long time (4yrs). Never took CP, AP, or Honor's classes.

I'm flirting with the idea of liberal arts related degree, don't see myself as a number cruncher or STEM guy. But would be willing to settle for just enlightening myself via college if degree(s) are too much a leap for me. Probably going to avoid business degree too. At least if I had a English degree I could write a book. Not saying I'd get anywhere, but I would be another hobby. My favorite classes in HS were English, Psychology, Sociology, History and Economics.

I don't have that much experience with research papers and I'd like to change that too, they are hard to avoid in college unless you test out.

I haven't focused on analyzing literature much, HS was just recite information, and do research papers for English class.

Another thing is I'd like to learn how to make beautiful artwork. Didn't learn much art in high school at all.

I think college will be a big jump for me in terms of not being spoon feed information. I'll have to become an autodidact to adapt.

But I like the idea of independent study and CBE's. I don't like the idea of being locked into semesters, group projects when people don't pull their own weight ect.

I'd see myself starting out part time and all year round to make up for the slow start.

My favorite books are Economics for Dummies, Holt Economics, Hamlet or pretty much any Shakespeare, and any good novel.

My main weakness is I plan too far in advance, although it's a good idea to flirt with plans after BA/BS, it's best to focus on the present. I need to get some credits under my belt first and go from there.

So I'd start off with something that seems interesting and easy for me (Sociology).

Sorry if I went overkill with a big monologue. I'm not signed up as a paying member of instantcert, don't want to lock in yet monthly if I'm not cut out for college. I talking about sociology a few months ago on here, but I'm ready to study now and enlighten myself.

You sound like a great candidate for a BA in Liberal Arts. Your best bet is to take all of the CLEP Generals, then UExcels, and CLEPS that are fun and pique your interests and move onto the DSST tests until you reach 90 or so semester credits. Everyboy takes a different path.

Dave