TESC Business & Technical Writing...Penn Foster = no! Looking for alternatives...

[mrs.b]

Good morning,

I have been focusing on my courses (and work and general life) and unable to return and check the forum, but I've run into a speed bump and need some advice. One of the only courses I have left to complete the BSBA-HROM is a Business & Technical Writing course equivalent. Almost six months ago, I signed up for Penn Foster's version, thinking it would be as well-designed as their Financial Management course. It's not. Financial Management was great, and I would recommend it to anyone needing to fulfill FIN301, but their Bus & Tech Writing course is just bad. I'll spare all my specific issues with it, but the main point is, I only have a few weeks left on the enrollment, and I honestly do not want to motivate myself to finish it. It's just plain bad. (Have I mentioned it's bad?)

At this point, I'm wondering about Straighterline's version. What is it like? Is it actually a business & technical writing course, or is it like Penn Foster's (a poorly-designed creative writing mess)? If I need to just woman-up and muscle through this horrible course I've already spent money on, I will, but...it's just bad. (Have I said that?) I'm to the point where I'm okay with writing off that $285 and paying someone else for a course that actually is business writing.

For a brief catch up, I opted to drop my second major in Operations Management. It would have been a nice bullet point on my resume, given what I do, but work and family commitments dictated the adjustment; I've been burning the candles at both end to get existing work load done, and completing those additional courses was not a reasonable expectation. Instead, I re-arranged my courses on my evaluation, and have one semester left of courses. With those 3 courses, I'll also be completing 3 FEMAs and 1 DSST (as soon as I find a center, there are not any within 150 miles so I'm hunting for one in the areas where I'll be traveling and take an exam while on the road). By the end of June, I'll be done! That is, I'll be done if I can get this Bus. & Tech. Writing requirement out of the way.

[rebel100]

Sometimes you just have to "woman up" and take the course. You are bigger and tougher than some Penn Foster course. In the pursuit of a Bachelors we all take 40 some odd courses. Some you love, some you like, and some you tolerate....its all part of the game.

Stop screwing around and finish the course...how bad do you want this?

[rebel100]

There, that was my pep talk....

I meant all of it....but consider the DSST Technical Writing. Its a pretty intuitive test and I bet you have the basic skills to take it nearly cold and pass....really not too bad of a test.

BTW...where are you in LA? I went to school in Troy for a year and have family in Enterprise. Are you anywhere near Op? Such a funny name for a town.

[mrs.b]

But...but...! Okay, point taken on the pep talk. I have been working hard on this (the degree, not the course). My other courses are all going well. Admittedly, I've let every other priority slip in front of this one, though, since I'm just not into it. This is certainly not the first course I've taken that has not been interesting or appealing, but it is the first one I've seriously struggled to find any sort of motivation to finish.

Thank you for the DSST Technical Writing suggestion. I'll definitely look into it, since I have another DSST I need to take. I'm down on the Gulf Coast of AL. Opp, AL is about 2.5-3 hours away, depending on traffic. There are some testing centers listed on the DSST site, but when I've called them, they no longer offer the test and said the DSST site is just not updated yet. I have a few business trips planned for Birmingham, AL, Omaha, NE, and Texas (no idea where in the state, yet) in the next month or so, though, so I'm working on firming up my schedules for those trips, finding a few hours' gaps, and finding testing centers in those areas. Alternatively, I could drive to Montgomery, AL, but that town is not my favorite to try to navigate, but I'll do what I must to get this done.

Thank you again for the suggestion! I cannot say how relieved I am that a better (and cheaper!) alternative is out there to clear this one off the "to do" list.

[jam123]

If you have any real world business experience you will find the DSST Technical Writing easy, especially if you use InstantCert.com or similar study aide. Does it have to be technical writing? The Straighterline Business Communication course (upper level at TESC) is fairly easy and straightforward. You can finish in a week or two.

[mrs.b]

It does not need to be technical writing, no. The requirement I am trying to fulfill is under General Education, Mgrl/Bus Commun. I know MAN-373 and ENG-216 and their equivalents will satisfy the requirement. The main criteria I'm looking for are:

1) Ease and speed of transfer (I already have an ACE transcript started, CLEP or DSST are also quick, and I do only have 3 months to enroll, start, and finish the course and get it transferred in),
2) Cost (I'm tossing out $285 and do not want to spend another ~$300),
3) Clarity of the course itself, and coverage of what it should.
4) Speed of completion. (Ease would be nice, but not a requirement.)
I'm open to anything that meets the degree requirement, is not expensive, and is not thoroughly annoying to go through.

For that Straighterline course, when you say a week or two, does that mean focusing just on that course, or is there a maximum number of assignments that can be turned in during a timeframe? I'm also taking 3 courses currently and have 3 more that start as soon as these finish, so I wouldn't have a week or two to focus on just one.

[bricabrac]

Just an FYI, the PF course was less work then Straighterline. I wonder why you have a block on this course?

I finished the writing on the PF course in 2 days, it only took me about a week total because after submitting an assignment I would wait for the grade before submitting the next since they build on each other. Here is a run down comparison of both courses:

PF has 2 M/C quizzes one was 20q the other 30q. Four written assignments. It was so easy.
WAs: (1) Interoffice and Email Memo=2pgs; (2) Survey Questions and Letter=2pgs; (3) Outline and Memo=2pgs; (4) Proposal=4pgs.

SL had 14 M/C quizzes each 10q, a midterm and final both 50q each. Three written assignments. This course was tedious because of the number of quizzes and exams but it transfers as 300 level credit.
WAs (1) Email Memo =1pg; (2) Resume & Cover Letter=2pgs; (3) Proposal (with cover & reference pg)
=5pgs.

[mrs.b]

I'm not sure why I've had such a hard time moving on the PF Business & Technical Writing course. I have a few more weeks left on the enrollment, but this weekend is my only "free" one (family commitments and final projects to write in TESC courses for the next week and a half), and I've only taken the first quiz and submitted the first written project so far. I did a little more work on it yesterday and am trying to knock out the rest today. If it does not happen today, though, I'm emailing Advising @ TESC to see if the DSST Technical Writing course will fulfill the Business/Managerial Communication requirement. When I looked up the exam, I think I can pass it without much issue.

[bricabrac]

I'm emailing Advising @ TESC to see if the DSST Technical Writing course will fulfill the Business/Managerial Communication requirement.

I highly doubt they would approve that tech wriiting exam but it cant hurt to try. However it will help fill either your humanities or general education requirements.

Think of the business writing course as a warm up for your upcoming management courses. Small business management also requires a hefty load of writing and a final case analysis.

[mrs.b]

Think of the business writing course as a warm up for your upcoming management courses. Small business management also requires a hefty load of writing and a final case analysis.

That's the odd part. I've taken almost all the management courses (as courses, not tests) necessary to finish the BSBA at TESC, written far more than my share of papers, and have no problem drafting an actual research paper or piece of technical writing which I also do at work. The exams are fine, but perhaps there are different versions of writing pieces required. The one I have seems more like a creative writing course than anything technical or research-based. In fact, no research has been required, or will be on the other writing pieces ahead. Two paragraphs of "background information" are provided, and from there, they want you to make up the rest, but take points off if you miss a made up point you were given no information towards. I turned in the first quiz and one of the writing pieces and still have an A average, but it's not a technical writing course design.

I'm not slamming PF in general. I loved their Financial Management course, and I've heard good things about a few of their other courses. It's why I was willing to pay the extra above SL or other alternatives. I'm wondering if they just have multiple exam/paper designs to prevent cheating, and perhaps I got an unlucky draw of one written when someone was having a bad day.