What is a term?

[rachel83az]

Flat-rate tuition only kicks in at TESU if you take 9 or more credits in a term. I know this much. But what does TESU count as a term? Is it only courses that start in the same month? Or could I (for instance) start some in November and some in December and it counts as a single term?

[tallpilot]

That is my understanding. I find it extremely convenient that classes start every month. But I would find it extremely inconvenient to try to take 9 hours at once. It would be doable if you were judicious in your course selections and didn’t work or only worked part time. I don’t think it would be pleasant at all if one of the courses were a capstone.

Perhaps you can email them and sweet talk them into an accommodation? I think the flat rate rules are designed to discourage it because it is less profitable for them.

[rachel83az]

9 wouldn't be too bad. But I'm considering taking 16-18 to meet residency requirements and avoid the fee.

[tallpilot]

9 wouldn't be too bad. But I'm considering taking 16-18 to meet residency requirements and avoid the fee.

If you need the upper level credit I would certainly consider taking the networking course to avoid that ridiculous TECEP.  Paying for courses, especially to have some real graded courses instead of just credit seems like a better use of money than the residency waiver (it's like the dealership fee when you buy a car; it's just pure profit for the seller).

Ask them if they will let you split a 'term' into two months.  Then you could work ahead in the first group of classes to reduce your workload when the second group started.  They are flexible sometimes and in this case it would net them more money from you than the alternative.  You never know until you ask.

You'll have my undying admiration if you take 5 courses starting the same month.

[rachel83az]

Linear Algebra should be another option instead of that awful TECEP. I'm half considering capstone, cornerstone, calc III, & history of math to be able to get a CS/math degree. But that hinges on being able to pass the TECEP or linear algebra.

[tallpilot]

Linear Algebra should be another option instead of that awful TECEP. I'm half considering capstone, cornerstone, calc III, & history of math to be able to get a CS/math degree. But that hinges on being able to pass the TECEP or linear algebra.

I think that would be doable.  The cornerstone is pretty much a joke.  Only the final paper is more than 2 pages and it is a 6 module course so things are due every other week.

Calc II ended my college career so I am proud of you.  Back in the stone age when I was at a real college in the second year of CS my roommate came home very excited that he discovered we could get a math minor with just one more math course.  I was already appalled at the amount of math we had to take for CS and couldn't imagine taking any more.  I dropped out when I flunked Calc II because I couldn't go any farther in the program without it.

[rachel83az]

Thanks for the support!

The secret to making calculus "easy" is to have your own personal math tutor for free, haha. I am still a tad bit dubious of my own math abilities, to be honest, but I am slowly remembering math things more easily. It probably helps that I do like math. I want to go into analytics.