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+--- Thread: Newbie here (/Thread-Newbie-here--27944)
Newbie here - Meganmiha - 10-26-2017
Howdy all, been looking around the forum for quite some time but this is my first post. I am trying to decide what route to take to get a degree... Quickest and easiest, the major doesn't matter.
Where I live there is a teacher shortage so as long as you have a bachelors from an accredited college with minimum GPA of 2.5 you can take 7 additional classes here at the local CC to get your teaching certificate. This is my plan so all I need to get started is a bachelors degree in essentially anything.
What would be your recommendation or advice for a quick and easy degree if you simply just needed to "check the box?" I appreciate any advice and thank you all for your knowledge in this.
RE: Newbie here - bjcheung77 - 10-26-2017
Welcome to the board, you may be better served with the BSBA General Management as it's a business degree but, if you need a degree that's slightly cheaper/easier/faster, then go for the BALS - liberal arts studies with no concentration. For what it's worth, you may want to enter into this reply post with all your credits you may have earned, we can create a plan of action for you.
If you haven't started or just starting to get your first credits, then read/review the Beginners Guide sticky thread, the spreadsheet template on the last post, and the degree wiki. Use this thread as your accountability and progress/tracking of your current credits, and to ask more questions if you have any that may not be found in the search or wiki.
RE: Newbie here - posabsolute - 10-26-2017
OK I will bite, I'm sure more experienced guys will jump in later.
First thing first, read the beginner guide:
http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthread.php?tid=24842
After that, I can tell you about what I am doing.
I chose to do the BSBA (Bachelor of science, business administration) General Management from Thomas Edison State University, it's certainly the one that has the most information as to its testability on this forum.
I use the degree plan from bjcheung77
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9766o66mkeh1wb4/AACa_woj4eCPgmveVzmUxnGPa?dl=0&preview=2018+TESU+BSBA+GM+Basic.xlsx
It uses mostly 2 providers: Straighterline and study.com. It's not the cheapest option, but I find it's the most reliable in terms of speed.
Things I found out:
Math is going to s**k. You have to do it and it will probably be the slowest courses you will do.
Composition 1 & 2, intro to communication, I found SL was very lenient in essay grading.
Study.com: I do not listen to videos, I read the summary, do the quiz.
Study.com: AOS There is a lot of synergy in HR AOS courses from study.com, I closed 3 UL courses in 2 weeks
I plan to do the capstone in January, I will have accumulated 108 credits in about 7 months. 15-20 hours per week.
RE: Newbie here - Meganmiha - 10-27-2017
Thank you both for your replies! I have no existing credits, I've just been working as an insurance agent for the last 9 years and always wanted to go back to school but never thought I would have the time or patience to go sit in a classroom, it was the millionaire educator blog that taught me about Clep testing etc. I like the plan you're doing posabsolute. The price isn't as important to me as the ease of getting it done quickly is most important!!
RE: Newbie here - posabsolute - 10-27-2017
You should apply for study.com guardian scholarship, this would help you start for free for 3 months and 6 courses.
https://studyco.wufoo.com/forms/so2kiu51ofm53p/
Also be on the lookout for StraighterLine coupons, I got a lot of discount on the first 3-4 courses.
RE: Newbie here - socsci - 10-28-2017
(10-26-2017, 01:46 PM)Meganmiha Wrote: Howdy all, been looking around the forum for quite some time but this is my first post. I am trying to decide what route to take to get a degree... Quickest and easiest, the major doesn't matter.
Where I live there is a teacher shortage so as long as you have a bachelors from an accredited college with minimum GPA of 2.5 you can take 7 additional classes here at the local CC to get your teaching certificate. This is my plan so all I need to get started is a bachelors degree in essentially anything.
What would be your recommendation or advice for a quick and easy degree if you simply just needed to "check the box?" I appreciate any advice and thank you all for your knowledge in this.
A BALS is probably the easiest to complete. I would also focus on doing maybe humanities or science courses for a concentration, and also taking some education courses for your free electives. The education courses wont add to your main credits for the degree, but they will help you understand a bit more about being a teacher. Child development and Psych courses would help too.
Study.com - scholarship and some decent courses (a couple of easy, interesting and quick education courses for credit)
Straighterline - excellent for gen ed credits.
Shmoop (bit of a pain but very cheap) upper level credits for English literature for a BALS
RE: Newbie here - dfrecore - 10-28-2017
It used to be that the BSBA at TESU was the cheapest to complete, because the Capstone was able to be tested out of for $117. Now that that option is gone, the BALS or BSBA are both cheap and fast. The BALS is what I would recommend, because you'll have a lot more flexibility.
A BALS at COSC is also going to be fairly cheap, within a few hundred dollars of TESU. One of the main issues there (in my opinion) is that you have to take 2 science courses, and 1 with a lab - which will raise the cost a bit. If you don't enjoy science, then that's not a great option. But that's a pretty minor issue. The big deal there is the 30cr of UL that you need, and they are more stringent in what they will bring in as UL. TESU is a much better bet, with only 18cr of UL required, and 3cr of that will be your capstone course. So 5 UL courses, which are easily found.
So, my recommendation is a BALS at TESU.
RE: Newbie here - Life Long Learning - 10-29-2017
The most flexible one is this one.
http://www.excelsior.edu/programs/liberal-arts/liberal-arts-bachelor-degree-without-concentration
RE: Newbie here - dfrecore - 10-29-2017
(10-29-2017, 12:00 AM)Life Long Learning Wrote: The most flexible one is this one.
http://www.excelsior.edu/programs/liberal-arts/liberal-arts-bachelor-degree-without-concentration
Except for the depth requirements, and the 30cr of UL. And the price.