Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion
Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - Printable Version

+- Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion (https://degreeforum.net/mybb)
+-- Forum: Main Category (https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-Main-Category)
+--- Forum: General Education-Related Discussion (https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-General-Education-Related-Discussion)
+--- Thread: Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. (/Thread-Personal-conundrum-just-thinking-out-loud)

Pages: 1 2

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - mongoose65 - 12-19-2008

First, I just liking like using the word conundrum.
Second, I really appreciate all the info on these boards. Just fantastic!

I am really just looking for the degree to bolster my resume and get some payback/vengeance for all the money I wasted 25 years ago loitering around as an undeclared major, leaving to be a semi-successful rock musician and
8th semester freshman. So at 43, I am still "undeclared" and just testing out of as many credits as possible with a plan to finish by Sept. 09.

The dilemma is I am taking the Psych GRE to shoot for the "home run" of 30 credits (fewer are fine too) and I think I can get close. I have little interest in Psych beyond the credits. I DO really enjoy english and literature and have a better chance of scoring high on the Literature GRE but after duplicating credits, the MOST I can receive is 18. That would leave me with many more CLEP and DSST's to take in subjects I also have little interest in but will satisfy UL credits.

So the question is. Just go for the paper (degree) in Liberal Studies or whatever or go for a Humanities or Literature degree because I would actually like the sound of that?

So that's the conundrum...just go for the paper? Or go for what you enjoy even if it is meaningless professionaly and personally?

Thanks for reading and everyone have a wonderful happy and healthy holiday!

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - Namivie - 12-19-2008

for me, it would depend on why I wanted the degree. Is it to advance your career or for personal enrichment? If it's personal enrichment, I'd go for whatever degree I could earn the fastest. However, if it's for your career, you need to consider which one will help you the most. If they're equal, I'd go for the fast degree. If it makes a difference, I'd go with the degree that will help you the most.

For me, I am doing a combination of fast/and personal enrichment. I'm enrolled at TWU in their online degree program, but I get to choose my concentrations. I chose government as one concentration because the classes sounded interesting (and they REALLY have been) and business, because I could take 3 clep tests that they awarded jr level credit for that will count towards my degree.

Hope this helps. just my $0.02 cents.

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - cookderosa - 12-19-2008

mongoose65 Wrote:First, I just liking like using the word conundrum.
Second, I really appreciate all the info on these boards. Just fantastic!

I am really just looking for the degree to bolster my resume and get some payback/vengeance for all the money I wasted 25 years ago loitering around as an undeclared major, leaving to be a semi-successful rock musician and
8th semester freshman. So at 43, I am still "undeclared" and just testing out of as many credits as possible with a plan to finish by Sept. 09.

The dilemma is I am taking the Psych GRE to shoot for the "home run" of 30 credits (fewer are fine too) and I think I can get close. I have little interest in Psych beyond the credits. I DO really enjoy english and literature and have a better chance of scoring high on the Literature GRE but after duplicating credits, the MOST I can receive is 18. That would leave me with many more CLEP and DSST's to take in subjects I also have little interest in but will satisfy UL credits.

So the question is. Just go for the paper (degree) in Liberal Studies or whatever or go for a Humanities or Literature degree because I would actually like the sound of that?

So that's the conundrum...just go for the paper? Or go for what you enjoy even if it is meaningless professionaly and personally?

Thanks for reading and everyone have a wonderful happy and healthy holiday!
>>

I wasn't going to answer, but I like to use the word conundrum, and I used to be a big hair rock band groupie in the 80's...so I feel a connection :o)

Seriously though, I want to encourage you to finish your degree. I think that the utility of liberal studies or humanities degree is equal. They are both essentially learning degrees. In other words, you won't be "trained" to "do" a thing- BUT, you have checked the box, and can move on to the next thing in your life. If you have higher aspirations that require a certain kind of training, I would say "go for it" and get whichever degree is the shortest line to the goal post, and then use a master's degree to "do" whatever it is you want to "do" job-wise. In any field other than business, I don't think you can go wrong. (if you want an MBA, you should consider a business undergrad degree).

My musings: When I took a CLEP test, it was to see what it was. It wasn't too bad, so, I decided to get a degree! Mainly, I wanted to be able to council my homeschooled children through the process. I went to a trade school at the start of my career, so I always thought that the college maze was very intimidating and worried that I could help them make the right choices (as well as being prepared for the process).

After 18 months, I whipped out the requirements of a degree, that like liberal arts, isn't really a degree that I can "do" anything with....however it did wonders for my mental health Wink I love my job, but I decided to continue on for a master's degree and maybe more. Earning the degree opened doors that I didn't see- not in the way that I can go get a new job, but in the way that I could see (even at my age) I had a lot of cool options out there. While I don't know if I will change careers, I could if I wanted to! I can do anything! And that's a cool thing to be able to say. I was inspired! So...BEWARE....you too might be inspired to start a new chapter! (in addition to closing your old one!)

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - mongoose65 - 12-19-2008

Great responses, thanks. My plan is still to go for the "fastest, cheapest" route which includes the GRE and a certification that could potentially provide 26 credits (14 UL). An MBA would be most beneficial for what I do now but DON'T want to do forever. With my experience and any Bachelors, I feel secure I can get into a chumpy MBA program (which is likely all I can afford anyway) and get whatever benefits out of that I can.

I guess after the BA/BS, if I decide I REALLY want to "do" (as Jennifer said) something specific, I will set a goal and go for that. The best part of this process and the people on these boards is the spirit of saying "I can do this," laying out a game plan and carrying it through to completion. Exactly why we deserve the degree now we weren't able to achieve back then for whatever reason.

Jennifer, you make some great points about "opening doors" you didn't even consider. I think back and there are jobs I was qualified for and wanted but would not even attempt because I did not have a BS/BA, let alone a Masters. With my experience and the degre, I would have been instantly "super-qualified" if that makes sense.

Best,
Mike

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - gcalvin - 12-19-2008

Depending on your GRE score, you might consider going for the Psychology major. If you score above the 80th percentile, you'll have all of your major requirements covered, and the only other thing you'll need is the Research and Writing requirement, which is a one-credit course that basically requires one paper. I can't imagine any situation where a BS/BA in Psychology would be worse than one in Liberal Arts, and I can imagine several where it would be better. I get that you don't really want to think of yourself as a Psychology major, but maybe while you're cramming for the GRE you can analyze your own psyche a bit and get in touch with what that's all about. Smile

-Gary-

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - barcotta - 12-19-2008

From one 43 year old semi-successful former rock musician named Michael to another, my current career would also be most enhanced by an MBA. However, one of the things I learned when pursuing my General Business degree was that I really don't like the business stuff very much. I greatly preferred the Psych related exams--particularly Organizational Behavior. So--while I would get the most mileage from an MBA--I don't plan to pursue one at this point because the thought of ultimately pursuing a career that would require that type of knowledge just isn't very appealing. Just some food for thought.

Also, if you click on the "My Excelsior Degree Journey" link below, you can see how I transformed my music knowledge into 12 credits over a couple of days testing at my local community college.

Good luck!

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - mapalo - 12-19-2008

If you want the fastest route ...With Liberal Arts from EC,...I believe you can use up to 27 FEMA credits if not more and you can complete all of the in just a week if you want even less.

I went for Liberal Arts, quickest route coz I want to get into MBA and I know with a Liberal Arts degree I still can get into the MBA program that I want

Thanks
Mapalo

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - mongoose65 - 12-19-2008

Wow, Michael, we are "brothers from different mothers!" My own alter-ego out on the left coast! I am glad I started this thread or I would not have found your "degree journey" post which is enlightening.

I am in entirely the same boat. I did not need the degree, paid for it myself and have little patience for the red tape associated with school (even the red tape of "portfolio based assessments") that you wrote about.

Part of this game for me is to get the most credits for the least amount of money and fewest exams. I am going for the Psych GRE and a cheesy certification that costs $335 bucks and has the potential for 26 credits (29 but 3 are duplicated at EC) so I am gunning for 56 credits for $465 and 4 months of studying. Even if I don't max out on scores, it's still a good amount of credits just for doing above average. It's not exactly a free lunch as most know the Psych GRE is no picnic and the other exam is a 4 parter taken over 2 days with over 700 questions! The good part is it's 4 modules and passing any of them gets the credits for that module. They are ACE approved and I already cleared it with EC.

Like you, for what a cheap (like there is such a thing) MBA would do, it doesn't seem worth it and doesn't sound like much fun.

If I ever decide what I want to be when I grow up, I'll think about a grad program then. Hopefully one that will accept a smooth talker with a 2.5 gpa!!

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - Old Rusty Pipe - 12-19-2008

Just my two cents regarding the Psychology GRE vs Literature GRE.

You most you can earn from the Literature is 18 additional credits. The most from Psychology is 30 new credits. That really is only 12 addditional credits. Since Literature is something you feel that you are comfortable, you should consider sitting for the Literature GRE.

Here is my logic:

You have some experience with Literature, but none with Psychology. Flip it around here. That familarity means that much LESS effort to earn 18 upper level credits towards a degree. There are ample psychology CLEP and DSST exams that would cover those credits you are missing out on via the GRE, but with Excelsior the big thing is 30 upper level credits for their BSLS. I would imagine studying for 4 psychology CLEP's would be easier than studying for the Psychology GRE, and you are more likely to net more upper level credits via the Literature.

Not to mention, by your own admission you'd rather have a Literature degree. I tend to disagree with some of the other around here in this one area. You should pick a degree you want, not just what is simplest to get. Once you decide what that is, then figure out the fastest way to get to it. If you nail the Literature GRE, you complete all the requirements for a major you want. You still net the same amount of upper level credit, which is the biggest limiting factor.

Just a thought.

Personal conundrum...just thinking out loud. - mongoose65 - 12-19-2008

ORP, thanks for the response. I agree in theory but the problem is that of the 18 credits for GRE Lit, EC will make 12 LL and only 6 UL. That leaves alot of UL's to obtain through DSST's (not particularly easy ones, either) and not as cost effective.

I'm going to go with the plan above. I think if I set my mind to it, I can gain some decent credits from the Psych GRE and dollar for dollar it's the best bang for the buck. After that, I'll fill in the rest with CLEP's and DSST's and if all else fails will sit for the Lit GRE in the fall.

Best,
Mike