You're welcome!
Finding the perfect amount of study time is a challenge and will vary from test to test based on your background and interest in the subject. Once I got the hang of things, my pattern would be one test a week, though there were a few that I took more time and a few that I took less.
My thought was that I didn't want to take more than a few weeks for each test because my goal was to save time. Yes, saving money is important too, but for me, the primary motivator was getting a degree as quickly as I could. I decided that if I couldn't learn something within a week or two of adequate study, I should just take the class. After all, if I take 6 weeks to study, the time savings isn't really there. AND if I fail a test after 6 weeks, then I'm stuck taking a class that could take a few more months. I figured that if I take 1-2 weeks and then fail, at least I didn't waste too much time.
However, my 1-2 weeks per test worked for ME and is not the right choice for everyone. My pattern was to put my little ones to bed in the evening and then DH and I would hang out on the couch together. He would either play video games or study with me and I was on the computer studying for at least a few hours a night. I'm not great at studying and have a very low attention span, so I would do 10-15 minutes of study followed by 5 minutes of internet surfing, so I know that others would be a lot more efficient than me. Ha ha... right now I'm working on a paper for my MBA, but taking a break. I think I have adult ADHD or something
My really big secret to success was the spreadsheet with tests and dates. I am very goal-oriented, so typing up all of the tests I need and inserting testing dates really kept me on task. After every test, I would come home and immediately post on the specific feedback forum. Then, I would update my signature with the test and score and update my spreadsheet. It was a pattern that motivated me and kept me focused. I always thought it was a lot of fun to come back here and post because no one really understands what it means to pass a test so I couldn't really call my friends up and tell them!
8 exams a month is a very aggressive goal, but only you know how realistic this is for you. I had originally wanted to get my degree much more quickly, but I found that it took a while to really get the hang of things. If you can keep up that pace without getting burned out, then go for it. Just allow yourself a bit of flexibility so if you find that it's too much, you can change things. Just don't get sick of it and give up!!!
Whether or not you enroll now is entirely up to you. Remember that COSC requires both a Cornerstone and a Capstone class, so you may want to enroll to get the Cornerstone out of the way. Their advisors are known for being helpful and I relied on my advisor quite a bit. COSC has considerably lowered tuition from when I enrolled, so you wouldn't risk losing too much money if you enroll and take longer than expected. I actually liked being enrolled as a student while I was studying, but this all depends on how much you have to spend on school. If you're counting every penny, you may want to wait because each extra semester will cost you a couple hundred, so it just depends on whether you can afford that right now or not. Also, enrolling will give you a stronger commitment to COSC. This is good and bad. Good to keep you on track and motivated, but bad if you decide that you'd rather choose TESC or EC.
Hope this helps!!
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