New to DegreeForum? How this Area works!

[sgloer]

So you've done a LOT of reading on this forum and you're excited about the possibilities of getting an online degree and want to figure out a plan for *you*...

Then it's time to create a thread in this area!

TIP #1:
Make sure you have done your homework. Read a lot of threads from other people who have asked for help and have posted their tentative degree plans, look at the college(s) you are interested in and try to do as much of the grunt work as possible for planning the degree yourself. You are a lot more likely to get help from other members if they see that you are serious and have put in the effort.

TIP #2:
List any and all sources of prior credit. Be specific! If you have already taken college courses in the past, list them out. If you have any computer certifications or big credentials that could be worth college credit, put those down. What you are bringing to the table can impact which college / degree path would be best for you.

TIP #3:
Be persistent, but be polite! DegreeForum members are very enthusiastic about what they have accomplished and love to help "newbies," but they are doing this for free. Showing your appreciation will go a long way, and sometimes, your first thread might not get you all of the answers you wanted. Keep reading, posting, and participating on the forum and good things will happen!

[ashkir]

SAMPLE TEMPLATE - PLEASE ALSO COMPLETE THE ADDENDUM BELOW IN POST #4.

Addendum & Template (answer in brief, compact, concise phrases - don't need long sentences):
Your Location:
Your Age:
What kind of degree do you want?:
Current Regional Accredited Credits:
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:
Any certifications or military experience?:
Budget:
Commitments:
Dedicated time to study:
Timeline:
Tuition assistance/reimbursement:

This is just a suggestion, but it can make people giving advice have to ask less questions. If it helps people here's a quick form that can help provide quick information:

Code:

[b]Your Location:[/b] State and Country
[b]Your Age:[/b]
[b]What kind of degree do you want?:[/b]
[b]Current Regional Accredited Credits:[/b]

School Name Total Credits: #
Class Name, Credits, Grade

[b]Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:[/b]

Provider Total Credits: #
Class Name, Credits, Grade

[b]Any certifications or military experience?[/b]
[b]Budget:[/b]
[b]Commitments:[/b]
[b]Dedicated time to study:[/b]
[b]Timeline:[/b]
[b]Tuition assistance/reimbursement:[/b]

Example:

Your Location: California, United States. We need to know this as some schools have great in-state discounts, or others don't accept international students.
Your Age: 24 Many schools don't accept people under 20.
What kind of degree do you want?: Any Do you want Computer Science? Business, etc? If you're open to suggestions, tell us your career goals.
Current Regional Accredited Credits: Break apart by school for ease of reading. Regional means the school has a regional accrediation. If you don't have any, that's okay leave it blank!

DegreeForum University Total Credits: 6
ACT 101 Intro to Accounting, 3, B
CHE 101 Intro to Chemistry with Lab, 4, A-

Google University Total Credits: 3
INF 102, Introduction to Information Systems, C

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: These are things like Study, Sophia, InstantCert InstantCredit, CLEP, Straighterline, Davar etc

Sophia Credits: 24
Ancient Greek Philosophers, 3, 100% or A
Approaches to Studying Religion, 3, 80% or B
Art History I, 3, 85% or B
Art History II, 3, 85% or B
College Algebra, 3, 72% or C
Conflict Resolution, 3, 95% or A
US History I, 3, 85% or B
US History II, 3, 70% or C

Study.com Credits: 3
Human Resource Management, 3, B

Any certifications or military experience? I have a Comptia A+ certification

SAMPLE TEMPLATE - PLEASE ALSO COMPLETE THE ADDENDUM BELOW IN POST #4.

[rachel83az]

Please do not reply to this thread if you need help/guidance. Start a new thread with your information so that it's more visible and easily found by those who can assist.

[bjcheung77]

ADDENDUM:  Please provide as much details as possible (no personal details needed, please be concise, short & simple)

Addendum & Template (answer in brief, compact, concise phrases - don't need long sentences):
Your Location:
Your Age:
What kind of degree do you want?:
Current Regional Accredited Credits:
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:
Any certifications or military experience?:
Budget:
Commitments:
Dedicated time to study:
Timeline:
Tuition assistance/reimbursement:

Update: In addition to the basic template above... It may be a good idea to expand the information you provide us to include the following, this will provide some insight into your particular situation.  We can either recommend the alternative test-out options COSC, EC (soon to be EU), TESU or competency based education providers such as PUG, UMG (UMASS Global - formerly Brandman), UMPI, WGU or another institution.

Budget: I have a max of $10K saved up.  I'd like to go the cheapest route possible, but will consider spending more for easy and fast.  
Commitments: Honestly, just kids/spouse and my pets. I currently work full time and can work on my studies part time or in the evenings/weekends.
Dedicated time to study: I can study as much as is needed during the night or weekends as long as my schedule is free. I estimate at least 3 hours every week night and on the weekends, maybe 6 hours, total would be roughly 15+12=27 hours or slightly more.
Timeline: Finishing the courses required for the degree as fast as possible would be ideal.  I would like to finish within 1-1.5 years (12-18 months)
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: Yes, my workplace partners with ABC XYZ university, I get free tuition for undergrad and half off for grad studies!

Please provide any relevant details you may have that may help us determine a option or path for you to investigate, such as your preference towards either test-out (you're a great test taker) or competency based education (because you like assessments, assignments and have test anxiety).  What other details you provide us can help determine your course of action suited for your educational journey...

Reminder, have you completed what is asked for in the template or the addendum? We don't ask for any identifiable info (address, birthday, email, name, SSN, telephone, etc), in fact, most of the time when people provide too much personal info, we remove the details or the attachments that contain these pieces of info. Note: Sometimes people provide a template/addendum answer with not much details.  I can understand the too much personal info part, but I just don't understand the part where you can provide enough decent info for others to help you with.

BJ's Blunt Conclusion: That's all I'm trying to get at, so instead of people picking up pieces of info from you or asking for you to get a better overview/picture of your situation, the more you provide, the better the answers you get. Not only that, ask yourself, you're saving people time by being up front instead of people asking to get one piece of info at a time... You get there easier/faster, plus, it'll take less resources for those who are helping you. So, it's up to you, are you here to help yourself better or delay that help further... You're welcome.

ADDENDUM:  Please provide as much details as possible (no personal details needed, please be concise, short & simple)