My degree plan for TESU BA in CS; thoughts/recs?

[rachel83az]

PLA-1000 is gone, yes.

If you just want RA credit and residency doesn't matter, take a TECEP. If you're already a current student, you can register for up to 5 TECEPs for free right now: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...ilable-Now

If you're not already a current student, a single easy LL TECEP for about $150 is going to be the fastest/cheapest way to earn credit.

[bruh]

PLA-1000 is gone, yes.

If you just want RA credit and residency doesn't matter, take a TECEP. If you're already a current student, you can register for up to 5 TECEPs for free right now: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...ilable-Now

If you're not already a current student, a single easy LL TECEP for about $150 is going to be the fastest/cheapest way to earn credit.

What?! Awesome! I got that same email too but archived it right after reading it was for NJ students. I didn't realize! Thanks for showing me this.

[rachel83az]

In that case, you might as well sign up for the max and attempt what you can. If you're doing the BACS, it's a great way to do the dreaded Network Technology TECEP without worrying about wasting money if you fail.

[bruh]

In that case, you might as well sign up for the max and attempt what you can. If you're doing the BACS, it's a great way to do the dreaded Network Technology TECEP without worrying about wasting money if you fail.

Oh yeahh, that! That's actually so true. Hmm, maybe..!

[bruh]

I'm in a bit of a pickle right now too... Reading the last section of this post is pretty sufficient to understand what I'm trying to do next. Everything in the middle is just details.

I was trying to sign up for the capstone course, but the Student Portal stated that I need a granted petition. However, Academic Advising informed me that I need 100cr in order to qualify. I currently only have 88cr, and I'd need to get 12 more in the 1-3 week window I have before the late registration deadline of 8/25 to make it for the September 2023 term. 

Potential solution?

I could try to complete the following courses below, which I actually need to complete for my degree. However, I'm not too sure how realistic it could be to finish them within the next 1-2 weeks (allowing the remaining week as cushion time to let Study.com grade me, Academic Advising process my transcript(s), etc):
— [SDC] CS201: Data Structures & Algorithms
— [SDC] Business 303: Management Information Systems
— [SDC] CS302: Systems Analysis & Design
— [SDC] CS303: Database Management

So instead, I was thinking of switching the last 3 SDC courses with Sophia courses so that I can qualify for the granted petition.
— [Sophia] Introduction to College Mathematics
— [Sophia] Introduction to Information Technology
— [Sophia] Introduction to Programming in Python
— [SDC] CS201: Data Structures & Algorithms

To make the SDC/Sophia subscriptions a little more worth it too, I'd make sure to do these courses too before the 30-day window finishes:
— [SDC] Business 303: Management Information Systems
— [Sophia] Precalculus

I could also do some free TECEPs/CLEPs instead too, but I like the safety/surety of Sophia's open-book exams, especially since I may only have a few weeks to act.

My thought process for why this may (or may not) work

I reasoned that I could switch out those SDC courses (which are actually necessary) with those Sophia courses (which will ultimately be inapplicable, at least the two CS courses) since I still have 15cr of available room in my CS electives and 5cr of available room in my free electives, so they'd be able to apply. Additionally, I reasoned that I'd still be able to graduate since, even though the Sophia courses aren't residency/RA/UL credits that I need to graduate, I could theoretically still be able to sign up and take the residency/RA/UL courses I need later on, which I reasoned from what @rachel83az said to me earlier in this thread a few months ago:

For a TESU degree in Comp Sci, you're right that the ADMJ courses are not going to be used in the gen eds or AOS, which makes them seem useless. But they're not useless. TESU requires a minimum of 30 RA credits and they don't care where those credits are placed (except for the cornerstone and capstone, of course). The ADMJ courses can be put in electives and count toward your RA credit needs. TESU will always, ALWAYS favor RA credits over alternate credits. So your 9 credits of ADMJ courses will "bump off" 9 credits of Sophia and/or CLEP electives that you have listed.

However, during an extensive email conversation I had with Academic Advising*, I ultimately had this exchange:
* I very much remember that in another one of my threads, I was told that I should consider you all here at DegreeForum as my best TESU advisor since Academic Advising and etc often get things wrong, but I still went ahead... 

Me: May I temporarily drop the CIS-1070, PHI-1300, and MAT-1150 classes [i.e. TESU classes I needed in order to graduate; classes I had already registered for in anticipation for the upcoming term] in order to apply the Sophia credit toward the 100-credit requirement? Or after I take those Sophia courses, will it be impossible to take and apply the CIS-1070, PHI-1300, and MAT-1150 course credit from TESU?
AA: The courses you drop will not be able to be applied to the same requirements once the Sophia Courses are transferred in an applied to the degree requirements unfortunately.

Deciding on what term to begin class (Sep, Oct, or Nov)

The reason I've been so set on September 2023 is that I want to finish in time before the holidays. The September term will finish right before the week of Thanksgiving, but if I start during October or November, work may run real close to/run over Thanksgiving/Christmas time.

Also, TESU's Software Engineering class isn't available during October. It's only available during September and November. I heard that doing Saylor should be considered as a sort of last resort if you can't get UL CS credit any other way.

However, I'll ultimately still be graduating at the same time of March 2024. Additionally, I think we'll still be getting Thursday + Friday off for Thanksgiving and the whole week off for Christmas, so I probably won't be doing school on the same day of the big events. Plus, school is digital/asynchronous, so I may also go fast beforehand so that I can have more non-school time during those special weeks.

Also, perhaps the extra time could allow me more time to prepare for Saylor's SWE course. I could even attempt the Network Technology TECEP if I band together with those planning to do it soon since TESU's giving 5 free TECEPs to current students.

This is all to say, I could do October or November if it'd be more reasonable/realistic and still get me to where I ultimately wanna be.

What now?


After having that earlier exchange with AA, I gave up on trying to get credit quickly through Sophia, and after considering whether or not I should go for Sep. '23, I thought I should ask on here too for advice on what to do next.
These are the pathways I'm now considering: Beginning TESU classes during the ...
— Sep. '23 term, with 1-2 weeks left for 3 Sophia's + 1 SDC
— Sep. '23 term, with 1-2 weeks left for 4 SDC's, which will actually, ultimately apply towards my degree with very little time
— Oct. '23 term, with 5-6 weeks left for 4 SDC's, with reasonable amount of time to finish/learn everything properly
— Nov. '23 term, with 9-10 weeks left for 4 SDC's, still finishing in time to make it for March 2024 graduation
Thank you!

[rachel83az]

I would either go with October or November to start the capstone. Probably November, then graduate in March.

Take Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics (MAT-1050-TE) for free instead of Sophia Introduction to College Math. Easy, no-study exam as long as you can do basic maths.
Take the Network Technology TECEP for free. You probably won't pass, because most don't pass it the first time, but it's free. So you might as well take it. I doubt I'll pass, but I'm still taking it.
Take the College Algebra TECEP instead of MAT-1150. Maybe you won't pass it, but maybe you will. It's free to attempt, at least.

Were you taking PHI-1300 as easy residency credit? If so, save it for November. You don't NEED PHI-1300 otherwise.

Save Sophia's Intro to IT and instead take the CIS-1070 ePack class as part of a 15-credit final term; it's a super easy exam. Take Software Engineering in November.

If you post a current evaluation with what you have right now, I can offer more suggestions.

[bjcheung77]

@bruh, I would take the Sophia.org classes and study for the TECEPs, you should also create a spreadsheet and post the link to the file on your google or one drive so we can see your current courses and the ones remaining (make the file viewable not editable). We can then comment on the remaining courses - it maybe a good option to also create a screenshot of your evaluation so we actually get the full picture, just remove any personal details at the top of the evaluation. Basically, Sophia.org you can take right away for the next little while until those are completed, then you can start studying for the TECEPs.

[bruh]

I would either go with October or November to start the capstone. Probably November, then graduate in March.

Take Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics (MAT-1050-TE) for free instead of Sophia Introduction to College Math. Easy, no-study exam as long as you can do basic maths.
Take the Network Technology TECEP for free. You probably won't pass, because most don't pass it the first time, but it's free. So you might as well take it. I doubt I'll pass, but I'm still taking it.
Take the College Algebra TECEP instead of MAT-1150. Maybe you won't pass it, but maybe you will. It's free to attempt, at least.

Were you taking PHI-1300 as easy residency credit? If so, save it for November. You don't NEED PHI-1300 otherwise.

Save Sophia's Intro to IT and instead take the CIS-1070 ePack class as part of a 15-credit final term; it's a super easy exam. Take Software Engineering in November.

If you post a current evaluation with what you have right now, I can offer more suggestions.

Oh yeah, sure thing. Here's a PNG of my current evaluation to this post. (Feel free to ignore classes planned for September 2023; I'll make some changes for November, I think.): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mvGcTWZ...sp=sharing

Here's the link to a Google Spreadsheet of my degree plan too, as of the moment before this most recent post of mine: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...sp=sharing

Ah whoops, I already finished Sophia's Introduction to College Math course a few months ago too.

I'll try taking Network Technology TECEP during one of these upcoming terms as well. I'm maybe 70% likely to do so, but I think my only hang-up is not wanting to use up free TECEPs in case I want to get other quick RA credit in the future for another kind of BA, especially if my chances aren't looking too hot. Plus, I'm already getting the UL CS credit w/ TESU's SWE in November. Hmm, I don't know though. Perhaps if I think it through some more*, I'll get closer to 100%.
* like if paying for TECEPs won't be as big of a problem for me in the future, or if the credit I may one day be looking to get from these TECEPs can be obtained in other, better ways, or if 5 TECEPs is probably more than I'd ever know what to do with, or etc.

I was thinking of doing MAT-1150-OL for the residency credit too though. Plus, I need credit for my ASNSM in Math, so that's why I was thinking of taking this math class too. Perhaps I can also do the College Algebra TECEP if I've already maxed out on ACE/NCCRS credit for my ASNSM in Math and thus cannot use Sophia/CLEP.

And yep, I was planning on taking PHI-1300-OL for the easy residency credit as well. When I switched from August to September though, I took it off my plan since TESU's Software Engineering became available to give me the residency credit, and I thought I'd kill two birds (residency credit + math credit) for the ASNSM.

I'll make sure to just go for CIS-1070-EP too instead of Sophia's course, and yep, I'll take SWE in November too.

So right now, it looks like my plan is this:

August
— [SDC] CS201: Data Structures & Algorithms
— [SDC] Business 303: Management Information Systems
— [SDC] CS302: Systems Analysis & Design

September
— [SDC] CS303: Database Management
— [SDC] CS306: Computer Architecture

October
— [TECEP] Network Technology (CMP-3540-TE)
— [TECEP] College Algebra (MAT-1210-TE)
— [CLEP] College Mathematics

November, December, January
— [TESU] Critical Information Literacy (SOS-1100-OL)
— [TESU] Computer Concepts & Applications (CIS-1070-EP)
— [TESU] Software Engineering (CIS-3510-OL)
— [TESU] Liberal Arts Capstone (LIB-4950-OL)
— [TESU] Intermediate Algebra (MAT-1150-OL)

Thank you for all of the ideas. 

[bruh]

@bruh, I would take the Sophia.org classes and study for the TECEPs, you should also create a spreadsheet and post the link to the file on your google or one drive so we can see your current courses and the ones remaining (make the file viewable not editable).  We can then comment on the remaining courses - it maybe a good option to also create a screenshot of your evaluation so we actually get the full picture, just remove any personal details at the top of the evaluation.  Basically, Sophia.org you can take right away for the next little while until those are completed, then you can start studying for the TECEPs.

Hmm, do you mean for these Sophia.org classes and TECEPs as a way for me to make it in time for the September 2023 term? or did you mean something else?

And yep! Sorry, I missed this post when I made my recent reply to @rachel83az, but I made sure to include both a screenshot of my evaluation + a link to my degree plan spreadsheet. I just updated to let people comment directly on it too like you said.

What do you mean by this though?: "Basically, Sophia.org you can take right away for the next little while until those are completed, then you can start studying for the TECEPs."

[rachel83az]

As far as we're aware, the free TECEPs are ONLY for the September term. Use 'em or lose 'em. If you don't take them now, they'll almost certainly cost money later.

Okay, so you've already got MAT-1050, so don't bother with College Math at Sophia. You can do Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics (MAT-1050-TE) if you want to replace the current course with RA credit. It's still supposed to be an easy exam.

In your electives, BUS-1010; ART-2210; LIT-292; and LIT-291 all have the potential to be bumped to the unused credits section if you take one or more TECEPs. This is a good thing, because it leaves more room for alt credit in the AOS.

Some TECEP suggestions are:

• Network Technology - Difficult, but it's free! Might as well give it a shot. We've got resources in the Discord.
  
• College Algebra - Not as easy as Liberal Arts Math, but doable. Depending on how comfortable you are with math, use Khan Academy and/or spend $25 to use https://ea.asu.edu/courses/college-algeb...g-mat-117/ to study.
  
• Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics - As already stated, you've got this one already. But you can replace it with the RA credit of the TECEP if you want.
  
• Intro to Biology or Science of Nutrition - Being a 100-level course, Biology is probably going to be a slightly easier exam than the 200-level Nutrition course. But you can use Nutrition at Sophia to study for the TECEP and wind up with credit for both Sophia and TECEP; they don't overlap.
  
• Operations Management - If you pass this one, you're just one class away from being able to get a certificate in Operations Management. Could look good on a resume. https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...Management
  
• Introduction to News Reporting - Elective; based on your previous courses, may overlap well with current knowledge.
  

Pick the 5 that look easiest/make the most sense for your goals. Even if you only pass 1 or 2 of them, free credits are free credits. With the 15-credit term, you should have plenty of RA credits to graduate.

------

Why are you planning on taking the College Math CLEP exam? Are you also attempting to get the ASNSM Math?

If so, it's possible that you won't get the 6 credits for the CLEP because that expired at the end of March. You might only get 3 credits. For the ASNSM Math:

• MAT-1050 (already taken, gen ed)
  
• Calculus I (already taken, BACS & ASNSM requirement)
  
• Discrete Math (already taken, BACS requirement & ASNSM AOS elective)
  
• STA-201 (already taken, should count as ASNSM AOS elective)
  
• Intermediate Algebra (planned as part of 15 credit term)
  
• CLEP Math (planned - may only be 3 credits)
  
• College Algebra (TECEP - free)
  
• Precalculus (take at Sophia if CLEP is only 3 credits and TECEP isn't passed)
  

Math ASNSM only requires 15 credits in math electives + Calculus I and the quantitative literacy in the gen eds. For BACS students, most of this is filled in automatically - including the Additional AOS Electives.