I earned an Honors BLS Degree with Two Minors in 8 days!!

[basicunitoflife]

Important Dates: Study.com Business Courses
- December 6, 2023: Enrolled in Study.com
- December 10, 2023: completed Business 302, 306, 312, and 304 

Important Dates: UMPI
-January 16, 2024:Started my UMPI journey
- January 24, 2024:Successfully submitted all coursework including finals
- January 28, 2024: My last assignment was graded

Important dates Sophia.org updating science courses while in UMPI 
-January 16, 2024. Enrolled in Study.com to complete Intro to Ethics
-January 24, 2024 Finished last Science Course (all A's)

Time Distribution for Academic Events
 Average Assignment Grading (1-3 days) - Percentage of Time: 30%

• Longest wait time - (4 days)
  

 Professor Feedback (1-3 days) - Percentage of Time: 25%
 Receive New Assignment (1 day) - Percentage of Time: 15%
Complete Assignment (1 day) - Percentage of Time: 30%

A determined Journey to an Honors BLS Degree with Strategic Planning and Academic Excellence in Just Eight Days"
I'm excited to share my remarkable journey of achieving an Honors BLS degree with two minors in just eight days! My story is about determination, strategic planning, and the incredible impact of online education resources. My ultimate aim was to pursue an essential degree so I could apply to an Accelerated BSN Program; while doing so, I managed to earn A's in every class, graduating with honors and achieving a 4.0 GPA, which qualifies for a summa cum laude recognition.

Education on a Budget: Swift Progress Amid Financial Constraints

While some may argue that education is not a race, navigating through it swiftly becomes a necessity when on a tight budget, as is my case. Despite my husband having a stable career as the sole breadwinner, my financial situation meant I didn't qualify for any financial aid, compelling me to fund my education out-of-pocket. With this financial constraint, I aimed to complete my education within a single term.

My Background
When I first met my now-husband, I was diagnosed with ADHD and believed I had memory problems due to past lead exposure. His motivation and dedication to education inspired me to pursue further studies. With his unwavering support, we utilized Degree Forum to plan a debt-free path for my nursing prerequisites, completed through platforms like Straighterline, Sophia, Study.com, and Modern States.

2019, I applied for nursing school, and was accepted, but the pandemic hit, bringing personal losses. I lost my father and grandfather at the height of the pandemic, and I faced serious health challenges. During recovery, I took more ACE provider classes. Recently, my husband and I decided it was time for me to pursue a bachelor's degree so I can apply to an accelerated nursing program.

The Impact of Straighterline and Study.com
Straighterline played a crucial role in molding my academic journey, acting almost like a personal tutor for my writing skills. Straighterline English Composition courses weren't just sources of information; they became mentors, teaching me the art of crafting a compelling thesis and the significance of closely following the rubric to excel in my classes. Mastering the rubric wasn't just a box to check; it was akin to unlocking a secret code for academic achievement. This skill became my trusted companion as I ventured into the intricate terrain of challenging upper-level courses. The rubric, like a wise guide, ensured that my assignments not only met but exceeded the required criteria, contributing significantly to my success in those demanding academic endeavors
 

Study.com Upper-Level Classes with or without written assignments
Upon joining Study.com on December 6, 2023, I completed Business 302, 306, 312, and 304 by December 10. The upper-level classes on Study.com deepened my understanding of the subjects and honed my assignment setup skills. This platform's structured approach to assignments and engaging content contributed significantly to my success. 

I've observed that many individuals tend to shy away from upper-level classes with Study.com assignments, but I find them appealing for several reasons. When a course has a total value of 300 points, broken down into 100 points for quizzes, 50 points per assignment, and a final exam worth 100 points, tackling the assignments strategically can be advantageous. Completing the assignments and earning a 40 or 50 makes passing the course quickly possible. This is because one only needs to accumulate 210 points to pass, requiring only 10-30 points on the final exam. It's a method that offers a more manageable path to success in these courses.

The Journey to an Honors BLS Degree
I enrolled at UMPI, where I discovered an opportunity to earn two minors, one in Political Science and the other in Management. Despite having the option to take an easier route, since I had already completed so many upper-level courses with study.com, I was told I only had to take ten courses, which were six upper-level, and four lower-level electives. However, I decided to take ten upper-level credits and one lower-level course. The extra course was only because I was told I could declare a second minor and needed a certain amount of credits. 

Strategic Success: Tips for Achieving A's in 11 Classes

Achieving straight As in all 11 classes in a little over a week was made possible through strategic planning, a method I adopted from my husband and Sophia.org's student success course. Here are some helpful tips for fellow learners:

Ensuring the successful completion of your courses involves several key strategies. 
While Points 1 and 2 are undeniably important, the MOST CRITICAL factor is TURNING IN ALL MILESTONES AROUND THE SAME TIME PERIOD. This approach guarantees that you will receive your grades and have access to the final draft at the same time! This strategy worked with multiple teachers. 

1. Follow the Rubric: Adhere closely to the assignment guidelines provided.

2. Read the Syllabus: Develop a thorough understanding of the course syllabus.

3. Complete Finals First: Prioritize finishing final assessments early for a streamlined process. In certain courses, the final became available on the same day after completing quizzes, making it feasible to finish some courses promptly if crucial information was provided in the final assessment sheet and syllabus. However, for other classes, completing the first milestone was necessary to unlock access to subsequent milestones, which contained crucial details for the final. Subsequently, I would complete the final and proceed with the remaining milestones. After completing all milestones, I would review the final to ensure I didn't miss any essential components.

4. Minimize Video-Watching: Focus on reading course materials to enhance learning.

5. Stay Connected with Professors and your advisor: Maintain open communication with your professors and advisor through email and other channels.

6. Plan, Plan, and Plan: Develop a comprehensive plan to effectively tackle coursework.

FYI: Attached to this post is a document that provides an example from one of my classes. It illustrates how I submitted all my assignments at once, and the professor subsequently graded them in the same order. This streamlined approach not only eased my workload but also highlighted the effectiveness of well-organized efforts.

Academic Endeavors: My Accomplished Courses Alongside UMPI (11 in Total)

Courses completed concurrently with my UMPI journey, where I updated my credits and aimed for excellence by securing A's in every course. Recognizing the advantages of higher grades, including scholarships and waived enrollment requirements, motivated me to excel beyond the standard 70%.

**Sophia:**
- Updated Science Courses:
  - Microbiology 
  - Microbiology Lab
  - Anatomy and Physiology 1
  - Anatomy 1 Lab
  - Psychology
  - Sociology
  - Developmental Psych
- Additional Classes:
  - Environmental Science
  - Intro to Ethics
  - Ancient Greek Philosophy

Achievement
My overall experience at UMPI was positive. I achieved an Honors BLS degree with two minors in just eight days, highlighting dedication and the support from Degree Forum. Thanks to BJCheung77 and the community for shaping my journey. To those on a similar path, stay dedicated and embrace support; your goals are within reach.

[bjcheung77]

@TonyaBay, Congrats on getting this degree completed and that was done at an amazing pace! Great job, nice write up, that's just so awesome of you to provide tips and advice to the prospective people starting their new journey at UMPI! You're a rockstar! Congrats again, hope you continue on your next journey, and looking forward to seeing you complete that UMPI MAOL in one session if that is in your books for later as a future goal...

[Duneranger]

I taught at an accelerated nursing program; it's good you got this degree cheaply because accelerated programs are cash COWS.

[ss20ts]

There have been a few courses where you're stuck until the Milestone is approved. Posts like this set unrealistic expectations for the vast majority of students. I mean it's cool someone completed 10 UMPI courses in 8 days, but I can see this causing UMPI to make changes in the future especially if the accreditation board gets wind. You truly didn't complete the entire degree in 8 days because the majority of classes were transferred in. Depending on what courses a degree requires, you can be waiting a week for the professor to grade. I see people frustrated all day long that they're waiting 2, 3 days and sometimes longer.

[pjmix2000]

This question might sound stupid but, what if the nursing school you are trying to go to does not take ACE credits such as Sophia or Study.com?

[ss20ts]

This question might sound stupid but, what if the nursing school you are trying to go to does not take ACE credits such as Sophia or Study.com?

Many don't and that could be a problem for some folks.

[bjcheung77]

Most health/medical programs have specific prerequisites and requirements for entry, people usually finish the Bachelors and then take the remaining classes either online or butt-in-seat, this is especially true for those natural science classes such as Bio, Chem, Physics, and so on. In short, it's Bachelors, prerequisites (online/butt-in-seat), then apply to the health/medical program of choice once everything is completed and in an orderly fashion. Prospects need to make sure they've got the 'full package' and not missing anything through their checklist of entry prerequisites/requirements...

[pjmix2000]

I was thinking the same thing. In the post however, the ultimate goal is to transfer the BLS to an accelerated nursing program I wonder if there is a particular nursing school that accepts those ACE credit.

[GameSlinger]

Amazing journey and congratulations.

Yes as some others have stated, this is not 0 to 120 credits in 8 days as they stated they did work on some credits following the pandemic. From my count, there were 11 classes (33 credits) at UMPI in 8 days, and 14 classes (42 credits?) through SDC and Sophia in 4 days plus UMPI overlap. That is 75+ credits in just under 2 weeks which is amazing by any standard. At that pace, I believe that you could have done the full 120 credits in less than 3 weeks. 

Yes there may be some difficulty finding a Nursing program that will accept all the science classes, but I believe there will be success in your future.

[kai1120]

First, let me congratulate you on this incredible achievement. You did something I had always thought about but feared doing. I noticed the number of classes and days indicate you've completed more than one course in a day multiple times. I understand a significant amount of studying happened in the form of reading instead of watching lecture videos, but one course a day with straight A's really surprised me quite a bit. Was the reading challenging to you? How would you evaluate the amount of work involved for an average course (e.g., one could finish if dedicating x hours in one day)? Are you familiar with the topics before taking these courses? Do you think this is replicable for an average learner, or did your experience in the past play an important role in allowing you to do this?

In any way, this is a great achievement; congrats again. You'll be inspiring many in the future.
I'll be looking at the Straighterline English Composition course. It seems like this could be a good help for what I'm doing now as well.