cframe Wrote:All transfer credits will not come with a grade. You have to take a TESC course (exam?) to have a GPA on your transcript. That subject has been bantered on the board, so you can do a search and read opinions. I've read through most opinions and there does not seem to be a consensus on whether it matters enough to change your degree plan to include one TESC course.
Cookderosa ... your 2 cents was invaluable to me in explaining options/pros/cons. Are you still around?
I'm here.
Cframe is right - I'll throw in my thoughts just for kicks
1. Any school you go to uses in-house classes to calculate your GPA.
2. Transfer credits are generally not part of your GPA at any school. You might find an exception to this, but not usually the case.
3. Exams are generally pass/fail. As far as I know, there is only 1 college in the country giving grades, that's Excelsior. Everyone else gives pass/fail which does nothing to your GPA.
This can be discussed a thousand ways. There are pros and cons, but in a nutshell, you need to ask yourself what your goals are- and then simply use the system to your advantage.
For instance: you want a degree in psychology. Is that because you just want a degree and psych is interesting? If so, pay no mind to your GPA and go forward. Now, if there is a sliver of a chance that you might want a career using psychology that leads to any type of graduate degree or license, then you need to make a good plan. Your plan should include classes in with tests, certainly classes in your major. Classes do a few things.
a) you learn to write. Specifically you learn to write in APA style.
b) you get to discuss. Specifically with other psych majors and a psych teacher.
c) you get feedback. Specifically you get to check your synthesis and creative understanding/application of the information you are learning.
d) you get a grade. Grades earned in house count toward your GPA, which will be part of any/all grad school application processes.
*I know what you're thinking. You're not interested in grad school. Yeah. Those are some famous last words around here
I love talking about fast degrees. Anything under 5 years (according to the US Department of Education) is a) beating the odds and b) FAST!
So, are you thinking 1 semester? 1 year? 2 years?? Are you married to the idea of testing out only or do you want a few classes too? Do you want to do everything from home, or are you willing-desire- to spend time in a classroom? How much $ do you have to spend, or do you want to use a Pell Grant or financial aid? Employee reimbursement?
All important questions. IMO, it's more important to spend 6 weeks here before doing anything. Submerge yourself into the archives, obsess, research, ask. 6 weeks here is = 3 years saved IMO.
My speedy degree consisted of 122 credits. My distribution was roughly: major was taken in house at TESC (4 terms=1 year), my gen eds were done through CLEP/DSST (mostly before my TESC classes started), and I used credit for prior teaching & FEMA in my free electives (simultaneously with classes). A few quirks along the way, but you get the idea. I started with 0 credit and did earned 120 in 18 months. I also have 4 kids that I homeschool during the day, teach 1 night per week, and volunteer 1 night per week. So, my college time was absolutely "part time" in terms of contact hours/study time.
You can do this. You can do it at your own pace and fill in the slots in a way that makes your life work. You don't have to test out of everything (which sometimes means studying something you don't like instead of something more interesting just because there is a test for one and not the other). You can get everything you need to know here. Welcome to the board!
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