Need Help Getting Started With My Life.

[cookderosa]

Hello everyone and good luck on your degrees. I'm glad that so many of you are motivated. And happy about how your moving forward in life.

Long story short I am in my 20s , and don't know what to do with my life (career wise). So I started looking up how to get a degree. Just to do something to keep my self going. I am a security guard (boring job) I do overnights so pretty much I play video games and read. To keep myself entertained. It is very boring, I have sometimes brought my clep studying book to work. I have [U]The Best Review for the CLEP General Exams. Pretty much my problem is I want to get a degree sooner then later. I don't know where to start. There is apparently 3-4 different schools to go with. I guess I want a degree that could get me an entry level job with just about anything. Does anybody know what the liberal arts degree could be applied towards. So far I have no credits. but i was thinking about taking these exams: English Composition. Humanities. College Mathematics. Natural Sciences. and Social Sciences & History. Does anybody know off any of these are worth taking. And second if any of you with more experience and wisdom could tell me alittle of your stories and how you got started going towards your degrees I would appreciate the rapport. Hello all I am Oliver

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Hi Oliver! Welcome to the board!! If you are willing to check out a book, can I suggest "Accelerated Distance Learning" by Brad Voeller? It is short, helpful, and lays out the basic idea behind all of this testing and online learning. The author earned his degree in business through testing and online learning.

Since you are still not sure what direction you want to go in, I suggest taking exams that can be used for basically any degree's GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. Most degrees and most schools are very similar in this area. For example, you will need an English Composition class for any degree from any school. I highly suggest comparing Thomas Edison State College and http://www.excelsior.edu to see if either one jumps out at you. The web sites will allow you to also request print material if you prefer. Look over the options for bachelor degrees. You will find that all will require 120 credits, but the breakdown will differ.

You ask about Liberal Arts and Business. These are opposite ends of the spectrum credit-wise. The business degree will spell out a "core" of classes you must do (or tests) while the liberal arts will spell out only categories- you have more freedom to fill the categories however you like (some majors spell out some classes, but that's for later).

A fun site to look around is PayScale - Salary Survey, Salaries, Wages, Compensation Information and Analysis This site will help you zone in on some of the various career paths as well as education needed and pay range expected. GENERALLY speaking, a liberal arts degree doesn't prepare you for a job. Most people use that as a "check the box" degree if they are already experienced in their job and need a promotion, or as a stepping stone onto graduate school. I know that is a generalization, but the people I have met seeking this degree are looking for the piece of paper, not necessarily training for something specific. (it's a fast and flexible option!)

A business degree is a bit better suited for career training, as it can probably open more doors. Even though you mention entry level, you might be able to come in as an entry level manager (rather than an employee) so that is something to consider. Not a lot of poetry and French in a business curriculum though.

No one here can choose your path, but give yourself a few weeks to hang around, check out info, get comfortable with the vocab and terms, understand the degree process (check out the book from the library) and in a short while, you will have all the information necessary to jump in and get going on your degree!!