IT degree with A levels & 7 years of work experience

[rachel83az]

Wow, this is some real solid advice. Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the info in the past few days so I may have missed something.

@bjcheung77
I reviewed the thread and am a bit confused what the ACTFL exam is. It mentions something about the Russian language, which I speak due to Lithuanians past in the USSR.
Is it like a mandatory second language exam that you have to take while studying in UMPI?
Study.com seems to be the place to start, as in getting as many credits as possible to then finish the BABA degree in 1-2 terms. I get the feeling that 2 terms are more realistic according to other peoples experiences.

UMPI requires at least 3 credits in a non-English language. Most students get it from Sophia.org (Spanish and now French). But students who speak/read another language with some fluency can take an ACTFL exam and get inexpensive credit this way.

Do NOT start with Study.com. Start with Sophia.org. You can get most of your credits that way and it'll be cheaper/faster than Study.com. At SDC, they limit you to 2 exams per month (5 if you pay extra). Sophia costs half as much per month, but you can finish as many classes as you're able to for the same price. If you manage to finish 5, 10, or 20 classes in a single month, Sophia costs the same amount of money.

UMPI also requires a physical science and a biological science, at least one of which needs a lab. With your prior coursework, you may have this at least partially covered if you get your transcripts evaluated. Or you can just blast through the Sophia coursework and get it done quickly/easily. Because you've already done Chemistry at a university level, Sophia's Intro to Chemistry + Lab and then take Human Biology or Intro to Nutrition would probably be what I'd recommend.

@rachel83az
It seems that you can get a lot of ECTS points really cheap in Metropolia, which could be really helpfull and possibly transferable to many places due to Finlands good educational reputation.
The overall IT degree there would cost next to nothing, although it would take about 2 years. I looked at the subjects of the degree and they are very relevant!
Seems like a good strategic move. Thank you Finland for your high taxes, though to be honest Lithuanias aren't any lower

Yup. If you wanted to get a BA Computer Science from TESU, Metropolia would be a good source for many necessary credits. But Metropolia's IT degree would probably be about 1/10th the price of a TESU degree for you. I wouldn't bother with TESU unless you have a burning desire for a Comp Sci degree for some reason.