Advice for a newbie to all this

http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5244

There are a lot of questions I have here that I would LOVE to get different opinions on. Please let me know yours if you have time. Thanks!!

 

no one with any advice? I still haven't heard opinions on a few things. Thanks

 

If you're looking for advice here's a tidbit:
If you're a different student than back when you earned that 1.8 GPA then your current grades will reflect this. Take some courses to show them this is the case. If you're a good student now they'll likely forgive the past indiscretions. To my knowledge, the only way to pull up a GPA is to get better grades in the future. Good luck,
Jack

 

not sure what your current question is?

I'm not sure what question you want answered?
I used to work in rehabilitation with people that needed to change careers. Suddenly their 1.1 GPA would come back to bite them (ouch).
It sounds like you are thinking about being a full time student? Why? You might find it cheaper and saner to go part-time. If it takes you 6 part-time years to finish a BS you'll have 6 years of experience, plus the BS. If you have to go to school full time for 3 out of six years, you'll have only 3 years experience plus the BS.
If you take one course a semester and get the "A" in a year you will have both proven you can handle college work and improved your gpa. If you can find a local school where you can get your associate degree you would have both another year experience plus the AS. If you want to go full time after you get the AS you'd have a good chance of admission. Plus you'll have a much better idea if going full time makes sense for motivation, sanity and affordability.
Most state websites have links to all the colleges/universities in that state.
The advice on Cleps/Dantes in the previous thread is generally good. Once you know what college you are going to get your degrees from, look for alternative ways to earn credit. Most colleges allow some form of "challenge". If you feel you know the contents of a course, you can ask to challenge it. Usually they give you an extensive final exam. I find most students in my area can get clep/dantes accepted in the electives, but departments prefer to have a student take courses in their major.
If you have extensive work experience the portfolio option is available at many schools. In the portfolio or "credit for life experience" you often take a special class (often called the portfolio) and write up your knowledge, skills & ability around a college class(es).
If you know what major you want to pursue you can pretty well figure out what courses you need to earn a degree at area colleges.
Finally, many college advisors are not versed in the colleges rules and options. I have had "college advisors" say the college does not accept clep/dantes when the college catalog says they do. I have had college advisors say the college does not have the portfolio when it is listed in the college bulletin. I have heard of college advisors stating that a course was required for a major when it was not. etc. The more homework you do, the better the chances you'll be able to do what you want.
Many colleges count the bulletin for the year of admission as your contract between the college and you. Often in the course of 4 years the requirements for a major will change. But most colleges will allow you to go with the rules at the time of admission (if you prefer those to the new rules).
I hope this is helpful.
I think you are in VA? There should be quite a few good schools in that area? What have you looked at?

 

What I Did when i was in a similar fix...

Hey Buddy,

you've come to the right place, but be patient...fixing your academic record is similar to fixing your credit! I am in the process of trying to do both!! LOL

Seriously: You have a well defined goal...get into a great school, succeed, get a degree, and MOST IMPORTANTLY prove to yourself that you can pick any GPA up out of the dirt and make personal improvements. You have accomplished task #1 (in my opinion)! YOu realized that there is a problem and you have matured enough to realize that it must be taken care of.

The next thing you have to do is determine how you go about fixing the problem. There was some great advice in the previous post..."Take some courses and get good grades in them!" You want to go to FSU, therefore take classes from an RA school that may be transferrable into a school like FSU (btw, I went to UofF on a football scholarship some years ago....needless to say that I didn't make it so now I am definately an FSU Fan). This is going to take time...and the laws of basic algebra are against you because you are going to have to take about nine(9) classes with at least a "B" in each to pull your grade up to around a 2.5/6.

One choice that is probably available is to take courses at a community college ( I went to Burlington County College in New Jersey and it was great). They may allow you to enroll because you are over 25 yrs old as a non-degree seeking student but you will get a GPA based on the amount of work that you do at the Community College and as always based on Grades. You never know... you may even stay there and matriculate as a degree seeking student.

One last word of...not advise but my experience...Take one course in a subject you like and are interested in along with One course you hate! Use the positive energy you experience in the interesting class and apply it to the class you hate!

If you have any other questions...continue posting! Even if people give you a bunch of Bravo Sierra, someone with some valid input will probably chime in as well.

Later,

Mike
AA Burlington College, NJ
BA TESC
MS Southwest Mo St. (on Hold)
JD Chapman Univ. (In Progress)