Beginners Guide To Getting Cheap/Fast College Credit

AsianStew · Aug 3, 2017

Yet again the links are broken, I'm adding it to drop box for the Degree Plan Template Links
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9766o66mkeh1wb4/AACa_woj4eCPgmveVzmUxnGPa?dl=0

MTobo · Aug 14, 2017

AsianStew, did you get my PM?

AsianStew · Aug 14, 2017

MTobo, No I did not get any private message.
If you would like, please resend the details to me.
Thank you. PS. Nice webpage!

AsianStew · Aug 21, 2017

My Grad School Thoughts - Masters/PHD

I'm going to apply to them later, I am taking a 3 month Leave of Absence from work to travel. *I am not in a rush to get a Masters (I think it's the highest education level I will go for now, not aiming for a Doctorate/PHD anytime soon). *If I want to apply, I may want to apply to 3 Masters program at the end of the year or March 2018 (whenever I feel like it, after I come back from my travels). *

These are the Top 3 choices for me and will suit anyone with a Bachelors (any major). *Hodges MIS (no entrance requirements but a Bachelors) OR Hodges MPA (IACBE secondary/programmatic accredited), WGU (MBA - 6 months for $3500) OR Patten MBA (4 months at $1900 or 8 months for $3800). *Patten maybe the cheapest if one can finish in 4 months, but for those who are "slower", it's cheap at 8 months.

Patten Tuition: anyone got a corp discount code for $1900/4 months? Tuition Cost
Patten Online Degrees List:*Online College Degrees
The Patten MBA has 7 concentrations, I am thinking of going for the Finance option

WGU Tuition ($3250/6 month term):*https://www.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/tuition
WGU MS ITM:*https://www.wgu.edu/online_it_degrees/network_management_master_degree
WGU MBA ITM:*https://www.wgu.edu/business/master_business_administration_IT_degree
WGU MSML:*https://www.wgu.edu/business/master_leadership_management_degree

Hodges Upower $3500/6 months -*https://www.hodges.edu/academics/academicprograms/upower.aspx
Hodges MIS PDF Link: https://webadvisor.hodges.edu/aa_pdfs/cur_gradbulletin.pdf#MIS
Hodges MIS*https://www.hodges.edu/academics/academicprograms/masters-information-systems.aspx

*MIS is 36 credits, but you can get 6 credits waived if you have taken MIS & Project Management
Hodges MPA PDF*Link:*https://webadvisor.hodges.edu/aa_pdfs/cur_gradbulletin.pdf#MPA
Hodges MPA https://www.hodges.edu/academics/academicprograms/upower-masters-public-administration.aspx

bernieyeater · Oct 11, 2017

Saylor Multiple Accounts for Proctored "Final"

Please note there are some posts here that suggest using multiple Saylor accounts to prepare for the final proctor exam by taking the non-proctored exam as practice. One post states "

"The practice final questions are not going to be identical to the proctored final.
Having a second account isn't cheating and it's giving you an extra practice set to "gauge" where you're at.Hope this helps, more practice testing is where it's all at to pass any proctored exam"

"Having a second account isn't cheating" this statement does not match the rules in the student handbook.

https://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Student-Handbook.pdf

Based upon this advice, and my failure to read the Saylor.org student handbook, I found out that this is NOT ALLOWED

Realizing that I had unwittingly violated Saylor's rules I immediately reported the incident to Saylor, and asked that my other Saylor's practice accounts be closed. They are looking into my report.

SUGGESTION: Before taking advice concerning the use of Saylor's for your studies, read the student handbook. Use of multiple accounts to bypass the 14 day study period is a violation of the rules - even if you are simply using it as a practice exam for the proctored exam.

Kizmet · Oct 11, 2017

good tip, thanks

AsianStew · Oct 11, 2017

Bernie is right - good call, as per their website, they were making updates while I was writing this thread...
Technically, this should only apply if you're using the second account to bypass the proctored final restriction of retaking it 7 days later.
There's no restriction for using a second account for practice tests or for quizzes and such.... go figure...
Blog Link: https://www.saylor.org/2016/05/blog-student-handbook-updated-and-revised/
Newer 2016-05, PDF Link: https://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Student-Handbook-May-2016.pdf

In general, you should maintain only one account (i.e. one email address) with Saylor Academy.
Creating multiple accounts to bypass waiting periods or other restrictions is not allowed (see
“Academic Code of Conduct” below).

Excerpt: A note about exam re*takes and multiple account creation:

You will be allowed to take a Saylor Academy course final exam as many times as needed in order for you to pass it.
However, all final exams do have a mandatory waiting period of two weeks between attempts.
This waiting period is meant to encourage you to take some time to study after an unsuccessful
attempt and also serves to protect the integrity of the exam as well as the value of course
certificates. While we understand that it may be tempting to create a separate user account in
order to bypass these exam waiting periods, doing so does constitute a violation of our
Academic Code of Conduct and therefore may result in account suspension/deletion and denial
or revocation of certificates and credentials.

bernieyeater · Oct 12, 2017

I received a really nice email from Sean of Saylor thanking me for my candor and reporting my use of multiple accounts to study for the proctored exam after I passed the non proctored exam.

It was very stressful for me, because theoretically I could loose all my credits at Saylor for reporting it. Five month of studies and 9 credit hours down the drain.

In the end I decided that telling the truth and reporting the incident was the right thing to do.

It was a good life lesson for me, a blog such as this is no substitute for the policies of any institution.

Every school I have been to has a code of conduct and written rules, I should have known better.

AsianStew · Oct 16, 2017

Update: Removed ALEKS from the spreadsheet templates as they are no longer ACE Recommended for credit.
Please read the 2018 TESU BSBA GM Basic for the General Education Requirements (Recommended courses)

There are 5 templates updated for the remainder of this year and for 2018 catalog year (if there are no major changes).
1) BSBA CIS, BSBA GM, BA CS, BALS (English Lit minor using Shmoop), BALS (Psychology Minor using Study.com)

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9766o66mkeh1wb4/AACa_woj4eCPgmveVzmUxnGPa?dl=0

Nottoosure · Dec 1, 2017

Where did the link go? When I click it takes me to degreeforum dot net

Nottoosure · Dec 6, 2017

Nottoosure said: ↑

Where did the link go? When I click it takes me to degreeforum dot net
Click to expand...

I cannot delete or edit my post, but disregard. I found the updated links in a later post.

CryptoJones · Dec 15, 2017

This was on their website when I looked today..

It is uncertain whether ALEKS will be recertified for the ACE credit program. Unfortunately, after August 31, 2017, users will not be able to request ACE Credit approval for work done in ALEKS. We are working to resolve the recertification issues. We cannot guarantee success in these efforts. If and when we are successful, requests for approval will again be accepted, including work done during the interval of suspended certification. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

poeticsteph · Jan 30, 2018

There is a $250 course ($200 plus $50 registration fee) being offered this summer through Harvard Summer School. You can choose four undergraduate credits or four graduate credits. I have been told by classmates in a current class I am taking that you do not need to be a current teacher to benefit.

ENGL S-300 Poetry in America for Teachers: The City from Whitman to Hip Hop

This semester through Harvard Extension School, they offered that one as well as the one I'm currently in (ENGL S-182M Poetry in America: From the Civil War through Modernism) for $200 plus a $50 registration fee. I do not know if they will do the same in the fall. In my current class, the only extra requirement for graduate students is two additional pages for the final paper (which means it will be six to eight pages). Like other Harvard Extension courses, it is not self-paced.

Given how even undergraduate Harvard Extension classes are expensive (I once paid $550 for one; those were the days) and that it costs $3,300 plus fees to enroll in summer school, I wanted to share this bargain.

vpassenheim · Mar 21, 2018

AsianStew said: ↑

How/When To Start? Start Now For Cheap!

People are worried about starting and getting accepted at the Big 3. Don't, sit back and relax.
If you don't know where to begin, get a spreadsheet going and enter in the required courses.
Find all required courses from what's available and plug in that info. Work on those courses.

Your first step should be to find the degree and requirements for that degree and create a spreadsheet.
Second step is to work on most of those requirements, I would get almost halfway, such as getting all your Gen Ed + Free Elective done.
Third, apply to ACE Credit Registry and have your courses sent to them if they are ACE recommended.
Four, apply to Big 3 and send them your transcripts from ACE and whatever else you have.
Five, speak with an adviser on completing your AOS (Area of Study) courses and match it with your spreadsheet.

Basically, you might want to plan and map out your degree, fill all those credits up, and apply at the latest point.
The reason is you will have all your stuff together for them to process and graduate before they charge you another annual enrollment fee. This is explained on the wiki actually. Please take a bit of time and read the DegreeForum wikia page, it helped me and others as well.

If you're still confused, the Big 3 allows you to transfer pretty much everything but their capstone and cornerstone courses.
This means, you don't need to apply right away. You can spend 6-10 months, get 90+ credits or more and then apply to them.
Note: You don't have to send them anything until you are ready, example, transcripts.
Don't rush yourself and work your courses according to your own plan and pace.

Which courses to take first, when to create an ACE Credit Registry account? Checklist Q&A:
I usually tell people to begin with the FREE courses first as it will give you an idea of online learning.
If you complete the free gen ed elective/free elective courses, there's no cost for 14 credits to start you off!
My suggestion is do them in this order: Kaplan PLA LCR 100, NFA courses, Institute Ethics 312, TEEX courses.

Start your ALEKS College Algebra, it's $20/month, if you can finish quickly do the Intro to Stats.
These two are the most recommended courses, if you want more, you can go for Intermediate Algebra and PreCalc.
For me, I am taking all 8 for a max of 12-18 credits total, it depends on the school accepting the credits.
Guess what? You're at 26+ credits, it cost you just $20-$40, and you are pumped up to do more cheap courses!
When you are done all of these, continue updating your spreadsheet and you can then start your Saylor or Straighterline courses.

What's the easiest method to go through the FREE credits quickly? It's not proctored!
It's an open book exam. So, open multiple browsers/tabs (or a second monitor) and go through them.
Especially when you have the NFA, TEEX courses, you can have the answers at your fingertips.
Have the questions on one screen/window and have the course materials open on another tab/window.

For ALEKS, I go through topics and it's the online calculators that I use to "confirm" my answer is correct.
In order to check steps to get to your answer (explain hyperlink), I also have the Master Account open to view previous assessment. I do an assessment, go through topics until I reach a few % higher (or to 70%), and do another assessment.
You need to do this a few times until you reach the 70% or higher on the last assessment; once there, request your ACE credit.

More to come...
Click to expand...

AsianStew,

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum thread to post in, but here it goes.

I'm 49 years old. I live in Central Florida. I have a background working in IT, but I pretty much hate it. Due to poor choices in 2 previous attempts at going to college, I never completed my undergraduate degree. I had gone into Electronics Engineering, but it turns out I'm not very good with programming languages. Anyway, I've always enjoyed 1 on 1 tutoring in Math, languages. Also, I've thought I might enjoy and be good at teaching Math as a career.

I have a lot of college credits, just no college degree. I've compiled a summary of them and I would say that a lot of the general education requirements should be covered, regardless of program taken.

*Here's the important point. I would like to complete my degree in under a year and for under $4000 through one of the Big 3. I know the capstone/cornerstone courses cannot be tested out of, however, can they be taken online?

I would prefer to take a General Studies with Math concentration or a Math major. That would take Excelsior out of the picture. However, it all depends on how many of my credits (from Valencia College and DeVry University) transfer over, and how many of the remaining credits I can test out of or cover through the alternate online study methods (Study.com, Saylor, Straighterline, Schmoop, etc.). At $400 credit hour, if I have to take more than 2 regular or upper level courses through one of the Big 3 or more than 5 courses through a local school (UCF $180 credit hour), I will exceed my time/budget restrictions. My "backup" would be to complete a BA in Business through Excelsior since I have seen a clearer "mapping out" of what that requires and that it would be feasible in the budget and timeframe.

Anyway, here's a summary of my credits from Valencia/DeVry (First 15 listed are Valencia, then DeVry):

Course Description: Credits Awarded
IDS 1101 Ids Gen Ed I 6
FRE 1000 Basic French 3
POS 1041 U.S. Govern I 3
FRE 1101 Elem French I 3
IDS 2103 Ids Gen Ed I 6
SPC 1600 Fundamentals Of Speech 3
ECO 2013 Principles of Economics-Macro 3
ENGL 112 Composition 4
HUMN 410 Contemporary History 3
HUMN 420 Contemporary Lit 3
MATH 191 Probability & Stats 3
PSYC 110 Psychology 3
SOCS 185 Culture & Society 3
COLL 147 Critical Thinking & Problem So 2
EET 110 Intro To Engr Dsgn W/Lab 4
EET 122 Digital Circuits 4
EET 122L Digital Circuits Lab 1
ENGL 135 Adv Composition 4
MATH 181 College Algebra & Trig 5
EET 125 Dc/Ac Circuit Analysis 5
EET 125L Dc/Ac Circuit Analysis W/Lab 1
MATH 216 Applied Calculus I 5
EET 202 Digital Sys 4
EET 202L Digital Sys Lab 1
EET 240 Elect Circuits 5
EET 240L Elect Circuits W/Lab 1
ENGL 227 Prof Writing 4
MATH 233 Discrete Mathematics 3
COMP 217 Unix / C & C++ Pgrmng W/ Lab 5
EET 289 Microproc Arch & Pgrmng 4
EET 289L Microproc Arch & Pgrmng Lab 1
COMP 270 Windows / Oop W/Lab 5
EET 301 Network Engr 4
EET 301L Network Engr Lab 1
MATH 230 Applied Calc II 3
HUMN 432 Technology, Society & Culture 3
EET 320 Analog Signal Process Sys 4
EET 320L Analog Signal Process Sys Lab 1
EET 344 Microproc Peripherals 4
EET 344L Microproc Peripherals Lab 1
EET 435 Communication Sys 4
EET 435L Communication Sys Lab 1

Plus CLEP credit in:
Spanish - 12 credits
German - 12 credits

*I have no record of my CLEP credit, because it was taken 30 years ago. In any case, I could easily retake those.

poeticsteph · Jun 17, 2018

Harvard Extension School (which is rightfully labeled as notoriously expensive by many on this board) is offering the following distance learning classes, for graduate or undergraduate credit, for $200 each plus a one-time $50 registration fee in fall 2018 and spring 2019.

The main TA told me they intend to keep this pricing going for the foreseeable future.

Getting four grad or undergrad credits for $200/$250 (depending on how many classes you take in a semester) is an amazing deal.

Fall 2018

1) ENGL E-182A: Poetry in America: From the Mayflower through Emerson

2) ENGL E-182H: Poetry in America: Whitman and Dickinson

Spring 2019

1) ENGL E-182M: Poetry in America: From the Civil War through Modernism (I took this one in spring 2018 and got an A; further details below)

2) ENGL E-305: Poetry in America for Teachers: Poetry of Earth, Sea, Sky

Graduate credit usually requires the assigned paper(s) be about two pages longer.

All lectures are on pre-recorded videos, so no "live" Zoom meetings like many classes seem to be moving toward.

There are OPTIONAL Zoom meetings but it doesn't impact your grade either way.

I did schedule a "conference" with the main TA via Zoom to discuss my final paper before writing it. I got an 85 on it. Considering how long I've been out of school, I was OK with that.

However, I stayed on top of the discussions and did well enough on the quizzes (and some assignments you automatically get full credit for submitting, such as early drafts of your essays and peer reviews) to get an A.

You can use two of these toward the Graduate Certificate in American Literature and Culture — which is a four-class certificate (16 credits) that you can do totally online.

However, right now it looks like the other two required courses (from a wealth of social sciences offerings) will be $2,750 each. I'm grateful they didn't raise it for the upcoming year.

Hope this helps someone.

Stephanie

AsianStew · Jul 2, 2018

Due to degree requirements and course offerings changing constantly, closing the dropbox as those are out of date.
If you need a sample plan, please search the threads for possible spreadsheets and use them for reference.

AsianStew · Jul 7, 2018

Hello Everyone!

I have been getting PM's lately without much info but the basic "I need help to start my degree!". So...
I am deciding to make it more streamlined for either myself, youself, other members of the forum to help you.
I started making a minor change in answering posts July 1...
Here is my Q/A template. Copy/paste and start a new thread!

---
1) Basic info about yourself: A mini introduction and degree you are looking for!
Have you read the Beginners Guide? http://degreeforum.wikia.com/wiki/The_Basic_Approach - Y/N
Have you read the Wiki? http://degreeforum.wikia.com/wiki/Degree_Forum_Wiki - Y/N
Do you have any certificates? Credits from previous studies? - Y/N

2) Answer the following questions, so I can better gauge which of the 3 you're looking at - cheap, easy, or fast.
A) Are you close to a testing site for CLEP? How far and how long would it take you to get there and back?
B) Do you have time to study and test at a site or would you rather do everything online for a little extra in price?
C) What is your price range you're looking at for the degree and time you want to set to complete the degree?
D) Are you leaning towards cheap, easy, fast or a combo of them all? Rank them in priority.

3) Have you applied to the school of choice, are you currently enrolled (taking a course)? Y/N
Do you have an academic evaluation? Y/N - If yes, copy/paste the evaluation.
If no, enter all your credits you have completed and note the school/course you took and grade.

4) What exactly are you looking for help with or advice on?
---

See Example: (This is just a dummy example, for privacy/security, please don't put personal info into your posts)

Hi, I'm bjcheung77.

I am a janitor by day/stripper by night, I also like to fart often. I need a degree in Biomedical Systems Engineering as I want to help others once I get my degree. I am into creating Machine Learning AI Robotic systems that can help disabled/handicapped individuals with everyday life. Can you steer me in the right path?

I currently have no credits, no certs, but I am a quick learner/tester. I have read the Guide, Wiki and am still a bit confused on the process. I am far from a testing site, it takes me at least an hour there and another back, I work full time as a janitor as you know! I can/want to pay slightly more for online. Currently looking at TESU and want a BS LDAS Biomedical Systems Engineering for under $7-8K, I am leaning towards cheap,easy,fast in that order.

What I need is - advice on - how you created the spreadsheet and how you can "find" those courses to place into the spreadsheet! I want to customize my own learning if possible. Please provide your advice and recommendations!

Thanks, Bjcheung77

PS. Please don't tell my significant other I am a stripper by night! It's a surprise trip I am saving up and paying for! Janitor jobs don't pay much as you already know.

AsianStew · Jul 7, 2018

Continuation/Update on Question 4: How busy are you? How much time do you have to spend on studying? Do you have family/kids that you have to attend to? Have you done a search for answers to your questions on the forum or through a search engine?

I have attached a "My Degree Plan!" spreadsheet template I created last quarter of 2017 to this thread post. You can be the "active" degree planner for yourself or others, in three easy steps! If I can plan a degree, so can you! Steps are actually in the Guide/Wiki and Links as well. Basically, you have to know what the degree consists of, the 40 courses/120 credits that make up the degree courseload, and where to get the equivalency/transfer info.

1) Create a spreadsheet with course requirements from the degree/school of your choice - Example, TESU BSBA GM
2) On the school and course provider websites, find all relative info - exact course transfers or equivalency exams
3) Enter into each field - all 40 courses from different providers that make up the Lower and Upper-level requirements

Wow! That was it, yes, you're now the best of the best degree planning machine in the world! High five...*fart*
You are now the degree planning master! *Honorable bow to you, future sensei.* Yes, the transfer links are in the wiki.
It would be best to search the website yourself for the "master list" of exams, just in case they change the links address.

To further expand on what was mentioned, TESU has links for CLEP/DSST/Saylor equivalencies; On StraighterLine, Study.com, and Saylor, they also have equivalencies showing for TESU. All you're doing is "finding the right one" and putting the desired course into the AOS (Area of Study) you want, and use the exact equivalencies for required courses that can't be substituted. That's IT!

For COSC/Excelsior and WGU, it's exactly the same steps. You would need to find their Master Exam List and Equivalencies PDF or link to download, or it might have a URL/Site of info that can't be downloaded. Create a spreadsheet of required courses and where you can find exact transfers from. These are for all types of credit by testing exams or course providers.

Big Note: The spreadsheet attached is for reference only - You can "customize" the My Degree Plan! sheet. StraighterLine no longer provides Upper-Level credits. Don't forget to use coupons or anything for all the providers you can find, use CLEP/ModernStates or StraighterLine coupons.

A few months ago, before some major changes were made January 1, 2018 - My cousin had an interesting challenge for me and put me up to the task. They wanted to see template options for Bachelors, Associates, Certificates using the best cheap/easy/fast credits available and using mainly StraighterLine, Study.com and Saylor courses. It's in THIS file for reference!

Big Note: For "service people" who get FREE CLEP/DSST exams, or individuals who like testing at a test center, I would recommend going through those equivalent courses instead of the ACE options. For individuals strapped for cash in an unknown economy, I would recommend the same or the use of Saylor exams.

And for individuals who want the comfort/luxury of having classes entirely online through ACE methods, cheap/easy/fast - no need to drive to/from a test center, then ACE/NCCRS courses are for you. This is my method as I live far or have other commitments, I would rather use the extra time working OT to pay for those courses online.

Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/attachment.php?aid=2310

Veroica · Jul 9, 2018

Hello Im trying to get a degree on Foreign language Spanish. (I'm a Spanish native speaker ) I saw that Charter Oak State has this degree.I'm planning to do the Spanish clep test to get those credits. Cansome help me to plan where to get the general educations credits . I have 43 FEMA courses credits too. Please help!!!! I took a medical assistant in a vocational college in Miami ,FL 20 years ago. I have a transcript that says i have 32 college credits do you think that they might take some of those too??? THANK YOU in advancewith any help. I'm so overwhelmed

SteveFoerster · Jul 10, 2018

No problem, when you enroll at Charter Oak, they'll assign you an Academic Advisor who will be able to help you throughout your studies.

The good news is that there are also CLEP tests for a variety of subjects such that getting your general education credits should be pretty straightforward.

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