Need Quick Completion of Excelsior BS Liberal Arts

[teststudent]

I have transferred my previous college credits, got an evaluation and learned that I am 21 upper units away from completing a degree.
Specifically:

General Education (Arts & Sciences Requirement)
21.00 semester hours at the upper level

Depth Requirements

A depth in the Arts & Sciences

Each depth consists of at least 12 semester hours in one specific
discipline, including 3 hours at the upper level.

My last job has just ended and instead of job hunting, I think this may be a good time to get this degree finished. The advantage is that I have more free time to study, however since I am not working, every week that goes by is costing me lost salary.

Any advice on the best exams or courses to take to quickly whip out the 21 required units and Arts & Sciences depth requirement?
I'm not sure trying to complete 21 units of upper level courses in 1 semester is wise even when not working, however at least I'll know I'll be provided with everything needed to pass from the provided textbooks and course materials.
Is learning the material needed to pass the credit by examination from scratch faster than taking courses?
I know some people have passed many exams with little or no study, but they had prior experience with the material which I do not have.
Should I enroll for 1 exam at a time and complete it before enrolling for the next?

[ImustStudy]

Originally Posted by teststudent

I have transferred my previous college credits, got an evaluation and learned that I am 21 upper units away from completing a degree.
Specifically:



My last job has just ended and instead of job hunting, I think this may be a good time to get this degree finished. The advantage is that I have more free time to study, however since I am not working, every week that goes by is costing me lost salary.

Any advice on the best exams or courses to take to quickly whip out the 21 required units and Arts & Sciences depth requirement?
I'm not sure trying to complete 21 units of upper level courses in 1 semester is wise even when not working, however at least I'll know I'll be provided with everything needed to pass from the provided textbooks and course materials.
Is learning the material needed to pass the credit by examination from scratch faster than taking courses?
I know some people have passed many exams with little or no study, but they had prior experience with the material which I do not have.
Should I enroll for 1 exam at a time and complete it before enrolling for the next?

You can do this.

I took the DANTES (similar to clep) Astronomy exam with only 2 1/2 hours of study the night before. I had no previous astronomy study of any kind and passed with a score which gave me an "A" at Excelsior.

You can do it. I also took the Spanish CLEP and got 12 units for it.

Don't forget to check with your advisor on what requirements you need for the depth. It is 12 units by itself. You can likely complete all of those while completing your upper division courses. dual credit.

As for your other question. Yes, you can learn the basic info necessary to pass an exam much faster than actually taking the class.

My most recent test was Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union. A 16 week college level course would get you the same 3 credits and a letter grade. I studied in the evening a few hours a day for 3 weeks and passed the test in 1 hour. Got a score that llowed me to get a "B" grade at Excelsior.

I recommend using the Instantcert course to do this. It makes it very easy.

you can do it.

[cederic824]

Originally Posted by teststudent

Should I enroll for 1 exam at a time and complete it before enrolling for the next?

Yes. I think you will do better if you use your energy to focus in and kill the exam you are studying for, then move on to the next one. Your confidence and test taking skills will improve quickly and you will surprise yourself on how quickly you end up completing exams.

[teststudent]

Originally Posted by ImustStudy

You can do this.

I took the DANTES (similar to clep) Astronomy exam with only 2 1/2 hours of study the night before. I had no previous astronomy study of any kind and passed with a score which gave me an "A" at Excelsior.

You can do it. I also took the Spanish CLEP and got 12 units for it.

Don't forget to check with your advisor on what requirements you need for the depth. It is 12 units by itself. You can likely complete all of those while completing your upper division courses. dual credit.



I recommend using the Instantcert course to do this. It makes it very easy.

you can do it.

The depth requirement is Arts and Sciences.

I'm thinking of the exams below:

DANTES SUBJECT STANDARDIZED TEST SE*483 THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION
DANTES SUBJECT STANDARDIZED TEST SG*548 MONEY AND BANKING
DANTES SUBJECT STANDARDIZED TEST SE*471 RISE AND FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION
Excelsior College Examinations RELX*310 RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Excelsior College Examinations PSYX*325 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Excelsior College Examinations BUSX*315 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Excelsior College Examinations PSYX*315 PSYCHOLOGY OF ADULTHOOD & AGING

I think this will fulfill a Psychology depth, but I am willing to change if something else has better prep materials.
Are there smarter upper division choices that will fulfill my requirements especially if I want to take advantage of InstantCert?

So if I do 1 week of study each, I could complete it all in 7 weeks plus the time it takes the material to be shipped? Maybe I could do 2 at a time and get it all done before the end of January?

[teststudent]

Originally Posted by ImustStudy

You can do this.

I took the DANTES (similar to clep) Astronomy exam with only 2 1/2 hours of study the night before. I had no previous astronomy study of any kind and passed with a score which gave me an "A" at Excelsior.

You can do it. I also took the Spanish CLEP and got 12 units for it.

Don't forget to check with your advisor on what requirements you need for the depth. It is 12 units by itself. You can likely complete all of those while completing your upper division courses. dual credit.



I recommend using the Instantcert course to do this. It makes it very easy.

you can do it.

The depth requirement I need to complete the degree is "Arts and Sciences."

I'm thinking of the exams below:

DANTES SUBJECT STANDARDIZED TEST SE*483 THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION
DANTES SUBJECT STANDARDIZED TEST SG*548 MONEY AND BANKING
DANTES SUBJECT STANDARDIZED TEST SE*471 RISE AND FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION
Excelsior College Examinations RELX*310 RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Excelsior College Examinations PSYX*325 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Excelsior College Examinations BUSX*315 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Excelsior College Examinations PSYX*315 PSYCHOLOGY OF ADULTHOOD & AGING

I think this will fulfill a Psychology depth, but I am willing to change if something else has better prep materials.
Are there smarter upper level credit choices that will fulfill my requirements especially if I want to take advantage of InstantCert?

So if I do 1 week of study each, I could complete it all in 7 weeks plus the time it takes the material to be shipped? Maybe I could order 2 at a time (so there is no time wasted between exams waiting for the shipping of materials for the next exam) and get it all done before the end of January?

Sounds like some of the tests can be passed by just studying the material 1 day before the exam. I hope so. If I complete this quickly enough, I will have time to also complete a Cisco CCNA certification before I use up too much of my savings paying regular monthly bills and have to go back to work.

[ShotoJuku]

Originally Posted by teststudent

......Sounds like some of the tests can be passed by just studying the material 1 day before the exam.....

This is not always necessarily true but also a somewhat dangerous frame of mind. No everyone can just devote a few hours of study the night before and walk in the next day and pass.

Granted it would be nice, but the hidden reality is many (if not most) of us require a dedicated regimen of study and practice exams before being ready to sit the real thing.

I don't know where you may fit in: little to no study, a great deal of study, or somewhere in the middle. Nevertheless it is necessary to keep focused and work within the means and ability.

In case you haven't noticed already, I am the guardian of cautious optimism.

GOOD LUCK!!

[teststudent]

Yes, I think expecting to pass exams on 2.5 hours study the night before the exam would be really dangerous, but I would hope than I would be able to pass each exam on the first try if I studied for maybe 8 hours a day for a week so I could at least get 1 exam completed per week. Since I only need 7 exams, I could get it done in 7 weeks at that pace.
I've heard about the people who have started a degree from 0 units and completed 120 units in 4 weeks, so I certainly hope I can complete 21 upper level units in 7 weeks or less.

[ShotoJuku]

Originally Posted by teststudent

I've heard about the people who have started a degree from 0 units and completed 120 units in 4 weeks.

You are referring to the "experiment" - BA-in-4-weeks. An interesting concept and a (mostly) dangerous and risky reality.....

For example, I am currently involved in my third degree program and only need six exams to complete it. I am "projecting" (giving myself) no less than six-months to finish; it could go longer if required but I'm in no hurry.

Why six-months?

I give myself three-weeks of study that I have a formulated into a regular routine of proven success. "Testing out" is enough of a "short-cut" for me so I'm not about to mess up, fail and exam and be forced to wait six-months before I can take it again. But that's just me.

Good Luck!!

[teststudent]

Originally Posted by ShotoJuku

You are referring to the "experiment" - BA-in-4-weeks. An interesting concept and a (mostly) dangerous and risky reality.....

For example, I am currently involved in my third degree program and only need six exams to complete it. I am "projecting" (giving myself) no less than six-months to finish; it could go longer if required but I'm in no hurry.

Why six-months?

I give myself three-weeks of study that I have a formulated into a regular routine of proven success. "Testing out" is enough of a "short-cut" for me so I'm not about to mess up, fail and exam and be forced to wait six-months before I can take it again. But that's just me.

Good Luck!!

Since many people may only have a couple hours a night to study while working full time, if I spend 8 hours a day 5 days a week with the instantcert program, I would cover about as much in a week as it would take me to do in a month if I was working full time (40 hours a week study instead of 40 hours a month)
Is 40 hours study per exam plenty to pass all exams? I need to pass everything on the first try (if I cannot retake for 6 months) to complete the degree before I start working again. Even if I studied 80 hours per exam and took 14 weeks instead of 7 to complete everything, that's still much better than having to wait 6 months to redo them.
When you are able to pass the instantcert practice exams, does that mean you should know enough to pass the real exams?

[ShotoJuku]

Originally Posted by teststudent

Since many people may only have a couple hours a night to study while working full time, if I spend 8 hours a day 5 days a week with the instantcert program, I would cover about as much in a week as it would take me to do in a month if I was working full time (40 hours a week study instead of 40 hours a month)
Is 40 hours study per exam plenty to pass all exams? I need to pass everything on the first try (if I cannot retake for 6 months) to complete the degree before I start working again. Even if I studied 80 hours per exam and took 14 weeks instead of 7 to complete everything, that's still much better than having to wait 6 months to redo them.
When you are able to pass the instantcert practice exams, does that mean you should know enough to pass the real exams?

How about a few hours a day (3-4) and a part-time job too?

Seriously, you can only study so long before the absorption rate reduces to naught. Plus a PT job will give some $$$ too.

Just a thought....