Hello,

I’ll try to keep it short and sweet. Was never into college and focused on working an actual job. I’m at the point now that I want to get at least an Associates degree as a checkbox for potential new job. I may eventually get a Bachelors, but my priority right now is to get an Associates as quick as possible. I researched heavily on this topic and it appears that Pierpont AAS and Sophia is the way to go. I understand that Pierpont has gradations in May and August so I’m hoping I can achieve this by May 2024. Including some information below.

Your Location: Texas, USA
Your Age: 35
What kind of degree do you want?: AAS
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 0
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 0
Any certifications or military experience? No
Budget: No real budget, but if I can get it cheaper that would be better.
Commitments: Full time job
Study timeline: As quick as possible. Hoping to meet the Pierpont May graduation so I don’t have to wait for the next graduation.

I’ve read the Wiki and found some great information. If I understood correctly, I’ll need 15 credits in general studies, 1 credit ASU course, and the remainder in electives, for a total of 60 credits. There was a section in the Wiki that mentioned 15 credits for a Google IT Professional course. Is this a faster and easier way to achieve the 15 credits? I believe I read somewhere that I need to avoid Touchstones because it takes forever to grade. My main goal is to finish as quickly as I can before the May graduation deadline and hoping someone here can provide a list of courses I need to take and preferably in which order.

Okay, so maybe I'm just not understanding the citation guidelines and I'm completely at fault here, which is a reasonable option, but I cannot figure out what Prof. Matthews wants. I've read posts about her and how she wants you to follow the rubric and guidelines to a T. I've read that for some she can be a real nightmare, and for others she's fine. Despite knowing that, and despite getting her as my ENG professor, I've tried my best to keep an open mind. It's going on the fourth week and she still says my first milestone has so many citation errors.

She says that I need to remove all my headers and replace these with transition statements that one, let's my paragraphs flow from one into the next (okay, fair) but then two, its an important way for her to determine originality in my writing? You need me to get rid of my headers for you to determine if the rest of my essay has originality, and not, I don't know, using the rest of my essay to determine originality?? Maybe I'm overreacting about this but it feels very nit-picky from her. 

She doesn't like my use of full-length titles, believes it to be ineffective - and I'm just whinging here - but I use titles that to meet the requirement "identify six scholarly sources within the disciplinary areas written in the topics discussed that you have found using the library’s academic databases" (Matthews para. 1) <- did I cite this in MLA-9 correctly? I guess she wants a more subtle, scholarly way of referencing the sources?

Other more specific issues are fair since I didn't understand some parts of the MLA-9 guidelines and I just winged it and it didn't work.

I also got very passive-aggressive vibes from her second feedback. She began it using my full first name, even though I have a preferred nickname (I don't know if profs can see the preferred nickname), and then said my revision was a "mild improvement". 

At this point I'm re-writing my entire essay at 2 am because she's gotten me so stressed out that I'm not going to pass her class since there are two more milestones, and that I will have better chances taking the Sophia equivalent that everyone says to stay away from.

Look, I'm not exactly looking for advice on what to do because clearly I still have a lot to do for my milestone that I've "mildly" improved upon. I'm working on it. I just needed to rant a bit - sorry if this is not the place to do it. Maybe I'm just not understanding the instructions of this milestone correctly and have spent a bunch of time (that I now know was wasted) writing the wrong thing cause I got the wrong idea. 

Ignore this if you don't think it's relevant, I'm just very frustrated right now.

Your Location: New York, United States.
Your Age: 29
What kind of degree do you want?: Pierpont BOG degree. I want to graduate in May 2024.  
Current Regional Accredited Credits: None

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: These are things like Study, Sophia, InstantCert InstantCredit, CLEP, Straighterline, Davar etc

Sophia Credits: 40

Art History I-3Cr
Art History II-3C
Conflict Resolution-3Cr
Environmental Science-3Cr
Intro to Business-3Cr
Intro to Ethics-3Cr
Intro to Information tech-3Cr
Intro to nutrition-3Cr
Intro to Web Dev-3Cr
Macroeconomics-3Cr
Microeconomics-3Cr
Project Management-3Cr
Visual Communications-3Cr
Essential of Managing Conflict-1Cr

Any certifications or military experience? None

Budget: Money is low. Just enough for Sophia, ASU 1 Credit, Coursera Google IT cert
Commitments: None at the moment.
Dedicated time to study: 24/7
Timeline: Want to apply for graduation by March 15.
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: None

Please provide any relevant details you may have that may help us determine a option or path for you to investigate: 

What I would like to find out is even if the graduation application deadline is March 15 can I register and apply to graduate without all the required credits and be able to turn things in later on after the deadline to meet requirements.
If it wont be possible I rather not spend the money since I have very little. These are the things I have left to meet the requirements for BOG.


ASU-1 Credit in Progress
Intro to Chemistry-3cr in Progress
Intro to Satistics-3cr in Progress
Coursera Google IT Support cert-12cr in Progress
College Readiness-3cr Not Started

I believe this would meet all requirement and equal 62 credits total. Just don't know if its worth it to spend money to register at Pierpont now and send transcripts over if I wont meet requirements before March 15 deadline seeing as I haven't registered or sent anything to Pierpont yet.
I will definitely have everything completed before May.

I know this source is not discussed much on DegreeForum, but I had the link saved from a while back and looked at it today. It mentions on their about page in the accreditation section that they are voluntarily giving up their Regional Accreditation status on June 30, 2024. While CalCampus is not cheap, they do have some courses that are a little harder to find solo, so could still be a valid source for now.

http://www.calcampus.com/about.htm
http://www.calcampus.com/list.htm

New Managerial Accounting class offered at Sophia. Wonder if this would transfer into TESU as it would be a good idea for those CIS majors. I'll attempt it shortly and post back.

UMaine ranked among top institutions nationally in 2024 college guides

https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2023/11/21/...ge-guides/

We can learn so much about our world if we change our perspective a little.

Maps That Show How The World Really Is
https://www.visualchase.com/en/world-rea...native_one

I am 2 weeks in at UMPI, and I have to say I'm blown away when I read about how some people on here are just plowing thru these classes at the speed of light. I am doing Creative Writing and Project Management right now. I am almost done with Creative Writing and it's one of the most un-fun classes I have ever taken in my life, lol. Project Management is very interesting but it's still by no means something I can absorb and get through in a week. I read a post on here from someone who said "most people finish their degrees in 1 session" at UMPI. How on earth?! I have to do 10 classes thru them and at this rate it's going to take me months. I do have plenty of time to study but I can't just force feed and absorb all that info at that volume and pump out the milestone papers immediately. Am I just slow or are there others who have to go at a slower pace? Every time I read this forum I start wondering if there is something wrong with me, lol... 

Your Location: MD, USA
Your Age: 35
What kind of degree do you want?: Bachelor's. I do not want my BSN. I need it as cheaply as possible, the budget is super tight.

Current Regional Accredited Credits:

UC San Diego 43 credits (quarter credits)
LISP 1B Spanish Conversation  2.5 B
LISP 1Bx Analysis of Spanish 2.5 B
LISP 1C Spanish Conversation 2.5 C+
LISP 1Cx Analysis of Spanish 2.5 B
LISP 1D Spanish Conversation 2.5 B
LISP 1Dx Analysis of Spanish 2.5 B+
LTEN 118 Milton 4 B
MMW 1 Prehistory & Birth/Civilization 4 A
MMW 2 The Great Classical Traditions 6 A-
MMW 3 The Medieval Heritage 6 B
MATH 10a Calculus 4 C+

Riverside City College 41 Credits

ANT-1 Physical Anthropology 3 B
ANT-7 Anthropology of Religion 3 B
ANT-5 Cultures of Ancient Mexico 3 B
ANT-10 Forensic Anthropology 3 A
ART-6 Art Appreciation 3 A
AST-1A Intro to Astronomy 3 B
BIO-1 General Biology 4 B
BUS-18B Business Law II 3 B
HIS-7 Pol Soc History of US 3 A
HUM- 10 World Religions 3 A
MAT-12 Statistics 3 B
MUS-32 Class Piano 1 A
PHI-11 Critical Thinking 3 C
SPE-9 Interpersonal Communication 3 B

San Antonio College 
Degree: A.A.S Early Childhood Studies 43 credits

ENGL 1301 Composition I 3 C
ENGL 1302 Composition II 3 A
CDEC 1321 The Infant and Toddler 3 B
CDEC 1358 Creative Arts Early Childhood 3 B
TECA 1354 Child Growth and Development 3 B
CDEC 1164 Field Experience 1 1 B
CDEC 1165 Field Experience 2 1 A

more in comments, post was too long.

(02-02-2024, 08:42 PM)more credits Wrote: CDEC 1323 Observation and Assessment 3 A
CDEC 1359 Children with Special Needs 3 A
CDEC 1313 Curriculum Resources EC 3 A
CDEC 1356 Emergent Literacy EC 3 A
CDEC 2307 Math/Science Early Childhood 3 A
TECA 1303 Families, School, and Comm. 3 B
CDEC 1393 Special Topics in ECH & TCA 3 A
TECA 1318 Wellness of the Young Child 3 A
CDEC 2280 Coop Ed-Childcare Prov/Assist 2 A

Frederick Community College 56 credits
Degree: Associate in Nursing

CH 101 General Chemistry 4 A
ED/PS 208 Human Growth and Development 3 A
SO 101 Introduction to Sociology 3 A
BI 103 Anatomy and Physiology 4 A
BI 104 Anatomy and Physiology 4 A
BI 120 Microbiology 4 A
Nursing Courses: 34 additional credits mostly A’s, 2 B’s

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:

AP Credits

American History 3
Psychology 5
US Government 3
English Lit 4
English Comp 3

https://willpeachmd.com/studying-medicin...xr7AZ7sI0w

Will Peach has several articles about becoming a later in life MD or DO Doctor.