It was scary, it was inevitable, and it was guaranteed to be nearly impossible and way too expensive. Coming from a home schooling background, I was not at all pleased at the anticipation of rigorous testing, papers, legal hoops, loans, and everything else that comes with entering an institution of higher learning. I was also used to taking things at my own pace. What if they force me to finish assignments too quickly? What if I have to spend half my time learning things I already know? The questions were mind-boggling.
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| Aubrey completed her BSBA through distance learning and TESC. |
Then my friend, Aubrey, came on the scene. That's her on the right—>
She shared the "secret" of CLEP. It's a system that has been in place for years, is completely legitimate, and has been utilized by millions of people. It's cheap, it's custom, it's flexible, it's just as fast as you can make it. Distance learning through tests like CLEP and DSST was an obvious choice, so why hadn't I heard about it before?
I started almost immediately. Since I enjoy reading and writing I decided that Analyzing and Interpreting Literature would be my first foray into CLEPing (yes, CLEPing is a word in my personal dictionary, and it should be in yours too). I got a score of 80 (on a 20/80 scale). All I had to do was answer 80 questions and I got 6 college credits. I was hooked!
Over the next few years I studied for and passed 23 CLEP and DSST tests, for a total of 90 credit hours which I was able to apply toward a Bachelor's of Arts in English degree from Thomas Edison State College. 75% of my credits were earned through these credit-by-examination programs.
I graduated at age 20 with $0 in debt.
I'm probably no smarter or more determined than you are, dear reader! If I can do it you can do it! If your desire is to pursue a degree without wasting precious time and money, you can do it. My story can become your story.
