If the Watchtower kept you out of college, here is a quick way back in:

by gitasatsangha 9 Replies latest jw friends

  • gitasatsangha
    gitasatsangha

    I know a lot of folks are like me and probably had to get their education mostly from experience due to the Watchtower's stand on education. I wanted to share some things I found which were helpful to me, and might also be to others thinking of going back. This all refers to distance education, as I travel a great deal and don't have time to go to a regular college.

    Excelsior College (run by the New York Board of Regents), has a special system set up where you can "Credit bank" previous experience, credits taken from other colleges, corporate training, etc towards a degree. Its technically possible to test out of an entire degree at Excelsior. www.excelsior.edu

    Western Governor's University (www.wgu.edu) is somewhat similar to excelsior, in that they use a lot of work experience, certifications, and testing-out, as well as taking classes locally.

    Ashworth College (www.ashworthcollege.com) offers two-year and masters degrees. They are cheap, cheap as many local community collges, however they are not liberal about tranferring credit. They offer their own payment plans on tuition, which works out to something like $35/month over 25 weeks for each semester. Works out to about $58/credit hour if you have no transferred class credit.

    http://BAIN4WEEKS.COM is one person's guide on how to get a degree from either Excelsior College, Charter Oak State, or Thomas Edison) via testing out. He says it can be done in four weeks. I don't necessarily doubt it, but I wasn't going to try!

    Anyway it's a hassle starting college when you are already past the traditional college years, and I know a lot of xjws are thinking about it, or already doing it, so I thought I would pass this information along. You probably already know most of what's in the degree, learning the hard way, so this is a way to complete the process and get soem recognition. The colleges I listed are not "diploma mills", (places that basially sell illegal degrees), they are accredited institutions.

    If you have any information like this, pass it on.

  • pc
    pc

    Thank you for that information, I am going to look into it. PC

  • Dan-O
    Dan-O

    When I was a college student, most universities would allow you to take a fair number of courses via a CLEP exam. (I can't recall exactly what that stood for, but it was something like Comparable Life Experience Placement, or some other nonsense.) Anyway, bottom line is that you can probably get thru some classes at most universities this way. There were fees associated with the tests, but they could save you a few semesters of study.

  • CeriseRose
    CeriseRose

    The one I'm registered with (Distance Education) is British Columbia Open University. www.bcou.ca

    The offer Bachelor's and higher degrees, all by distance education (online or by phone). The work in conjunction with some of the prominent universities in the province (University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University).

  • True North
    True North

    Several years ago when I was considering my post-JW college options I looked into a "Regents College" which I think has since become Excelsior College. If it's the same one I'm thinking of, they had a very good program and went out of their way to help "late starters" to qualify with any existing college credits they already had and also by giving very generous amounts of credit for passing various standardized tests. In particular, they gave a surprisingly large amount of credit for passing some of the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) subject tests: economics, sociology, history, etc.

    Also, since at the time I wanted to leave open the possibility of entering a masters degree program, I checked with the top university in my area to see if they would accept a Bachelor's degree from them, and they said that they would as they were indeed accredited by a recognized accrediting association. (Disclaimer: I don't know if this is still true or if it would apply to all "regular" university graduate programs so it would be wise for anyone considering such a program to check it out for themselves.)

  • franklin J
    franklin J

    its never too late to go for an education.....

    thanks for the post

  • Valis
    Valis

    AND don't forget to go here...for tons of scholarship opportunities..

    http://www.fastweb.com

    Sincerely,

    District Overbeer

  • VM44
    VM44

    Non-resident Bachelor of Science in 10 months for $2,665

    More than 400,000 copies of Bears' Guide have been sold, and we do get a lot of mail, but rarely a communication as thorough and as gratifying (and helpful) as that received from Roger Habeck, a 58-year-old high school drop-out,
    self-employed all his life, describing how he went about earning his degree. Some people have written articles and books and do workshops based on the theme of earning a degree in four months. That is, I think, a bit
    disingenuous. But Roger's approach is one that really is accessible to many people:

    "In 1997, I bought John's book, posted a few questions to the alt.education.distance news group, sent John Bear several emails and decided that I would see how I could do by testing out a degree. I signed up with a
    local college to take two CLEP general exams. I took Humanities and Soc. Sciences and history in October of 1997. I did not study for them although I did buy the CLEP study guide. After considering Regents, Thomas Edison, and
    Charter Oak, I chose the latter, really liking their attitude and helpfulness in advising me exactly what tests to take and which order to take them in so one would not "step" on the other. This was before I matriculated
    as they required that I have 30 credits to enroll.
    I took two more 6 credit CLEPs in November of 1997, Accounting and Humanities. At this point I started looking into Dantes exams and started scouting out
    GRE Subject exams. I found out that I had missed the GRE dates for 1997 and I would have to drive over 100 miles to take Dantes exams and I would only be allowed to take one at a time and then only 6 times per year. Bummer.
    I found another college 40 miles away that would let me take CLEPS at my convenience, Rock n' roll. January 98 two more CLEPS (Intro. Business law, Principals of Marketing). Piece of cake, only study so far
    flip through a standard text and refresh on words and phrases.
    February slump, no tests, can't figure out how to get DANTES exams and can't get straight answer on signing up for GRE subject exams, local
    college blowing smoke. Shazam !! Good friend is president of local Jr. college, he says if I get the information he will have their testing center apply to administer DANTES exams. I call ETS, they tell me what to do. I pass
    information on to Jr. College. Nothing happens.
    March 1998, energized again. Took 4 CLEPs: two at local college, two at 40 mile-away school (American Lit, English Lit., Intro Microeconomics, Intro
    Macroeconomics); almost fried my brain. Found out that GRE will be administered in April and I am too late. Asked for stand by status and sent more money.
    April - Enrolled at Charter Oak, Took GRE History,
    almost did me in. Got word Jr College set up for DANTES, OK !!
    May - First two DANTES Exams (Intro to Business, Money and Banking) different, no time limit, otherwise about as hard as CLEPS. Much close
    coaching from Charter Oak, order is critical on some of these tests. If I take the hard one first the easy one won't count.
    June - Test month from Hell: 2 CLEPS (Info systems/computer apps, English Comp.
    w/Essay) 2 DANTES (Organizational Behavior, Pers/Hum Resource Management) 15 credits total. Got grade on GRE, 18 more credits. Smokin!
    July- I had so much misery taking four in June I took four again
    in July: 2 CLEPS (Analysis Interp of Lit, American Government), 2 DANTES (Intro. to Modern Middle East, Intro. to World Religions). Getting close, running out of tests, much discussion with Charter Oak, the GRE was great but killed
    a bunch of possible tests. Final plan approved.
    August- Junk and weirdness plus I am getting pretty weird too. 2 CLEPS (Principals of Management, intro Psych) 2 DANTES (Here's to your health?, Criminal
    Justice). Only one to go. I need to take the Charter Oak Statistics test to meet my math requirement. Sent for test, found out I needed Proctor, worked out arrangement with local librarian, No Charge. Sent for test again.
    September - Test arrives, I take it and send it back. 123 credits If I passed everything. Got word that my concentration proposal was accepted and my essay was OK. Good thing since I am
    finished. Totals: 16 CLEPs, 9 DANTES, 1 GRE subject (History), 1COSC Statistics. 13 of the DANTES CLEPs were awarded letter grades by Charter Oak 10 A's 3 B's the rest are Pass, Fail. 7 CLEPs were worth 6 credits
    each, the rest and all the Dantes were worth 3. The GRE was worth 18, I got a 540 for 72 percentile. the COSC Statistics was worth 6.
    I took the tests much too fast to study for them, I am not sure how
    you would even begin to study for some of the General Exams like English literature, I mean where would you start? I ran into a bizarre snarl on the English composition with essay because of a minor physical disability. Thanks to
    Charter Oak it worked out fine: the BS in ten months for well under three thousand bucks.
    About me, I am a high school dropout, I was pitched out of one college and flunked out of another. I am 58 and have
    been self employed all my life. I am currently a publisher and journalist. I am looking into several Masters programs, including the new one at Regents. I am preparing myself for my post retirement career - I intend to teach."

    You can email Roger at EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED.

    http://web.archive.org/web/20001006211148/www.degree.net/news2.html

  • gitasatsangha
    gitasatsangha

    good stuff

  • Celtic
    Celtic

    I would absolutely adore going to university for the first time in my life, oh man, I wish. Anyway, I did start, but the funding didn't come through for me, so after 2 months on the 3 courses I was on, garden design, permaculture and environmental conservation, I had to leave, which has left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth.

    Though, if you are in the UK and tuition fees amongst other issues are putting you off, either move to Scotland where the tuition fees were abolished or study on the Open University, you'll find their number in the phone book or your local media.

    Celtic

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