My CLEP Test Experience

I am not sure when I first heard about CLEP tests, but I immediately dismissed the idea and assumed it would not work out for me.  If only I had known at the time that I would have successfully benefitted from two CLEP tests.

Fast forward to my senior year of high school, I read Kathy Cooksey's His B.A. Was Only $8k: Quick, Fun, College For Ages 12-99 Years.  I was very inspired to at least try a CLEP test.  I figured I had nothing to lose except a little time and money.  Worst case, if I failed the test, I would be extra prepared for the classes that I was trying to test out of.  I first set my sights on the Introductory Psychology CLEP test.  I started studying for it in May of my senior year and took it three months later in August.  I was ecstatic!  A few months after successfully passing this first one, I decided I wanted to attempt a second CLEP test.  This time, I wanted to take the Introductory Sociology CLEP test.  I studied for this second test over Christmas break (about four weeks) and passed it successfully as well.  Six college credits with only a few weeks of studying!  The tests were not easy, but they were not impossibly hard either.  With some dedicated study time, they are definitely doable.  I now personally know a family whose son obtained his degree by only taking CLEP and DSST exams.  Pretty amazing!

To prepare for each of the two CLEP tests, I bought the REA CLEP study guides for the respective tests (about $20 each on Amazon) and two months access to Instantcert online flashcards ($20 a month).  These were the only resources I used, which cost roughly $80 in total.  Even with these expenses and the cost of the tests themselves, it was still exponentially cheaper than paying for six college credit hours plus textbooks.  If you are looking to save money on college, CLEP tests are the way to go.  

Looking back, I have nothing but great things to say about the entire experience.  Receiving inexpensive college credit from the convenience of my home was unrivaled.  Another advantage of CLEP tests is you do not need to have already graduated from high school to start earning college credits.  Additionally, the tests are pass/fail.  If you pass the test, you receive credit for that course.  If you don't pass the test, the failed attempt does not show up on your college transcript.  I recommend checking with your college of choice to ensure they accept CLEP credit and that it counts towards your degree requirements.  As a nursing student, obtaining my degree solely through CLEP tests is not possible.  However, I was still able to benefit from taking the two tests that I did.  I highly recommend looking into CLEP tests to see if they will work for you and your program of study.

Did Homeschooling Prepare Me for College?

As a home-school graduate finishing my sophomore year of college, people are often surprised when they hear I was homeschooled.  I am quite frequently asked: "Did homeschooling prepare you for college?" The short answer: Yes!  I wholeheartedly believe the reason I have done well in college is attributable to my years of homeschooling.  I could elaborate for days, but these are the highlights of how homeschooling benefitted me in my first year of college.

Years of homeschooling taught me to take control of my schoolwork, manage my time effectively, and be an independent learner.  My parents were always more than happy to answer questions or provide guidance where needed, but I was encouraged to take on my education as my own.  As a result, I have never struggled with self-motivation or time management in college. Once you start college, no one is there to stand over you to check that you read your assigned chapters, completed your homework, or if you have studied for your upcoming tests. 

From being homeschooled, I was already comfortable interacting with various age groups which has been indispensable since starting college.  I was completely confident from the beginning communicating with professors, staff, and students, yet watched other public-school graduates struggle with this.

Thanks to Lessons Worth Learning Classes for homeschoolers, I had already read many college-level classic books and had strong foundations in writing.  Apologia's science textbooks are incredible and prepared me exceptionally well for my college science classes.  My Apologia chemistry textbook was more difficult than my college-level Intro to Chemistry textbook at a distinctly science-driven university.  Except for one chapter on organic chemistry in my college textbook, I was already familiar with all topics covered in my college chemistry class.  

Needless to say, I highly recommend homeschooling for effective college preparation.

Is College Literature Sinful?

Is college literature sinful?

It doesn't have to be...

A major concern of mine before college was the required literature classes.  I had heard terrible things about literature classes and the appalling literature that students were required to read at secular public universities.  Having come out alive on the other side of these required classes, here are a few thoughts to consider before enrolling in literature classes at a secular institution.

Research beforehand. Research the different class options and what is required of each class offering.  Not all literature classes are created equally.  Some professors specialize in one area of literature over another.  Some professors are more inclined to select classic literature for their classes, while others are less inclined to do so.  Emailing professors ahead of time to ask what their required book selections are can be a crucial deciding factor when it comes to literature classes.  I've seen some required booklists that were downright appalling, but some are quite great.  If no class can be found with decent literature requirements, there is almost always an alternative. If all else fails, most institutions will let you take a comparable class elsewhere and transfer the credit.  In this case, you could even take a literature class from a Christian university and transfer the credit.

I have taken three college English classes as course requirements: one was a general composition class, and two were literature classes.  My English composition class read some pretty crummy literature to be quite honest.  We read some classic literature too, but one book, in particular, was less than desirable.  This was before I knew I could pick and choose literature classes based on their book selections as long as it still met the requirements for my major.  My first Literature class used the Norton Anthology of Western Literature, Volume Two by Martin Puchner. This was mainly okay with few questionable and only a couple "bad" selections of literature.  My second literature class read mainly classic medieval texts such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, Oedipus Tyrannus, Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Canterbury Tales, Macbeth. and Lazarillo de Tormes and the Swindler.  I was surprised and delighted to find most of these texts had Christian themes to them.  These are classic texts that people have been reading for hundreds of years and were mostly decent in nature.

It is okay to be open to new ideas or interpretations of literature, but screen everything through the lens of a Christian worldview and the Bible.  It's perfectly okay to not agree with everything you read or hear a professor say.  We believe what we believe for a reason.  Be solid in your faith and never let a piece of literature or professor change that.