Creative Ways of Earning College Credit

One of the most expensive purchases we will ever make is paying for college. If you are an immigrant and have to pay out of state fees, it can be even more expensive. There are some creative ways that you can earn college credit for less and also reduce the time you spend in school.

Credit by Examination: You can test out if courses that you studied to the advanced level in high school. Many of the classes taken in the first two years of college are a review of high school. You can get credit by examination in the following ways

• Advanced Placement (AP) Examination:You can take AP exams if you take AP classes in high school. To learn more about the courses available, click here. Most students who take AP classes get advanced standing in universities all over the world. 
• College level examination program (CLEP): This program is administered by the college board. You can take up to 33 examinations and earn up to 30 hours of college credit. Each exam costs $77 which is so much cheaper than a college course. You can order study materials from the college board or any local book store. To learn more about clep exams, click here. Do not forget to check what exams and scores are accepted by your college. 

Internships: This is a great way to earn some money and college credit. Sign up for an internship class with your school and find out the requirements. Apply for a job that is related to your internship class and earn college credit while you work. You can learn more about internships by visiting www.internship.com

College Co-op programs: This is very similar to an internship program except that the participants work full-time. Organizations and colleges cooperate to give students a more hands on experience in their learning. They are also referred to as professional practice programs. If you are an international student, check with your school to find out how long you can be authorized to participate in a Co-op program. This article talks about colleges in the US that have Co-op programs.

Community colleges: You can attend classes in your local community college during your college breaks. They are much cheaper than universities and are a great way to fulfill your prerequisite requirements. Here is a listing of community colleges by state.

We would love to hear about other creative ways to earn college credit. Click on add comments to share additional resources.

Is College a waste of time and money?

Red Jade: Had an interesting conversation at lunch today with my co-workers. One of them, Julie (not her real name), is currently very frustrated with her life and feels that going to college was a waste of time and money. She does not feel that she is on any kind of career path and having been recently unemployed she is very concerned about her future. She is applying for nursing school in the hopes of having a more stable career.

And then my other co-worker, Madeline (also not her real name) chimed in with the news that her son has decided not to go to college, and she is really not happy about it. His plan? To attend the local community college and start working in IT. So we had a long conversation about whether it's necessary to go to college.

My thoughts were that it depends! It depends on what you are hoping to achieve by going to college. If all you want is a job that pays a decent wage then trade school is a good option. Plumbers, electricians etc. make a decent living and those jobs are not going to be outsourced. Many college grads in entry level jobs are barely making a living. However, a college education is not just a means to an income. You find yourself or at least start to find yourself in college. And that can lead to different, more satisfying choices.

Rafiki: I agree that college is the place where you find yourself. I think the greatest value is the time it allows for growing up. When people go straight to the workforce from high school, they take on responsibilities that they will have for a long time and for many of them, it then feels like they missed out on a part of life.

Red Jade: Well, the idea of going to college as the goal that everyone aspires to (or should aspire to) is a relatively new thing. In previous generations, most people went from school straight to work.

Rafiki: I think life has become complicated which makes it tough for a young person to start life so soon. People are different though, and I know some people who have no regrets about not going to college and for others it is their lifelong dream. If you choose to go to college it is important to take some time to think about what you want to achieve from your college experience and how it fits into your future plans. Other than the professional degrees, do you think any other careers need college degrees?

Red Jade: Because of the competitive job market, college degrees are used to disqualify job candidates who don't have one. But most of us never really use our college degrees until middle management. The kind of work you do on a day to basis does not require a degree. Hence Julia's frustration. She is still young and has a ways to go.

Rafiki: I hope she will find use for it or find joy in her new pursuit. I have learned that going after just money or stability grows old eventually for most people.

Red Jade: My final 2 cents at lunch were:

• Decide what kind of life you would like to live. By life I mean not only the financial aspects but also family, relationships, health, spirituality, hobbies – consider all areas of your life.
• Decide what resources you need to live the life you want - financial, educational resources etc. If you want to lead an intellectually rich life then a rigorous college education will help you get there.
  
• Decide how to get these resources e.g. how to earn the money to support the kind of life you want to live.
• Decide the best path to get there and then “just do it”.

Rafiki: I could not agree more. Some interesting facts about some very successful people. Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard had a BA in Philosophy and Medieval History from Stanford but she also went on to get an MBA at the University of Maryland. Then there is the case of people who never graduated from college at all e.g. Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Steven Jobs, & Ted Turner.

Red Jade: Yeah, we tend to forget that there are many successful people without college degrees. That said, I think the most important value of a good college education is learning how to: think and analyze critically, communicate well, and relate positively with a wide variety of people. Those are skills that will serve you very well in life regardless of what kind of work you choose to do.