College Kids Don't Look Like They Used To....

What comes to mind if someone says "college student"? Did you imagine a 19-year-old with a backpack? You'd be wrong if you think that's what most college students look like today.

Eighty-four percent of college enrollments are non-traditional students, they're working adults or students enrolled in distance learning. As an example, the average RN or BSN student at Excelsior College, where all the degrees are earned through a distance program, is 43-years-old, has a family, works full time, and has been in healthcare for years.

So what is keeping you from pursuing higher education? The same thing that keeps most of us from pursuing almost anything – time and money.

There is an option that may help with both issues. It's called "credit-by-examination." Students call it "testing out." And it's an option that will give you flexibility with time and may save on tuition costs. This program allows students to take tests to demonstrate knowledge of a subject and earn credit without being in class. The assumption is that if you can pass the test, you have knowledge equivalent to what would have been learned in a college-level course.

The most widely known exams are CLEP tests. Since 1967, more than six million people have taken CLEP tests in order to earn credit at one of more than 2900 colleges or universities. There are two other tests accepted by many colleges. The DSST exam is used in the military DANTES program, but is also accepted by 1700 colleges and universities. Lesser known are ECE (Excelsior College Exams). ECE exams are accepted by Excelsior College, but are recognized by other schools as well.

Using the credit by examination option, a student studies at home, on his/her own schedule, to prepare for a test. This helps those people who have scheduling issues. Instead of scheduling your life around your course, you schedule your course around your life. When ready, the student takes the test at a local testing center, usually at a local community college. Passing scores are accepted as credit, just as if the student sat in the classroom.

So how do you get started? The first thing to do is to make sure that the college you plan to attend (whether that be a traditional, on-the-ground school or a non-traditional, online school) accepts credit by examination. If so, you need to ask, "What kind and which exams?" Each school has their own policies about which of the exams are accepted in each program. An admissions or academic counselor will be able to answer those questions.

Secondly, start getting ready to take the test. Although there is some free information about the tests available, it is not in-depth. If you do not have much knowledge of the subject, you will need more study material. iStudySmart.com is a company that provides in-depth study material for these tests. The iStudySmart.com courses can be done by internet, CD-ROM or by workbook and require a college textbook. Courses have assignment questions which you answer. The answers are found in the required textbook, with page numbers given so the answer can be found easily. Each study course also has a practice exam that allows you to check your knowledge before test day.

When ready, students contact a testing center and schedule to take the test. The testing center will charge a test administration fee, usually about $15-$20, in addition to the fee for the test itself. Tests are administered by computer and are multiple choice. When the student receives the official results, the school adds that course credit to his/her transcript.

Usually, the cost of the test and study materials is less than the cost of attending the actual class. How much will be saved depends on the tuition costs of the school being attended. Even if tuition costs are low, the savings might be in the costs that come with attending school anywhere: gas, babysitters, etc.

Credit by examination requires some discipline. You have to make yourself study and get ready. But it's a great option for many. Anything that will help you earn a degree is worth the effort. To get information on specific exams:

CLEP – www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html
DSST – www.getcollegecredit.com/04learners.html
ECE – www.excelsior.edu

Other questions: iStudySmart.com - www.istudysmart.com

or call 1-800-737-2222 or email: info@istudysmart.com. Be sure to let us know that you're with RTTemps/RNTemps.