Having a plan and strategy is crucial for saving time and money in the pursuit of your degree-

Having a plan and strategy will be your map to reach your goal. I will offer some advice and suggestions, ultimately, it is up to you to figure out what works best for you. These steps are just suggestions; you can base your plan on what matters most to you and why you want a degree.

Step 1. Choose your degree

If you have an idea of the direction you want your career or degree to take, it's a great start. You may want a degree focused on business or the health industry, or you might need a degree to get a promotion at your job. Whatever your motivation or reason, it's a starting point.

If you're unsure of what degree to pursue, explore the degrees that certain CBE schools offer and start to research on platforms like Degree Forum/DFW, Reddit, and YouTube. Get a general sense of what pursuing those degrees might entail.

Once you've narrowed it down to a few degree options, continue using sources such as Degree Forum Wiki. These resources provide valuable information on requirements and which courses can be transferred in from third-party platforms like Study.com and Sophia.

*Keep in mind, over 50 percent of people do not work in the field of their degree.

Step 2. Choose your school

Step 3. Form a plan

You've decided on your degree and school (or are close to it). Download or print the degree plan from DFW. Now start planning which educational platform (Study.com/Sophia) to use for the courses needed for your degree.

The examples below show the courses and the platforms offering the needed courses. The top example is from DFW for a Business Administration degree. I created the example at the bottom for quick reference when I was researching a degree in Data Analytics.

Depending on the university or college you decide to apply to, it will require a different strategy.

Once you have completed your Study.com and Sophia courses, submit your transcripts to WGU again. Do not enroll yet! Have WGU evaluate your credits and inform you of what was accepted and what is still needed for the degree.

If you can no longer earn any more credits through third-party platforms, start studying the courses that are left to be completed. Do not enroll yet! Use any available sources to thoroughly learn the subject. Your goal is to become competent in the subject. This way, when you do enroll, you can finish the courses quickly by testing out (if possible). Alternatively, you can use the study material that WGU provides and learn as you go, but that might take more time and cost more money. Once again, do what is best for you and your way of learning.

Once you feel competent in the required courses, enroll. From there, you can take the practice exams to assess your competency. If you pass the practice exam, schedule the actual exam. If you pass, you earn those credit hours. Imagine how fast you can earn course credit for your degree. If you are extremely competent in a subject, you might be able to pass that course in a very short time. If you need a little refreshing, use WGU's material for that.

This is one strategy; I am sure there are plenty of others out there. Do whatever works best for you. The bottom line is that you have to learn the subject and be competent in it. CBE programs are terrific if utilized correctly.

Step 4. Strategy

WGU: First, apply. Do not enroll yet! Send in any transcripts, certificates, and diplomas you might have, but do not enroll yet! I applied with only my GED and was accepted. I then printed out the transfer agreement between WGU and third-party platforms. I started completing courses that could transfer to WGU using Study.com and Sophia.

In the example below, you can see I used Sophia to complete courses for a degree in Business Administration Management. I kept track of which courses had their equivalents. This was a degree I intended to pursue until I decided to go in a different direction.

It might be hard to read; this is the actual paper I used. I labeled each course at the end with "TS" with a number, and the letter "N". TS stood for touchstone, and the number represented the total touchstones for the course. Touchstones were projects that took a few days to be graded, while N was for no touchstones. Courses with no touchstones could be completed more quickly since there was no waiting for a project to be graded. All this information is available on the Sophia and Study.com platforms. This will help in planning the order of courses to take. The more touchstones, the longer those courses will take to complete.

UMPI: First, apply. Send in any transcripts, certificates, and diplomas you might have. I had already earned several ACE credits and a couple of Google certificates, which I submitted with my transcripts to UMPI.

UMPI will send you a degree audit that shows what is needed, what is completed, and what is accepted as transfer credit. It's straightforward and easy to understand, serving as your guide to earning your degree.

Use Degree Forum (DF) to get an overview of the required courses. This will help you plan the order in which to take them. At the bottom, you'll find an example of a course review that provides valuable insights based on personal experience. I took a similar course with a different professor, and the review was quite accurate. This information helped me plan when to take the course and what to expect.

Before enrolling at UMPI, aim to complete as many transferable credits as possible to cover general education and upper-level courses. The maximum number of credits that can be transferred is 90 out of the required 120 credits for your degree. Your goal should be to have only 10 courses (30 credit hours) left to complete in the YourPace program.

Once you have 10 courses (30 credit hours) left, enroll in UMPI. The YourPace program is competency-based education (CBE).

The remaining courses will likely be upper-level and can be challenging, but rewarding. While you cannot test out of a course, you can progress as quickly as you can. Most courses have milestones to complete before the final assessment. Milestones and finals are graded within days. You can submit a draft of your final, and the professor will provide feedback, which is a great option to utilize. Professors are responsive to emails, and I found the coursework enjoyable because I was familiar with the subject matter. Despite this familiarity, I still learned a lot. My program didn't include exams but focused on essays and PowerPoint projects, which suited my preferences as I enjoy writing.

I completed many courses in my first session and earned my degree in my second session. Everyone's situation is different; some manage full-time jobs or have young children. I treated school like a full-time job, dedicating 8 or more hours to coursework daily. This allowed me to finish more quickly than the average bachelor degree student and at a fraction of the cost.

However you decide to plan and create a strategy, it will benefit you. Please utilize all the wonderful resources available for free and avoid violating any university honor guidelines. Explore resources like Degree Forum Wiki and Degree Forum; learn to navigate these sites effectively. Visit university websites, third-party platform sites, and gather as much information as possible related to your degree. It may seem like a lot of work, but when you earn your degree, it will be worth every effort.

There are several factors to consider when picking the right school for you. Important factors include cost, format, and the degrees offered. You should also prioritize how transfer-friendly the institution is and whether it offers a CBE program. Start researching which schools offer the degree that appeals most to you. Keep in mind, try to use universities or colleges that are CBE and transfer-friendly like UMPI and WGU. The goal is to earn a degree in half the time and at a fraction of the cost of the traditional process.

Here are some questions to help you pick your university or college:

- Is the university or college regionally accredited?

- What degrees do they offer?

- Is the university or college transfer-friendly? How many credits can be transferred in?

- Can you proceed at your own pace?

- What is the tuition cost or the price per term/session or credit hour?

- What do the reviews say about the program?

- What is the format of the program? Is it student-centered? Is it user-friendly?

- Is there a strong student support system?

- Are there ample resources and information about the program?

- Is this a school where you can envision yourself accelerating in earning your degree?

Be aware that some programs are transfer-friendly, but do not allow you to work at your own pace. You might also be limited to a certain number of courses per semester/term/session. My son tried another transfer-friendly university, and it ended up costing over $3,000 for only two courses, including several fees and tuition costs. He also had to wait for other students to move forward.

If possible, choose a university or college that provides ample information about its programs, including real testimonials.

Disclaimer: I am personally sharing this information. The mentioned organizations are not a paid sponsor or affiliated with this website.