Success With CLEP Exams

This week I have to tell you about my experiences taking the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams.

My guidance counselor had told me when I re-entered college that I could choose to take some CLEP exams to get credit for some of the basic college courses that I needed to graduate.

I had been putting it off for months now, but I finally decided that it was silly not to try and take the exams. I am so happy that I did. I was able to CLEP four courses. Now I get credit for the courses and can use that time taking other classes on my long, long list of required courses. And the best part is that the CLEP exams are much cheaper than taking the actual course.

As a working adult college student, time is money, and by taking the CLEP exams, I saved both!

If you are unfamiliar with them you can contact your school and they can tell you if you are eligible to take them. I strongly recommend that you go for it.

With my four exams I developed a plan that really worked for me. I passed each test on the first try, so here's my plan, maybe it will work for you too.

1. Call the testing center and schedule an appointment for three weeks out.


2. Get study material for the course that you are going to CLEP. Either get a study guide online, or get a college textbook on the subject.


3. Get the official CLEP practice test either online, or at a library or book store.


4. Read and review one chapter a night in the textbook or study guide.


5. At the end of each week, do the practice test and see how well you did. You should improve after each of the three weeks.


6. Make flashcards from the study material and the practice test.


7. Review one last time before the test.

Each school sets their own requirements for the minimum score needed to pass the exam. In my case I needed to get 50 out of 80 right to pass. Using my study method, I was able to pass all four exams on the first try.

I strongly recommend that you give the CLEP exams a try. With a little effort on your part, you can save both time and money, two very important items to most college students.

Graduation A Time For Celebration

Last week I got to see some of my fellow college students graduate. It was fun to be able to celebrate the completion of their hard work and dedication to completing their college educations.

Many spoke to me of their uncertainty of leaving the academic life and begining their careers in the business world. It was then that I realized that they have the same fears that I did, but in reverse. I had feared re-entering academic life with my return to college after a 20+ year break, and they feared entering that working world that I was afraid to leave.

It makes me smile to think that everyone fears something. And what we really fear is the unknown. It so much easier to stay in our comfortable roles, whether it's being a student, or working at a certain job, we all find it far safer to stay put rather than take a chance on change.

How many times have we hesitated to make a change and when we finally make it, sometimes through circumstances outside our control, we find that we wondered why we didn't do it sooner. Yet we continue to fear change the next time it comes around.

I have read articles that say that change becomes easier the more times you have success through those changes. If that's the case, I hope that I remember those successful feelings when my next opportunity for change comes along.

And to the graduating seniors I say, congratulations! Take this time to celebrate your success and remember that graduation is just the beginning to the next successful step in your life!

College For Working Adults

When I contemplated going back to college as a working adult, all I could think about were the negatives.

I'm going to be older than everyone else.
I won't be able to interact with my fellow students.
I will probably be older than some of the professors.

My mind played out all the scenarios in my head while I slept.

But in all that time of worrying if I should go back and worrying if I could go back. I never realized that as a working adult, I had an advantage that I never considered. I have life experiences.

With my years in the working world, I could bring my real life experiences into the classroom. It has given me the ability to learn on a whole different level that I ever thought possible.

Now I'm joining in discussions, asking the professors intelligent questions, and being sought after by fellow students. I find that I have became a peer to my fellow students and it has been a real turning point in my education.

I no longer fear walking into the classroom. I no longer toss and turn at night with nightmares of going to school with students young enough to be my children. I know that I am right where I belong.

There are many types of learning that take place in a classroom, learning from the Professor, learning from fellow students, and learning from experiences. As a working adult college student, I find that I am fortunate to be able to take advantage of them all!

Back To College

My Background

I am a single mother in my fourties and I have always regretted that I never finished my college education. Many times over the years, I thought about going back. I was fortunate that I was successful in business, but always worried about not having a formal education.

As the years went by, my concerns grew as more and more college graduates were entering the workforce. I felt inadequate. I felt that I was inferior because I did not have a college diploma. It became a downward spiral. As I got older, I came up with all sorts of excuses why I couldn't go back, I'm married, I'm raising a family, I'm too busy at work, I'm too involved at church, etc. Believe me, I have used them all.

But the time came when many of the excuses were gone. I divorced my husband, my children became adults, and my work load was no longer as difficult. So what excuse could I come up with now?

So...I decided to face my fears and apply to college. I took it one step at a time and within a few weeks, I found myself accepted back into college.

During the months to come, I want to share my experiences with others in hopes that I can help others take the "leap" to face your fears, whether it is going back to school, or facing other challenges within your life. Take action - don't let another day pass with regrets!

Back To College