Did you know that you could actually reduce the duration of your college and spend less on education if you started early? I’ll explain what ‘starting early’ means. Usually, an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree lasts for 2 to 4 years. However, if you are able to earn college credits, you will be able to finish your degree sooner than your peers. Sounds amazing? It sure is. Too many talented students pass up this opportunity to earn college credits during their high school years every year. I hope you found this page on time (while you are in high school) and you won’t regret missing this out later on. I am sure you must be wondering how you can gain this treasure, right? Don’t worry. In this article, I’ll help you figure out several ways on how to earn college credits.
What Are College Credits?
First, let’s understand what exactly these ‘college credits’ mean. An academic credit system or a college credit system is a standard used by universities to measure and assess students’ work and effort during their tertiary education. It’s essential to understand how the credit system works and how you can use your credit points from one academic system towards your degree. Sometimes students are required to take preparation courses such as accelerated courses, and subject courses in order to meet starting credit requirements needed for university admission.
Depending on your past experiences and current knowledge, you can earn college credits even in a single day. If you earn college credits for things you already know, you can skip certain courses and get your degree faster. You can also cut down your college costs, as proving your prior experience is quite cheaper than taking the whole course. If you have huge gaps in your learning then taking the course again might be a good idea. Now let’s explore ways on how to earn college credits.
How To Earn College Credits And Make The Most Of It?
There are a few basic ways in which you can earn college credits. The path you take to get college credits will depend on a number of factors, including your academic abilities, work experience, your areas of interest, your economic situation, your career aspirations, your geographical location, etc. Whether you’re looking to get an early jump on your advancement through college or you’re looking to skip the end of high school altogether, there is a corresponding programme for your needs. You can access these programmes and whether or not it meets your needs are different matters altogether.
Here are some ways on how to get college credits fast:
Knowledge Proficiency Exams | How To Earn College Credits
Getting credit for classes that you did not attend may sound like cheating, but this method is completely legitimate. Challenge exams have been developed to test what older students already know about college-level subjects ranging from accounting to foreign languages to nursing. The fees for these exams are minimal. Exams such as the College Level Exam Program (CLEP) are accepted in more than 2500 universities around the world. CLEP assesses you on 34 single-subject college exams and five general exams. The cost for each CLEP is $89—a fraction of the cost of tuition for a single college course. For military students, spouses, and some civilian employees of the military, the CLEP tests are free.
If you are looking forward to becoming an international student and need assistance with student loans, all you have to do is fill the form on this page.
Recommended Reading: What Are The Exams Required To Study Abroad?
Accelerated Online Courses | How To Earn College Credits
As I mentioned above, the average time for completing a college degree is 2 to 4 years. However, you can speed up this process by pursuing an accelerated degree. Accelerated classes online are the best ways regarding how to earn college credits online. These are short online courses that may last for anywhere between 6 to 10 weeks. You may choose to complete the course at your pace just like distance learning programmes. Accelerated courses are offered by many universities across the globe such as Capella University, Columbia College, Southern New Hampshire University and many more.
This is the best way to help you complete your course earlier than you anticipated. You may think that condensed courses such as this one may not prepare you for real-world challenges. However, accelerated courses are a great way to gain confidence in the subjects that come naturally to you. For example, you may have enrolled for an MSc in Business Analytics which consists of subjects like economics, statistics and data analysis. If you think you do not require a lot of help studying data analysis, you can choose an accelerated course in data analytics and finish your MSc, 3 to 4 months before the actual date.
Also Read: Top Courses to Study Abroad
DSST Standardized Subject Tests | How To Earn College Credits
DSST originally began as DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-traditional Educational Support) and is a 37 subject-specific exam covering business, social science, humanities, math, the physical sciences and technology. The cost of the exam is $85 per exam plus administrative fees at the testing site. For military members, the cost is covered for the first time you take an exam; however, you will have to pay your own examination fees the next time you take it. This test covers the following topics:
- Business & Composition, Literature
- Foreign Languages
- History & Social Sciences
- Science & Mathematics
DSST provides upfront funding of CLEP test fees, for the first attempt on all exam titles, for eligible military members. Military members who retest should use the civilian test registration procedures to pay for test costs.
Take AP Courses and Exams | How To Earn College Credits
The Advanced Placement Programmes (AP) offers college-level study in a wide range of subjects and allows you to earn college credit if you score high enough on AP Exams. AP courses stress deep learning, critical thinking and the application of knowledge.
Don’t forget to read: 18 Medical Schools With Tuition-Free Programmes
Hope you are aware of all the options available on how to get college credits in high school. Good luck.
Thank you for reading this blog ‘How To Earn College Credits: Secrets Revealed’. If you enjoyed reading this blog and would like to continue reading more about colleges then do check out our following blogs.
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