How many college classes you think is easy to manage during a semester while serving?

2018-04-23T22:05:04-04:00

Needing a opinion on how many classes i can take a semester

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 23 at 2018 10:08 PM

2018-04-23T22:08:54-04:00

I would start with 12 hours per semester, you can adjust from there. Wait, you plan on night classes due to the military obligation?

Response by LTC David Brown made Apr 23 at 2018 10:10 PM

2018-04-23T22:10:13-04:00

Depends on you. How fast do you read, how well do you retain what you read.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2018 10:24 PM

2018-04-23T22:24:32-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member Start out with two or three classes the first semester and see how it goes. it also depends on how hard the classes are and if there are labs, plus how many hours you can take and also maintain your Army commitment. After I was discharged, I worked shift work (42 hours a week) and managed to take 12 hours a semester. I obtained my degree in five and a half years.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Apr 23 at 2018 10:39 PM

2018-04-23T22:39:43-04:00

Full time or part time. You may also have to maintain full time status. For most colleges that is 12 credits .... 4x3credit classes.

Response by LT Brad McInnis made Apr 23 at 2018 11:15 PM

2018-04-23T23:15:59-04:00

With all your other obligations, why not try a fewer amount. See what you can accommodate. Remember if you haven't been in a classroom in awhile, you may need more time. Also, depending on the course, some of the earlier classes are easier. I would start small and go bigger, that way, you aren't setting yourself up for failure by taking too many and not being able to complete. Also, keep your advisors up to speed of all your other stuff so they can help in advance. Best of luck to you!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2018 11:26 PM

2018-04-23T23:26:45-04:00

Are you on AD? I used to take a couple at a time when I was still enlisted. When I left the Army and went back to school I started at 15 per semester, although they were all science courses with labs. During my last semester I took more hours, but they were mostly elective credits at that point that were pretty easy. If I were you I would start on the lower side and add classes down the line if you can manage.

Response by Gary Henson made Apr 23 at 2018 11:33 PM

2018-04-23T23:33:10-04:00

As a guy who has around 150 credit hours.... I'd say take 12. If you take a really hard class, balance it with an elective such as weight lifting or golf. Use the electives wisely.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:08 AM

2018-04-24T04:08:45-04:00

First it isn't about how many credits or courses a semester you'd take, that's part of it, not all of it. You didn't list your MOS, also, your question was way too vague for us here to be able to realistically help you. You need to do a really tpdetailed, thorough bio sketch, incl hobbies, reading, interests, college thus far, incl AP in high school as qwll. What MOS are you? What field or major do you want? A STEM field? Humanities? Social sciences? Clinical field? Your objectives? Ambitions? Senior enlisted? Warrant? Commissioned? To try to be allowed to stay in for the full 20 yes or more, or to do your time and get out and go civilian? Those are the things we all need to know here, we answer questions like yours all the time on here, and I always wind up having to say the same things, over and over and over again, you know? Now, I don't say that to not want to try to help you, all of us want to help you, however, you need to help us help you, as the saying goes, enlightened self interest is the greatest possible motivator, honest. So, let's start this over again, and this time, let's do it right, OK? Do you want to try for an academy or military college while in? Do you want to go to a civikoian school while in? I'm assuming you're working while doing school, also, if you've got a family, that'll complicate matters a good deal, not impossibly, however, in a way that you'd need to account for, marriage, kids, all that plays a part in how fast you can get done with a full associates and/or bachelors program, or grad school, and trust me, I've done it al, taken it all, more times than I like to even remember, I've been all over it, up, down, left, right, inside out, and sideways, every which way conceivable, I know all the tricks, all the rules, and I can teach them to you, however, for them to do you any palpable good, I need to j ow more, a whole lot more, OK? I'm total perm disabled, I did a double bachelors, triple masters, and a clinical doctorate with seven yrs of residency attempted in an allied health field before Imy disability in my seventh year, however, if it walks, crawls, talks, and flies, I've worked for it, in it, around it, on top of it, under it, around it, I've had every kind of boss one can possibly have, active duty, civil servant, industry, clinical, all of it, you name it, I've had it, OK? So, as I may have said, let me teach you the right way to do this, OK? Let !e send this, then I'll try to send more, OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:18 AM

2018-04-24T04:18:43-04:00

Now, next, you didn't say what MOS you are, we'd all need to k ow that, first and foremost, as it's REALLy hard to take coursework in something you're not being paid to do. Not impossible, just rough, I assure you, really rough. Bosses are all the more inclined to help you, if what you're learning helps them, that's just reality. Further learning more about what you're being paid to do helps you do a better job for them, that's just trutyh. At the same time, you've gotta turn lemons into lemonade, so, you need to squeeze every bit of bang out of your buck. That being said, here's what I need to know to help you, OK? What major or possible majors do you want? Associates? Bachelors? Grad school? How much college have you done yet, incl AP stuff in high school? Do you want purely vocational, PR academic, there's a very real difference in approach, a college isn't a tech school, it's not a vocational school, and if you try to treat it in that fashion, you're in for a fairly rapid and quite rude awakening, I assure you? Also, here are a few basic rules, you can drive and you can work, you can work and you can go to school, and you can go to school and you can drive, however, short of you having a big red cape on your back and having a big red "S" in your chest, few humans can work, drive, and go to school, all at once. So, if you installation has an education off, use it. If they bring in programs there, use them, if you can, they're easierz they're more convenient you'll get less fatigued. If where you are has schools off grounds, fine, as long as they're drivable close to your installation, NOT far away, trust me, you'd be burning the candle at both ends, you're gonna burn out. And it ain't no fun, been here, done that (BTDT), kid, honest, I assure you. I did my first masters part time, it was a royal pain, u went to the wrong schoolls, did it the wrong way, took way too long to get it done, and wasted one humongous lot of time I didn't need to waste, so trust me, there's a WHOLE LOT to be said for physical convenience, when it comes to doing what you've got in mind, let me send this, then I'll send more, OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:41 AM

2018-04-24T04:41:01-04:00

As I !may have said, family matters in doing school, if you're on your own, it's easier, with family it's a whole lot harder, as you have to plan how to avoid distractions, you need to set time aside. For every hour you're in lecture, you need to figure on, minimum, three hours a day of outside work. Online takes a WHOLE lot of self discipline, and NOTHING can substitute for a proper lecture, by a proper lecturer, that's why for undergrad, online generally doesn't work,in my view, maybe I'm old fshuoned, however, I've been a serious student my entire existence, since I was in utero, so trust me, I know the Ford and I know the agaknsts, and if you can go to a physical school, with physical lecturers, labs, classes, the real deal, do it, OK? Next, here are the basic rules as to credits: For undergrad, to be dee!ed full time, which you're NOT going to be able to do, in my view, while working, 12 credits is the absolute minimum, to get your loans, at least in my experience. If you're Guard or Reserve, you've gotta figure on drills, maybe deployment, and your college, unless you've got a really good vet affairs off, is gonna give you beaucoup aggravation about taking time off unless they understand how the svcs work, so pick a school that's SVC fteindly, and get to know the vet advsiros, if you need an incomplete and time to get work done, ask them, ask advisors, ask chairs, ask deans, ask provosts, not just faculty, faculty loathe in completes, they're more work for them, well, you're SVC, and that's their jobz so that's too bad, you're defending them, that'# how I see it, they should too, in my view. Next, if you're having aggravation, you need to know the drop rules for your school inside and out. You need to know, semester by semester, when you have to have a drop form signed by, and when a drip form needs to be in by, rose dates change semester by semester, and that's on you to find out, not the school, no way outta that, that's on you, kid. Next, if you drop, which you're likely gonna need to do at some point, many schools, if you need to redo a course, can waive tuition the second go round, if you do it the next time it'd be offered, so ask, that's also on your, kid. Promise, BTDT, OK? So, here's the truth, if you're working, forget full time, ain't gonna happen, forget it, you're gonna blow it, totally, I k ow, I idid, and I was really pretty good, I was serious, I was dedicated, and, like the saying goes, only a fool doesn't know their limits honest, OK? If you're working, you're stuck with one, maybe two courses a se!ester, period, and believe me, you'll be lucky to get those done, and do them right, with a full time job. If you're working part time, or are Guard or Reserve, then maybe three, maybe four courses, most courses tend to be three credits, a credit is an actual contact hour per week generally, that's the way colleges are designed? When you're undergrad 12 credits is full time, when you're grad school level, coursework is generally harder, and people work, so the law accounts for that by lowering the requirement to nine credits a semester. Some schools also do semesters, others do quarters, you need to know that. Of you need time off for a midterm or final, you need to plan for that, you need a boss sympathetic tomyiur desire to do well, pet alone pass, which is why taking stuff your boss PR bosses can actually use is gonna be a whole lot easier to convince them to let you prep for, that:s just life, KO'd. Now, humanities, social sciences, that's just something you're gonna have to live with kids, alp college students have to do them, there are no exceptions, so just accept it, learn from those topics, absorb them to enlarge your mind, and move on. So, having said all that, now I need more from you? Major? Majors? Associates? Bachelors? Grad school? Ambitions? Objectives? Senior enlisted? Warrant. Commissioned? Field? MOS or AFSC? Do you want to stay Army? Would you go interservice if another opportunity came your way? Do you want to try for the full 20 yrs? Do you want to do your time and go civilian? Do you want Guard? Reserve? Guard tech? Reserve tech? AGR? You need to discuss alp that, kid, the more you give, the more all of us can answer here, so help us help you, as I may have said, and take the time to elaborate, OK? It'll help us help you, honest...use us, benefit from us, but benefit by giving us adequate info so we can help you try to succeed, OK? Those are !y thoughts, such as they are, at least for now, I'm Jere if you want to ask anything, I know I gave you a lot, I get that, I generally do when I encou ter questions like yours, however, I do it to try to help and teach, so far as I can, honest, OK? Give me your thoughts, of be eager to hear more, honest, OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:45 AM

2018-04-24T04:45:58-04:00

And also, do you want to try for an academy? A military college incl the maritime colleges? Am ROTC? USMC platoon leaders course (PLC)?if clinical, would you want USPHS COSTEP, the USPHS analogue to an ROTC or USMC PLC? Would you want USCG MARGRAD PR a USCG scholarship? Would you want flight, like Army WOCS flight for helicopters that only needs high school? Which other svcs would you consider if a chance came tour way, that's why I asked about going interservice, OK? Think about all those things, also, I'll try to send you some sites that'd be worth your time to look through, OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:46 AM

2018-04-24T04:46:13-04:00

http://www.excelsior.edu

Trust this....

www.excelsior.edu

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:46 AM

2018-04-24T04:46:28-04:00

http://www.tesu.edu

Trust this....

College Degrees for Adults at Thomas Edison State University

Thomas Edison State University provides opportunities for adults to earn a college degree. Explore our programs, online courses and flexible transfer credit policies today.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:46 AM

2018-04-24T04:46:43-04:00

http://www.charteroak.edu

Trust this....

www.charteroak.edu

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:47 AM

2018-04-24T04:47:03-04:00

http://www.ocsfoundation.org

Look through this....

OCS Foundation

SERVICES FOR: Candidates Alumni Officer Families

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:48 AM

2018-04-24T04:48:12-04:00

Look up DANTES, look up the Amer Council on Educ (ACE) military off, get your military transcript, unofficial and officials in presealed envelopes I know they do them, I'm just not sure how, OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:50 AM

2018-04-24T04:50:02-04:00

Look up the college level exam program (CLEP), look up the graduate record exam (GRE) subject tests, those can save you a whole lot of time, though the subject tests, not the general test, are rough, really rough, that's why you can get 24 or 30 pass fail credits for a passing raw score, not percentile, though CalEPs are easier, though few credits per exam, OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:51 AM

2018-04-24T04:51:32-04:00

Look up Community College of the AF (CCAF), I've been told only USAF can use it, however I've read about efforts to open it to other svcs, I've always wondered whether it can be used by enlisted in other svcs, generally one needs a valid USAF AFSC, not an Army MOS, however, just ask, I'd be curious if it'd be allowed you k ow?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 24 at 2018 4:55 AM

2018-04-24T04:55:26-04:00

Also, I saw you mentioned flight ops, I'm assuming you might want that, or be in that, so look at the Army WOC high school to flight school program, I've heard WOCS is a really rough program, however, being as it'd only need high school, you might consider submitting a packet. You can also try interservice to USAF for UAV or drone enlisted pilot, I'd read USAF was thinking about enlisted pilots, though I think that went nowhere, however, drone/UAV pilot might be worth your looking at, OK? Also, of you're flight ops, are you FAA airframe and powerplant licensed? Would you want to be? Would it interest you, give it thought, OK? If you've got a military aero club near you, would you want to go private plot? Instrument rating? Multiengine? Com!ericoal? Helicopter private pilot till you could go Army helicopters? I'm just trying to give you thoughts, OK?

Response by MSG Dan Castaneda made Apr 24 at 2018 8:08 AM

2018-04-24T08:08:35-04:00

It all differs through out the years. I was an instructor when I first started my academic plan and it was pretty easy to take on multiple classes simultaneously. Once I went back to Group and started deploying, I was barely hanging on to one class. If you have some "manageable" time, you have to take advantage. The mission changes all the time but you have to stay committed.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Apr 24 at 2018 10:35 AM

2018-04-24T10:35:09-04:00

Three to four credit hours is enough IMO. Should allow you to study adequately and make a good grade.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 24 at 2018 11:41 AM

2018-04-24T11:41:15-04:00

Depends on your rate/mos and schedule. I go to UMUC and they break the semester into quarters, So I can take 2 classes in the first quarter and 2 in the fourth maintaining 12 credits while only taking 6 at any given time.

Its all online so I work on classes after the work day (firemans schedule) and it doesn't take a whole lot away from my home life. I would also think a lot of the course load has to do with what classes you plan to take. For me, I am very weak with math... so when I take Statistics I will make sure that is the only course o focus on for that part of the semester.

Good luck!

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Apr 24 at 2018 12:53 PM

2018-04-24T12:53:14-04:00

I would think that depends on your duty station and duty schedule. If you are stateside or anywhere that lets you work a regular and predictable schedule, I might try a couple of the easier classes to start just to see how much of my time it took up.

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Apr 24 at 2018 2:12 PM

2018-04-24T14:12:29-04:00

If you are using TA, start with one class (somewhere around 3CH) and just work your way up from there. If the one course is cake then try two the next semester, so on and so forth. See what you can handle. I took two courses one semester while I was in and it wasn't too bad.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 24 at 2018 2:17 PM

2018-04-24T14:17:42-04:00

Depends on the person.