What is the best way to motivate yourself to obtain your baccaulaureate degree?

2014-12-15T18:15:01-05:00

I have time in my current station to continue working on my bachelor degree, however, I'm having issues staying motivated to get everything completed. What are some good tips for staying motivated?

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Dec 15 at 2014 9:44 PM

2014-12-15T21:44:57-05:00

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member Find ways to "trip" over your goals. Here are some examples.

1. Get a diploma frame and put a "degree goes here" sign in it and hang it up in your office
2. Share your goals with folks, they will ask you about it and hold you accountable.
2a. This is my corollary to 2. Share your goals with a person that you don't particular care for each other. When they see you, they will needle you about it and push you to get it done if for no other reason than to stick it in their face.
3. Have smaller sub goals that you can tick off as you complete them.
-Working on a BS/BA, tick off an AA/AS/AAS along the way.
-Set a goal of number of credits to complete per NCOER period
-Complete sections of the bigger require (ie, knock out all the general ed, all the liberal arts credits, all your major courses, etc)

These are just a few!

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 15 at 2014 9:43 PM

2014-12-15T21:43:36-05:00

I like the short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals idea, SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member. A dear aunt of mine always used to tell me - when I was taking two courses in the evenings, four evenings per week - that it will all pay off in the end, and she was so right! That degree is like a ticket to get on the ride that is the rest of your life. Go for it! Get that ticket! And enjoy the ride!!

Response by 1SG Cameron M. Wesson made Dec 15 at 2014 10:45 PM

2014-12-15T22:45:13-05:00

About everything has been said but I'll add one.... tell everyone that you love or respect that you are going to do this.... Then DWYSYWD... Its hard to look at a son, daughter, peer, sobordinate... and get in their shorts if you aren't "doing what you said you would do"... It worked foir me for two masters.... And thus the reason I have yet to commit to starting my Ph.d... Not going to say it if I'm not ready to commit. My 2 cents

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:04 PM

2018-04-13T20:04:04-04:00

I think I can help, however, I'm gonna need a whole lot more detail, OK? Trust me, I answer a good many such questions as yours on here, I've got a serious interest in such topics, however, to do it right, I mean really, properly answer you, whether I answer, or another on here, take the time and do a really seriously, detailed bio sketch, OK? What major would you want? Any associated yet! If so, what major? What GPA, if you can say? What specific coursework, with actual course titles and grades, also if you can say? What bachelor's do you want? What specific field? Do you want masters? Doctoral? STEM related? Clinical in any field of any kind, even med admin? What is you ultimate objective? Senior enlisted? Warrant? Commissioned? Army? Another svc? ROTC in any svc? USMC Platoon Leaders Course (PLC)? If Army, what MOS? What branch? If another svc, what specific field? If USAF, what AFSC, equiv to an Army MOS? What hobbies, reading, interests, sports, martial arts of any kind? Remember, the more you give in Jere, the more I or others can suggest? I've answered numerous questions like yours on here before, I have a specific interest in such topics, however, knowing more very definitely helps, as such infomlets !e suggest specifics, not generalities, OK? Let !e send this, then I'll try to send more, OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:15 PM

2018-04-13T20:15:28-04:00

Next, how self disciplined are you? I !mean really, truly self disciplined? What types of distractions are you coping with? Family? Kids? I'm not asking tomory, !erepy to try to help you figure out how much time you can actually devote to this, OK? When I did my first masters, I didn't do it right, I was clumsy, I'll disciplined, easily distracted, and lost focus, so it took me six years, four years while in, two after I got out, there:s no need for that, using standardized exams I can show you how to use, provided you:re sufficiently self disciplined, with very serious study technique, OK? I need to know precisely HOW you study, how fast you read, what technique you use to read? How you take notes in class as well as out, how you prepare using study guides and multiple choice questions in review texts, there are a whole host of very specific techniques I can try to show you, however, I need to know exactly what I've got to cope with, in trying to help you, OK? So, list actual specific course titles done thus far, associates level, bachelors level, specific grades and/or GPAs if you can say? How many hours a day can you devote to getting this done? Remember, as q genl rule of thumb, every hour you spend in a class needs, at minimum, Tyree hours of outside study time to absorb properly, regardless of subject matter, I've taken it all, passed it all, done just about all, I assure you, in just about every science and/or serious intellectual topic conceivable, I assure you, I'm very well aware pf precisely how this needs to ne done, to go h keep a decent GPA, as well as actually retain the into, OK? Further. You need to understand that, even if you went warrant or commissioned, you'd be expected, quite literally from day one, to get a masters, regardless of what virtually anyone else will tell you, I've been there, I k know? There are alternatives to ROTC, or Green to Gold, there's USPHS Jr and Sr COSTEP, the USPHS analogue to ROTC, there's US!C Place oon Leaders Course (PLC), there's Army WOCS, there's Army direct commission cyber, there's direct commission or OIS(indoc programs) in other svcs, there are numerous ways to go about this...also, you'd need to keep at least a 3.0 GPA, to have a chance to use it, the question isn't so much what you want, that does matter, however, it's more a question of who wants you, and for what, you know? Let !e send this also, then I'll try to send some more. OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:19 PM

2018-04-13T20:19:24-04:00

http://www.excelsior.edu

Them you can trust, very SVC frieldny, totally legitimate, regionally accredited, formerly part of NYS govt, then privatized. I got a second bach in !ath, they have such a rule, 30 credits beyond a few st bachelors, 15 credits assocs level, 15 credits bachelors level...a good friend got his bach in !ath through them, while they were part of NYS govt, then went Navy OCS using it, that I know for certain...I got my second bach in math with them, using the Grad Record Exam (GRE) subject tests, not the genl test, one needs to get a certain minimum raw score, they round off all grades, I dont know why, a B+ becomes a B, a C- becomes a C, I've never understood the reason, I only know they're real, OK?

www.excelsior.edu

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:31 PM

2018-04-13T20:31:17-04:00

https://www.charteroak.edu/

This is also completely legitimate, very similar to Excelsior, I'll send more....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:33 PM

2018-04-13T20:33:08-04:00

https://www.tesu.edu/index.cfm

Call them also, trust me....

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:37 PM

2018-04-13T20:37:01-04:00

http://www.uopeople.edu

This is not a panacea, also, I dont know if they're accepted by the svcs, VA, or industry yet...they're not regionally accredited, however, they're approved by DETC, formerly NHSC, they got a recent Vatican endorsement their offices are in Calif, they've got assocs and bach in bus admin, comp sci (CS), and health sci, as well as an MBA, and just started taking transfer credit, of read...ask before you'd use them, they charge no tuition, just admin and exam fees, prorated by per capita income of a given country. I merely mention them as a possibility remember, dont use them without asking first, OK? I've read good things they're hooked into many very serious regular schools, however. I dont want you assuming the svcs, VA, or industry will take them, so ask first, OK?

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:40 PM

2018-04-13T20:40:06-04:00

https://clep.collegeboard.org/

You'll want this...Excelsior has their own exam program, ask of Oak Tree and Edison do as well, OK? Howecer, this one is real, that much I know for certain, OK, it's the CLEP you might've obviously heard of before...also, did you do any AP coursework in high school at all? I'd just thought to ask, OK?

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:42 PM

2018-04-13T20:42:43-04:00

https://www.military.com/education/timesaving-programs/defense-activity-for-non-traditional-education-support-dantes.html

DANTES issues military transcripts, call them, have them pull your file, and get such a transcript, if you haven't already...get sealed official copies to mail out, not just an unofficial copies, they'll have such a mechanism, I expect, ask, OK? Get multiple copies, five ten, however many you can afford, you'll need them, OK?

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:44 PM

2018-04-13T20:44:51-04:00

http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/Military-Guide-Online.aspx

Call the ACE military/veteran office and speak with them, they keep the master list of all credits issued for all military training, trust me, call them, OK?

Military-Guide-Online.aspx

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:48 PM

2018-04-13T20:48:45-04:00

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_College_of_the_Air_Force

I'm unsure how other SVC enlisted can make use of CCAF, I've been told on here that one needs a fully equiv field, like an MOS, analogous to a UAF AFSC, just call hem and ask, you've got nothing to lose by trying. I'm sure other SVC enlisted must have asked, just try to find out how it might ne able to be used, just get a DAMTES military transcript first, send them all your other transcripts, same for Excelsior, Oak Tree, and Edison, as well as ACE, OK?

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The Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) is a federal program offered by the United States Air Force which grants two-year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees in association with Air University.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:50 PM

2018-04-13T20:50:34-04:00

http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/current-and-prior-service/advance-your-career/warrant-officer/flight-warrant-officers.html

I've read this is an extremely rough program, however, I've also read it only needs high school, you've got nothing to lose by trying, OK?

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 13 at 2018 8:51 PM

2018-04-13T20:51:44-04:00

I know that's a lot, I can send you a good deal more, however, trust me, do as I'd suggested, and do a really detailed serious bio sketch of the type of suggested, OK? Then absorb what I've sent in thus far, of you want more, ask, I'll try, OK?

Response by CDR Kenneth Kaiser made Apr 13 at 2018 9:55 PM

2018-04-13T21:55:09-04:00

What degree field are you in and what made you decide initially? Are you getting it for advancement in the service or are you thinking toward retirement? Is the degree related to your current job field in the service (In other words will your service experience support your degree so that you will graduate with a degree and x years experience in the field or as a newly degreed individual? What are the opportunities in your degree field? Is the return on investment there? This could be in the form of money, or personal satisfaction or both, but if neither of those is there then maybe you should reconsider, keeping in mind that core courses will still apply if you are thinking of another direction. While you are stationed where you are you might contact some companies that employ folks with your potential background and ask them what they look for when hiring someone in your potential area of expertease and what they like about their job. This can serve to re awaken your desire to pursue your degree and it can also help you tailor your courses as you finish your degree. Check the job boards see what the demand is for folks with your potential credentials and see if you would like working there. Also look at the salary expectations. Also see if you can determine what areas of the country are hiring folks with your background. Just some thoughts. The answers might re ignite your interest though.