In my quest to get a degree, I took a big gamble earlier in the year on being able to finish by December. The thing is, I have a Technical Writing course that is a core requirement, and English Comp is a prerequisite. I discovered all of this at the beginning of the semester when I *accidentally* discovered I had been basing my predictions on getting an AA in CIS, when the course track I was on was actually the course for an AAS in Computer Technology. The coursework is very different, and a close study showed the degree to be reachable by December.

Knowing this at the beginning of the semester, I opted to pass on English Comp 1301, trusting in my ability to CLEP out of the comp requirement. It was a big gamble; as Technical Writing is only offered in the Spring semester (and, because of demand, this summer), failing to pass the CLEP exam would mean that next spring's attendance at college would be mandatory to fulfill my course requirements.

I was advised to study by the Dean of Instruction, and, in fact, I actually started on it. But a run through of a practice exam yielded 66 correct out of 75 questions, an 88% mark. Because the standards for the CLEP test are much lower, I didn't worry about it much, even though I know practice exams are usually simpler than the *real* tests. Again, another gamble, but it didn't seem to make a whole ton of sense to begin worrying about studying for a CLEP test on top of all of my other obligations.

So, yesterday, I went in to take the test. Aside from a few panic moments when the test server crashed when I was about 2/3 way through (we were able to get back online with all answered questions saved), it went fairly quickly. I finished the test in half the allotted 90 minutes, pausing briefly when I was asked if I wanted to proceed.

The results came back quickly. A score of 70 (50 is required to pass). So now Comp is behind me. About 2 hours' time (total; there were problems with setup as well), and $85 of my hard earned cash and I successfully knocked out 6 credits. For me the test was not that difficult, and I am immensely happy that I didn't sweat it by studying till my eyeballs popped out.

So, then came the fun part. Registration for Summer I semester and fall (I may actually get a reprieve during Summer II -- stay tuned!). Summer I was easy. Technical Writing, as I mentioned, is needed, but also a computer elective. Webpage design is in the offing, so I'll get that out of the way. I need that anyway, and the severely reduced price for a copy of Dreamweaver 8 should keep me quite busy with what free time I DO have.

But then discussion began on the fall semester. I signed up for the classes I needed for my degree, and was told that one of the classes offered was not the one they would offer. After several trips back and forth between the IT room and the Dean's office, we were still no closer to a resolution than when I started. I reminded them that the plan had been for me to graduate in December, and that I was pulling my end; changing the course requirements a semester shy of my graduation is analogous to running a race where they keep moving back the finish line.

So I still don't know my fall schedule exactly. I have a vague idea of what I need to take, but the admin is still bickering about what exactly the degree requires, despite my pointing out that the catalog they offer lists it pretty concisely. After Summer I, assuming no failed courses, I will have 65 credits out of the way, so my degree SHOULD be shortly forthcoming.

But I am quite proud of the monumental accomplishment of knocking off 44 college credits in 9 months' time despite full time work PLUS. Sure, I'm tired, but the finish line's not far off. And it will be an associate's received only 15 1/2 scant years after I started college!