As most of you know, one of the changes for Uncommon Student, in 2013, is to interview a student who has taken a CLEP exam or finished their degree through distance learning.
Today I am honored to present to you one of my dear friends, Mrs. Anna Christensen, who has loved me and encouraged me as I earn my degree in this unique way. Enjoy reading Anna’s thoughts!
If you have questions for Anna, please leave a comment!
My name is Anna Christensen and I’m happily married to Joshua. We have three children, ages 5,3, and 1. After living for four years in Alabama while my husband attended law school and clerked, we just moved “home” again this past fall. I love reading old books, teaching my children, writing on my blog, and nature walks.
Jessica: Have you graduated from college?
Anna: Yes. I graduated from Excelsior College in 2009, with a degree in Literature in English. I took a semester at a local college, but completed the rest of my courses through online classes and examination.
Jessica: Which CLEP exams have you taken?
Anna: A lot. I honestly don’t remember them all: Biology, College Mathematics, Micro/Macro-economics, World History, Humanities, and many more. I also took several Dantes exams.
Jessica: What was your main reason for taking the CLEP exam instead of the course?
Anna: Not only are CLEP exams much cheaper, I prefer learning at my own pace instead of being tied to a classroom AND getting to choose the curriculum I use.
Jessica: Which CLEP is your favorite?
Anna: Hmmm… I probably enjoyed preparing for the British Literature exam the most… though I ended up getting duplicate credits from another exam so it didn’t transfer.
Jessica: On which CLEP have you scored the highest?
Anna: I scored the highest on Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, though it was also duplicated by other credits.
Jessica: Do you have a humorous, bad, or interesting test memory?
Anna: After taking each test and the page pops up that announces “Click to view score and have it retained on your records OR Click to not view score and have it forever lost” (something like that!) my heart always started pounding. Except when I took the Business CLEP. I was pretty confident. That was the only test I failed.
Jessica: What is your favorite resource to use for test prep and study?
Anna: We both love the Princeton Review. We used them for CLEPs, GREs, and my husband leaned on it heavily for taking the LSAT to get into Law School. We also loved the lectures from The Teaching Company (available at most libraries.)
Jessica: How many hours a day did/do you typically devote to test prep?
Anna: It totally varied. While I was at home, I tried to spend at least two hours a day preparing for tests. After getting married, it was whenever I could fit it in.
Jessica: Would you recommend testing out of college classes exams to anyone? Why or why not?
Anna: I highly recommend CLEPs to my friends and parents of friends. However, I realize not everyone learns best in an on-your-own type setting. For those who do learn well that way, CLEPs are a great way to graduate sooner with less expense.
Jessica: How do you plan to implement your degree into your life?
Anna: Joshua and I were planning on using our degrees to teach overseas until health complications changed our plans. He still encouraged me to finish since I will be actively involved in teaching our children (whether at home or in a classical school.) Having my degree also helped me to find online work while Joshua was in school.
Did you enjoy getting to meet Anna today? If you have questions or comments for her, you can leave them here.
For more on Anna’s adventures as a wife and mom, visit her blog: Feminine Adventures