Is there any kind of college “credit” I should avoid?
Be aware of credit that won't help you achieve your goals
By Sean-Michael Green, 8/17/09
The world is full of organizations that will sell you college credits for doing little or no work. You might run into services that examine your basic attributes—how many kids you have, how far you drive each week, how many hours you spend shopping each week—and award you credit or a degree for a price.
These organizations are not offering valuable services, and you would be wise to avoid them. These “schools” are generally unaccredited and are almost universally regarded as suspect by employers and accredited institutions. Their clients are left with less money and a “degree” that they would be embarrassed to claim.
Earning a college degree, traditionally or non-traditionally, is hard work. It takes a conscious and deliberate effort to attain that goal. But by employing a bit of creativity, you can reduce your time in the classroom and earn your degree on your own terms.
Sean-Michael Green is a former enlisted Marine; a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University; and the author of Marching to College: Turning Military Experience into College Admissions (Random House 2004).
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