This summer I was able to take a summer course called PLA (prior learning assessment) and it's been an amazing experience that I am very thankful to have had.
This class took all of my prior learning, professional and personal, and allowed me the opportunity to apply for college course credits based on my knowledge. If you've been one of my friends for any period of time, you know how awesome this could be for me since I am a bit of a 'jack of all trades' kind of girl. There isn't anything I won't try if I'm interested or if I feel passionately about how it can possitively affect my future. Because of this, I have had some tremendously diverse experiences that I haven't been quite sure until now how they would or could benefit me in my future.
I'm allowed to go for up to 48 credits, which for me turned out to be 16 classes in total. This doesn't count for the PLA course itself which counts for 3 credits under AWRIT and is considered a general elective.
In order to get the credit for each class, I need to supply a binder that includes:
My degree overview plan
Courses for transfer credit
My AIB degree requirement sheet demonstrating the courses that match
A syllabus for each course I am requesting credit for, with the course outcome
(finding those syllabi was not easy)
A 7-20 page essay documenting my personal experiences and what I've learned for each topic
Documentation that shows the work I've done on each topic
Documentation and recommendation letters from colleagues/associates on each topic
My resume needed to be redone and included to show all of my experiences and was 6 pages in total when I was finished.
My table of contents was 5 pages long.
The book had 45 tabs seperating all of the information.
The book was almost 6 inches thick.
The classes I ended up applying for were:
6 General Education Classes, 3 Liberal Arts Classes, 1 foundation class, 1 illustration class, 1 media elective, 3 studio electives, and 3 general electives.
The titles of the classes were:
CMATH- Business Mathematics
CBIOL- Applied Nutrition
CWRIT-Writing for the Workplace
CWRIT-Writing for the Workplace
CPSYC- Trauma & Development
CHIST- Recent US History
CLITR- Creative Writing
CHLTH- Health 101, Nutrition and Wellness
IDESN- Brand Realization
IDESN- From Concept to Campaign
IDESN- Advertisting Design
IDESN- Introduction to Website Design
ILLUS- Website Promotion
IFNDN-Conceptual Development
IMUSC- Voice Technique 101
IDANC- Introduction to Dance 101-02
IPHOT- Beginning Photography
I was able to use my experiences in advertising, marketing, real estate, mortgages, website development, singing, dancing, personal training, coaching, family history, photo journalism, and writing to utilize for all of these course credits. It was a pretty amazing experience.
I was mostly thankful to have the chance to reflect on everything I'd accomplished in my life and to have the structure of the class to make it count for more than just general interest or hobbies from my life.
It's been a validating process and to actually get these college credits, will make the things I've chosen to do seem even more worthwhile in the long run. To actually have them count towards a year and a half of my college degree and to get the courses to show on my transcripts will be a fulfilling outcome. Until this class, I never really understood how connected everything was in association to my future,
With so many design classes and a few writing classes, I will now be able to fulfill a double minor as well, so my degree will actually be BFA Illustration, minor Design and Creative Writing. YES!
I hope I get them all!!
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