I used to work in the main office at the college I was attending. For my senior project I wrote a contact manager application that would also help with transcri

I used to work in the main office at the college I was attending. For my senior project I wrote a contact manager application that would also help with transcript analysis - allowing transcript data entry, prerequisite mapping, and schedule planning. Most of the students were working adults who had attended classes at other institutions but were unaware which credits could be transferred. In college administration, an 'Articulation Agreement' is a covenant between two colleges that says Calculus 101 at PSU is the same as Calculus 101 at UofO, and they should apply towards a degree at either school without much administrative effort -- that easy transcript analysis. It's more complicated when there isn't an agreement, or when the attended school has trimesters and the degree school has semesters, or when the names of the courses don't match but the content does. My application (and some personal guidance) helped a few students shave a year or more off their schedule by prepping them for meetings with the department head to get transfer credits for courses they'd already taken, or to test out of subjects they already knew from work or personal experience. If you're in college and aren't sure about how to schedule your term, the hour you spend with a department head or guidance counselor can be worth a full term saved. Do it early and often. If there's a class you'll be in that looks too easy, switch out as early as possible to save your time and your instructor's, and maybe get into that cool elective class that didn't fit your schedule.