Course Catalog / BMU 103 / Lesson 5 of 5

BMU 103

Lesson 5: Your One Page Plan

About 7 minutes, plus 45 minutes for your action step

Quick review

Name the five steps of the funding order.

See the answer

Expiring money first, then free money, then employer help, then big earned benefits like the GI Bill, and loans last.

You now have the pieces: a target, a credit folder, a school comparison, and a funding stack. Today you put them on one page, so you can see the whole mission and track it.

Start where you are: Look at your notes from Lessons 1 to 4. Which piece is strongest? Which is still a guess? Be honest. That is where your first checkpoint goes.

Your one page degree plan

• Target: the role and the minimum credential.
• Starting credit: how many credits your chosen school accepted, in writing.
• School and program: your top choice and a backup.
• Funding stack: in order, with estimated amounts.
• Pace: how many classes per term you can realistically handle.
• Finish date: an estimate based on credits left and your pace.
• Checkpoints: dates to re-check benefits, file the FAFSA, and review progress.

Estimate your finish date

Divide the credits you have left by the credits you can take each term. That gives you the number of terms. Then count forward on a calendar.

Plan for life to happen

Moves, deployments, new jobs, and family needs will interrupt your plan. Build in slack. Choose programs that allow online or part time study, and keep your credit folder up to date so you can restart quickly.

This course's 7, 30, and 90 day idea

This course breaks the first steps into short windows: what to do this week, this month, and this quarter. Even one task per window keeps the plan moving.

Worked example: one page, filled in

An illustrative composite. The person and details are made up.

1. Target: IT support specialist. Minimum: an IT certification, then an associate degree.
2. Credits: 15 accepted in writing by the community college. 45 left.
3. Funding: TA first, FAFSA filed, GI Bill saved. No loans.
4. Pace: two classes (6 credits) per term, 3 terms a year. 45 divided by 6 is about 8 terms, so about 2 years and 8 months.
5. Checkpoints: FAFSA every October, benefits check each January, progress review every June.

Common mistakes

• Taking too many classes in the first term. Fix: Start with one or two, then adjust.
• Leaving the plan in a drawer. Fix: Put checkpoints on your calendar.
• No backup school. Fix: Name one, in case you move.

Check your understanding

Pick an answer, then open "See the answer." Try as many times as you like.

1. You have 30 credits left and can take 6 per term. About how many terms is that?

1. A. 3
2. B. 5
3. C. 10

See the answer to question 1

The best answer is B: 5

• A: Not quite. That would be 10 credits a term. To improve: reread Estimate your finish date, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• B: Correct. 30 divided by 6 is 5.
• C: Not quite. That would be 3 credits a term. To improve: reread Estimate your finish date, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

2. You are excited and want to take five classes in your first term while working full time. What does the lesson suggest?

1. A. Go for it
2. B. Start with a realistic pace, then adjust
3. C. Wait a year

See the answer to question 2

The best answer is B: Start with a realistic pace, then adjust

• A: Not quite. Taking on too much in the first term while working can make it hard to keep going. To improve: reread Plan for life to happen, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• B: Correct. Momentum beats speed.
• C: Not quite. Starting small is better than waiting. To improve: reread Plan for life to happen, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

3. Your spouse gets orders to a new state halfway through your plan. What part of the plan helps most?

1. A. Online or part time options and an up to date credit folder
2. B. A school close to your current home
3. C. Taking more classes before the move

See the answer to question 3

The best answer is A: Online or part time options and an up to date credit folder

• A: Correct. Slack lets you restart quickly.
• B: Not quite. That school may be far away after the move. To improve: reread Plan for life to happen, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• C: Not quite. That can overload you. To improve: reread Plan for life to happen, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

4. What is a checkpoint?

1. A. A date to re-check your plan, benefits, and progress
2. B. A final exam
3. C. A school's open house

See the answer to question 4

The best answer is A: A date to re-check your plan, benefits, and progress

• A: Correct. That is the definition.
• B: Not quite. Not in this lesson. To improve: reread Your one page degree plan, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• C: Not quite. Not a checkpoint. To improve: reread Your one page degree plan, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

Next up: Go to the course wrap up to check your plan, rate your skills, and set your 7 and 30 day check ins. Then print your certificate.

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