u/Ladybimini

Just wanted to post a positive experience given how much hate Sophia has been getting lately. I worked on Sophia for a total of 12 weeks over the course of 4 months. I had some vacations and medical stuff so I wasn’t “speed running” exactly. I did do it nearly every spare moment though.

I’m an older student (44) and naturally intellectually curious so a lot of classes/specific lessons were things I already knew from, just like, being alive. But I also worked really hard and some of these subjects were tough. I have 48 credits from another school back in the day.

I did sometimes use ctrl F before they canned it (that was a bummer) but if you were ever good at finding Waldo as a child, the answers are right there.

Some of the touchstones were annoying, but overall I really liked the courses. The bio lab was a lot given that it was only 1 credit but I will dissect a virtual rat over a real one any day of the week.

I didn’t have any pop ups or integrity violations issues. Just don’t leave the tab when you’re in a quiz/test and you’ll be fine.

Wishing you all good luck! Sophia is so much better than posting BS discussion posts for 12 weeks for 3 measly credits.

Due to a worsening medical condition (trismus in the aftermath of 3 jaw surgeries), I can barely open my mouth. A normal person can open their mouth 40-60mm and I can open just 4mm. I can't even fit a normal spoon in there, there's just no clearance, Clarence. I need new jaw joints and unfortunately they take 6 months to make. This also has affected my bite so I can't really chew. (If it sounds like a nightmare to you, I can confirm that it is!)

I'm beginning to waste away and I still have half a year in front of me. What are the softest meals, meats, and other delicious things from LA restaurants? I also am GF (not by choice) and I live in Beverly Grove. There are a lot of sweet things that are soft, but I'm craving savory/proteins.

I'm so over smoothies, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, eggs, etc.

My favorite thing right now is Polenta with bolognese sauce from Jon & Vinnys. Help me expand my palate (get it?) and nutritional profile.

Thank you,
Mail Slot Mouth

I'm 44, a primary parent to a young child, and my husband has a very demanding career that makes him unavailable for school pickups, sick days, etc. This means I need fully online or low-residency programs. Cal State schools, as much as I love the price tag, simply aren't an option for my situation. I'd also like to start in January or Spring 2027, and nearly all the CS programs are fall only. I'm graduating from undergrad with a BA in psych in Dec with a projected GPA of 3.8- if that matters.

I need the program to be BBS approved (California licensure track), which narrows schools considerably.

I'm already aware that "where you get your LMFT doesn't matter" and also that everyone dunks on the programs I'm considering. Just need to find the right program for my personal situation.

Here's where I'm at:

Pepperdine ($120-130k)/ USC ($140k+)/ Northwestern ($160k) - legitimacy is unquestionable, but the cost is ridiculous. Northwestern isn't even BBS approved, but it's my dream program. Pepperdine has less clout outside of the LA area. USC only has a summer start date (and I'm aiming for January/Spring start date)

Antioch LA ($87k) - seems respected in the local mental health space, but reviews are all over the place for students. Love the social justice slant, but they seem highly disorganized

Alliant ($65k) - most affordable, but the mixed reviews online make me nervous

Fair Oaks ($81k) - less name recognition than Antioch, but generally seems more organized than Antioch. Program is 2.5 years with synchronous night classes.

Given my age and the long road to licensure, start dates and length of the program matter a lot to me. I need to be earning as soon as possible, which could make a more expensive school actually make more sense for me in the long run.

I plan to be in PP, as my husband's salary can bear the brunt of running a home/cover health insurance, etc and I can be around for my daughter until she gets older.

Other schools I've ruled out: Anything with a religious slant (Pepperdine's GESP isn't affiliated with the church), National, Sentio, Walden, Touro, any straight up diploma mill school. But open to hearing about others if I'm missing a good one!