jcundiff - My WGU Progress Thread

jcundiff

kohr-ah wrote: »

Check with your counselor too.

I am not sure how this works if you are already enrolled but I am enrolling for Feb 1, 2017 and this course is no longer part of BS - IT SEC

C169 Scripting and Programming - Applications

Looks like they dropped it and C170 Data Management - Applications and replaced with a technical communications and spreadsheets courses. Will definitely have to discuss with my mentor on the 5th when I start back... good catch

jcundiff

Completed the first course of my 2nd semester today with a pass on Network + 54 CUs to go on to 697 and 698, hoping to have them done by the end of March.

C182 Introduction to IT - Passed 07/11/16
C168 Critical Thinking and Logic - Passed 07/11/16
C459 Introduction to Probability and Statistics - Passed 07/26/2016
C179 Business of IT - Applications - Passed 08/26/2016
C484 Organizational Behavior and Leadership- Passed 08/27/2016
C483 Principles of Management - Passed 08/27/2016
C463 Intermediate Algebra- Passed 08/29/2016
C393 IT Foundations - Passed 12/02/2016
C394 IT Applications - Passed 12/09/2016
C176 Business of IT - Project Management - Passed 12/23/2016
C172 Network and Security - Foundations - Passed 12/26/2016

Spring 2017
C480 Networks Passed - 1/27/2017
C697 Operating Systems I
C698 Operating Systems II
C278 College Algebra
C173 Scripting and Programming - Foundations
C169 Scripting and Programming - Applications
C175 Data Management - Foundations
C170 Data Management - Applications
C376 Web Development Fundamentals

Planned Fall 2017
C246 Fundamentals of Interconnecting Network Devices
C247 Interconnecting Network Devices
C299 Designing Customized Security
C435 Technical Writing
C436 IT Capstone Written Project

gespenstern

That's a rather quick pace. Do you even read materials or try exams first? For example, critical thinking and logic is like a 600 pages book, but you didn't seem to spend any time preparing for it.

jcundiff

gespenstern wrote: »

That's a rather quick pace. Do you even read materials or try exams first? For example, critical thinking and logic is like a 600 pages book, but you didn't seem to spend any time preparing for it.

Most of the 1st semester was pre-assessment and straight to the post assessment... the ones I didn't score high enough on, I went through the course work... Critical Thinking and Logic was in the former group, not the latter I have been doing this for almost 20 years, learned a little bit over the course of that time. And is basically common sense, or at least seemed to be for me.

WGU's whole mastery concet at work, if you can demonstrate mastery of the subject by passing the exam, you don't have to spend x hours re-treading over material you already know
Actually its slow, I bogged down mid-term 1st semester or could have hit 50-60 hours the 1st semester. A+, Net+, Project + were all originally earned in the early 2000s, so it was brush up on what's changed and remember what hadn't

Things will move a little slower from here as everything I know about Linux wouldn't fill a thimble However, my goal was to complete the remaining CUs after Enrollment review in 3 semesters which is roughly 30 CUs a semester... exceeding that average by 9 last semester and hopefully by 3 this semester ( under spring 2017 above) will leave me more of the 3rd semester to focus on the higher level (harder certs) technical writing and capstone.

jrisbrook

This is interesting and has my attn. how does this work? You can test out of every single class and get credit if you know the material?
Do you have to take their tests or actually pay and take certs in order to test out? I would def get a bachelors from here if so

CyberSecurity

Yep, it's all about knowing enough to pass the test. The first 2 test attempts are free, the 3rd costs $50. Not sure about 4th and so on, i've never failed a test at this school. Certs are also paid for up to 2 attempts. Most of the tests you can take from home on a webcam while the certs you need to visit a testing center. Not all classes are tests though, some are paper assignments. Most of the tests are a 65% cut score to pass.

PCTechLinc

CyberSecurity wrote: »

Yep, it's all about knowing enough to pass the test. The first 2 test attempts are free, the 3rd costs $50. Not sure about 4th and so on, i've never failed a test at this school. Certs are also paid for up to 2 attempts. Most of the tests you can take from home on a webcam while the certs you need to visit a testing center. Not all classes are tests though, some are paper assignments. Most of the tests are a 65% cut score to pass.

The price of the retakes after the first two attempts depend on the assessment being taken (unless they've changed their policies). When I was going through the Bachelor's program, I finally passed the 70-642 Microsoft exam on the fourth attempt. I had to pay $72 for the 3rd and 4th attempts, which was a little less than half the regular price of $150. I haven't failed an exam after that though, thankfully. The objective assessments through WGU that are non-certification have their own price as well.

In regards to your mentioning attempts after failing a 4th try, it REALLY depends on your communications with your mentors. Here's the process as I remember:

3rd attempt: You talk to your Student Mentor AND the Course Mentor on a conference call to talk about study techniques, and what you will do to "guarantee" a pass on your third attempt. If there is a pre-assessment, you need to send results to both mentors, and Course Mentor will approve your third attempt voucher.

4th attempt: You talk to your Student Mentor, the Course Mentor, AND the Director of Mentors for your chosen Degree Plan. Similar to 3rd attempt, and voucher is again approved by Course Mentor.

Beyond 4th attempt: You have to file a claim with WGU administration to allow you further attempts. Approvals are done on a case-by-case basis. More than likely, you will have to choose a different Degree Plan. Failing a 4th attempt normally means you've failed the program.

Again, that's how it was a few years ago. I haven't checked their policies lately.

CyberSecurity

PCTechLinc wrote: »

Beyond 4th attempt: You have to file a claim with WGU administration to allow you further attempts. Approvals are done on a case-by-case basis. More than likely, you will have to choose a different Degree Plan. Failing a 4th attempt normally means you've failed the program.

Thanks for clarifying! I had no idea you could fail a degree program at WGU but makes a lot of sense. I wonder if that is why they do away with certain courses/certs.

On a side note, not really related but I learned this the other day that if you only have 1 class left to graduate and you won't be able to finish in the term they sometimes allow a month extension to test but should you not be able to complete it, it's a prorated amount of $750 to finish that class in the next term.

jcundiff

jrisbrook wrote: »

This is interesting and has my attn. how does this work? You can test out of every single class and get credit if you know the material?
Do you have to take their tests or actually pay and take certs in order to test out? I would def get a bachelors from here if so

It depends on the course actually, some courses have performance requirements ( papers/programming outputs etc), while most are objective based (final exam) and some (very few) actually have both. If you can demonstrate mastery of the course material by passing the pre-assessment, you can move on to the fial exam, pass it and course is complete. Some of the course final are certification exams through pearson vue... others are online proctored by WGU via webex session. 3rd attempt is $60 ( or at least what they state) for internal courses and for certification exams is actual cost.

Tuition is 3300 a semester and you must complete at least 12 CUs per semester to stay in good standing... there is no max to the number you can do in a semester, you talk with your student mentor weekly/every two weeks

jrisbrook

whats up with your progress? no new posts?

jcundiff

jrisbrook wrote: »

whats up with your progress? no new posts?

Linux+ was a kick in the teeth last semester I only completed 4 hours in the Spring 2017 semester due to it. I am hopefully moving to the BS CSIA degree path after this semester.

I did pass C175 just a few minutes ago

My mentor assigned me courses this semester that are in both degree tracts, I will end up with like 8 additional courses replacing 7 in the current program, but those 8 courses are actually very closely aligned with what I have been doing the last 5-6 years

Inundacion

Have you completed your degree. Your posts have been giving me lots of inspiration.