Good alternatives to WGU and withdrawl

Jenpoof

Okay, not much can change my mind at this point. What good alternatives are there to WGU?

I am going to withdraw for numerous reasons. The number one being their model. I am struggling with it. I love the cost and finish at your pace aspect of WGU which is why I chose them. I came from finishing an AA degree online from my community college and know I am motivated enough for online work. However I didnt realize there is no coursework, simply study the hell out of X course, then take your exam. I am used to having weekly assignments, projects, and occassional class discussions...this is the best way I learn I have found out, basically focusing on one topic at a time at a set schedule. It also fit best with my full time working schedule. I have taken many multiple choice finals formally, however written work is my strength.

Anyway. Everything about WGU is frustrating me. My first term, I finished off most of the written assignment courses first. Despite having extremely high quality work, every single one was returned for miniscule reasons. Literally a fix of a sentence. That was frustrating. Moved on though. With one math class, there was one problem I wasnt grasping the concept of. Course mentor was on vacation. I was annoyed the assignment was returned 2 times already. I reached out for help on a forum non WGU related(this one), only to have a month later an email for a meeting via academic dishonesty, with a screenshot of my question and my username linked to my name. Basically an investigation proving it was me. I got a "warning" but the schools method of handling such issues is completely unprofessional.

The mentor talks are also unhelpful & an annoyance. She suggests what course to take next, and we dont really have a good chemistry/connection. I noticed towards the end of my first term, she discouraged me from doing any more classes because i already had 20 or so CU. Seeing as she approves them, I was disheartened because I thought I could move along as I please?

Now I am left with a few 8 cu each classes and about 7 of them, all of which are the multiple choice exams. It is an overwhelming amount of topics to cover. With my schedule, I can only work on bits and pieces at a time. I have taken a few pre assessments and am hardly passing or not passing at all. My current course has outdated videos, and many of them. Reading the textbook is difficult to engage in.

Anyway, although yes, I could push through...I am choosing to not because I am not learning anything and am far from enthusiastic about it.mostly cram studying and praising jesus when a course is over. At my rate, I will be lucky to finish 3 courses this term of the multiple choice ones...mostly because not passing one exam held me far back.

My question is, what is the process of dropping out? Also, what other online universities are good alternatives?

cyberguypr

I was really fed up with WGU more than half way into my MSISA. Thread here. Guys here made me come to my senses and I powered through with it. My only recommendation is jsut to give it serious in-depth analysis before you make a final decision.

Per the Student Handbook, if you are dead set on withdrawing, you just need to communicate this to your "mentor" (I hate how loosely they use this word). Best of luck with whatever you decide.

beads

I enjoyed the part where your forced to admit you learned nothing of value in a Master's program. Having read more than a couple of seven page "Master's thesis" in the past few years I can assure you I've become quite appalled with the current state of both sloppy work and grade inflation. I expect to see recent grades with nothing less than Cum Laud on their resumes.

For what its worth, my Master's thesis bibliography was over seven pages in pico 7 type.

What I am seeing for Ph. D. dissertations has been equally lame if not questionable to the point of representing academic fraud. Demand your money back.

- b/eads

ITHokie

So a couple of things - first, don't let your mentor push you around. I'm not saying don't listen to them or ignore advice, but only you can know what's best for you. If you want to take more classes, take more classes. If you don't agree with the order of classes, have them change it.

Second, if you're looking for weekly assignments and projects, work closely with your class mentor to develop a more rigid study plan. Most classes seem to have a pacing guide to refer to, but seek out guidance if you need it. Most of the class mentors seem to be very willing to engage. Maybe have a weekly meeting with your class mentor to go over your progress and get that human interaction.

I'll caveat this by saying I don't really use class mentors, but judging by the comments in the course chatter, a lot of people have had good experiences. I've even had a class mentor call me out of the blue just to welcome me and offer to help if I needed it.

One other note - I would encourage to push through because you can. You write well, so I can see why you like writing assignments. Studying for the exams may not be fun, but that's the game we all have to play. No one loves every aspect of their education.

TranceSoulBrother

Most of my classes had a "pacing plan" that delineated weekly assignments and progress to finish within 6 weeks per class. Some of them demanded less effort while some required a bit more, but I was personally happy to "be left alone" most of the time except when I needed something.

I've lived overseas and in Europe, when you go to a restaurant, the waiter doesn't pester you every 5 minutes to check how you're doing, therefore allowing you to enjoy your meal and only reach out when you need more bread or water. As opposed to the US business model for restaurants and their "customer service". That is what I enjoyed with WGU.

What I didn't enjoy were some outdated class material, returned homework for B.S corrections and the like. Just power through that and grab your degree. A degree can be half-knowledge and half HR check the block. If you need actual knowledge, do like Will Hunting and grab books from the library. The one or two books for Risk Management with a copyright from 2007 might be good for WGU class but if I was to be hired for a position where I work on risk assessment and vulnerabilities, then I would seek out more resources with more recent information or best business practices.

Mentor relation: I had my own clash with mine, but learn how to navigate around. If she's reticent to assist, then be forceful or go to the department head.

My 0.02 pesos.

danny069

I agree, WGU is bourgeois. Brick & Mortar all the way.

ITHokie

danny069 wrote: »

I agree, WGU is bourgeois.

Which elite institution awarded your BS?

danny069

ITHokie wrote: »

Which elite institution awarded your BS?

St. John's University

volfkhat

Unfortunately, I don't have any advice for you (i've never attended).
But i wanted to thank you for posting your thoughts and generating discussion (for others who might consider wgu).

Jenpoof wrote: »

With one math class, there was one problem I wasnt grasping the concept of. Course mentor was on vacation. I was annoyed the assignment was returned 2 times already. I reached out for help on a forum non WGU related(this one), only to have a month later an email for a meeting via academic dishonesty, with a screenshot of my question and my username linked to my name. Basically an investigation proving it was me. I got a "warning" but the schools method of handling such issues is completely unprofessional.

Great "Life lessson" right here.
Being "aware" of your Online Identity is something that not enough people think about.

~ Don't create an profile/account with your real NAME in it.
~ Don't create a profile, and register it with your Primary email account.
~ Don't put your linkedin account in your signature.
~ Don't put a foto of your beautful face in your profile.

Obviously, these are not hardset RULES... just things to consider :]

Jenpoof wrote: »

Also, what other online universities are good alternatives?

maybe these guys?
Information Systems - Master's Degree | Hodges University

(i saw it mentioned here once before; but no personal experience)

NetworkNewb

danny069 wrote: »

St. John's University

Very nice, I think any answer would've been acceptable there though Besides WGU being cheap and able to complete it quickly, I have seen a lot more negative then positive about it. Cheap and quick are very high on a lot of people's list though. Which are totally acceptable reasons to go there.

ITHokie

danny069 wrote: »

St. John's University

Nice, but bourgeois. It's not even a top 150 university. Tuition, at 39k, would be the only thing about St. John's that is even close to elite. How's your ROI?

danny069

ITHokie wrote: »

Nice, but bourgeois. It's not even a top 150 university. Tuition, at 39k, would be the only thing about St. John's that is even close to elite. How's your ROI?

No but it's top 200 Oh and I didn't invest, $126k+ for 4 years free.

ITHokie

danny069 wrote: »

No but it's top 200

True. Which means if it were only 125 spots or so higher it would be elite. Right? Congrats on getting the education for free. I'm going to go out on limb here and suggest that a lot more people here would consider the brick and mortar route if they didn't have to pay for it. Most of us actually have to consider ROI (and opportunity cost) when making these kinds of decisions.

DatabaseHead

Bunch over achievers in here!

ITHokie

NetworkNewb wrote: »

Besides WGU being cheap and able to complete it quickly, I have seen a lot more negative then positive about it. Cheap and quick are very high on a lot of people's list though. Which are totally acceptable reasons to go there.

Well said, but I would add that being cheap and quick aren't just subjective criteria. Using St. John's as example, calculate the cost of 4 years of attendance vs however long it takes one to finish at WGU - 39k vs 3.1k per semester. And that's just strictly tuition. There are other costs for B&M as well.

DatabaseHead

It's preference we all have different wants and needs. It comes down to the objective of the individual.

My parents were well to do and I was able to go to a Brick and Mortar state school for free. Loved it wouldn't trade it for the world.

If I was 50 and being held up for a promotion because I didn't have a bachelors maybe WGU makes sense.... Absolutes usually are the start of a boring and uneducated conversation.

To the OP find an on-line school that uses a more conventional approach, like your CC.

gespenstern

No idea why people like hating on WGU. It works very well for me. I hate being led and/or mentored and this works very well with self-paced study at WGU. Yeah, there are minor things like papers returned and annoying mentor calls but compared to the benefits of self-paced style and low price it's nothing. I have no issues following curriculum if I'm not being pushed to do weekly coursework and I'm not a team player (at least I don't enjoy it), so I'm grateful for they way they do business.

ITHokie

DatabaseHead wrote: »

It's preference we all have different wants and needs. It comes down to the objective of the individual.

My parents were well to do and I was able to go to a Brick and Mortar state school for free. Loved it wouldn't trade it for the world.

If I was 50 and being held up for a promotion because I didn't have a bachelors maybe WGU makes sense.... Absolutes usually are the start of a boring and uneducated conversation.

To the OP find an on-line school that uses a more conventional approach, like your CC.

I'd say that sums it up pretty well. I should add that I have almost no use for Bachelor's degree content at this point in my career. I'm doing it to check a box, make sure that my employer doesn't have any issues bidding my services, maximize earning potential and, most importantly, allow me to pursue an MS.

joemysterio

WGU is also good for those that are unable to do Brick and Mortar institutions because they need to work full time and can't afford to work part time or not at all. Me, for example. Instead of slaving away working in a dead end job, barely providing for my whole family, I decided to look up online courses so I can do better. Luckily I found WGU and also managed to get my feet into the IT world at the same time. I'm racking up years experience while working on my degree and still paying the bills and feeding my family in a much better capacity.

I'm working my ass off trying to get the best scores possible so I can feel happy and accomplished, and not like I'm getting a paper mill degree. Do I wish I could accelerate faster? Yes. Does WGU have some flaws? Sure. Do I wish I could have attended a B&M school? Of course. But none of that or anything else can take away how proud I am that I'm continuing my education getting my degree as well as have the opportunity to get my master's as well later on. Even better is the good example I'm setting for my brother to work hard no matter what.

devilbones

I understand your frustration. I like to know why something is done when I am learning, and benefit from discussing with my peers. While going through a few courses I would email the CM about a question I had in the reading and they would have me read it again. I tried to tell them that I did read I just what to know more about the why. I didnt get the answers I was looking for. I hit a wall and it seemed like it would never be over and then I read a post on another forum. They advised to write directly to the rubric. Do not do anymore or any less. Once I realized this I would write exactly to the rubric and pass. One of my assignments were returned and I just changed once sentence and resubmitted and passed. They are looking for specific words or formats.
I would advise that you just follow the course layout and get it over with. It is going to be faster than trying to transfer. Either way good luck and you can send me a PM if you need some assistance or motivation.

beads

gespenstern wrote: »

No idea why people like hating on WGU. It works very well for me. I hate being led and/or mentored and this works very well with self-paced study at WGU. Yeah, there are minor things like papers returned and annoying mentor calls but compared to the benefits of self-paced style and low price it's nothing. I have no issues following curriculum if I'm not being pushed to do weekly coursework and I'm not a team player (at least I don't enjoy it), so I'm grateful for they way they do business.

I don't hate WGU I just find other institutions provide a more worthwhile education. Relying strictly on questionable certifications to receive a "degree" even more questionable from an academic standpoint. Personally, I do not give a hoot that seven state Governor's cobbled together "fuax-U", its not a viable school as far as I am concerned.

My undergrad, dual major in math and computer science was hard though a Division II school. Now, I am embarrassed they went the way of "right to try" putting the school in the same ilk as WGU. Well, that's a serious step down. Working hard and getting that four year scholarship became next to worthless to me and I no longer acknowledge my alumni status and have informed the school as much and not the first alum to do so.

MBA from Boston University when I graduated was number three in IT based MBA programs at the time. Very difficult program to complete but I learned so much its not funny, cf WGU comments above. A couple of years later I was invited to attend the University of Pennsylvania completing my Ph.D. program in two and half years. Any given course thesis required at a minimum 50 page paper with constructs and defense of concepts - or you'd fail the class. Again, I am supposed to keep a straight face when you compare taking the CEH to writing my own attack code within a major thesis? No comparison.

Through today I still take at the least one Master's level course a year to keep learning. All this education while working full time or more the entire time. Pffft! You make the time to better yourself not the other way around.

Perhaps watching PBS is what most people consider education but there is a huge difference in academic standards, Leo. You of all people should be able to see the difference there. You get out of it, what you put into it. Just don't call them academically equal - they aren't. Academic reputation will always or I hope it will be, important. If your pursuing a bachelor's or Master's simply to pass an HR filter and spend as little cash as possible its going to show in the quality of your efforts elsewhere.

So I don't get the whole "I don't have time" argument. Known many working adults working two jobs or one position with children who have managed to finish an education and be a role model for their children in the process.

Full disclosure. Leo and once worked together. He can attest "I talk to much".

- b/eads

danny069

beads, you hit the nail right on the head, exactly my thoughts.

joemc3

I had a interesting thought. Could you take almost all the classes at WGU and transfer the courses over to a more respectable university and obtain the degree there? For my masters degree I will be going elsewhere, but it will have to be online.

volfkhat

beads wrote: »

I don't hate WGU I just find other institutions provide a more worthwhile education. Relying strictly on questionable certifications to receive a "degree" even more questionable from an academic standpoint. Personally, I do not give a hoot that seven state Governor's cobbled together "fuax-U"...
blah blah blah

Generalmente, i agree with your perspective.

But here's the (unfortunate) counter-argument:
In my opinion, I think that U of Phoenix is a (for-profit) Joke of an institution.

However, if i browse around Linkedin..... i see LOTS of HR/Hiring-manager's with degrees from said instution.

Suddenly, that Joke of an institution just became a LOT more credible....

yellowpad

I received BSIT from WGU and currently doing my MSCIA. I love the freedom to study and I am very happy with all the support. If your paper is returned, correct it and shove it back to taskstream the WAY they wanted and how they asked.

.....need to get back to my writing now

cyberguypr

This is all fine and dandy until you get either vague feedback or like it happened to me multiple times, either no feedback or feedback that you could easily tell was for some other paper totally unrelated to IT.

DatabaseHead

@ Volf - Didn't hurt my friend out of the military either. He's doing better than the median salary in IT with a bachelors from U of P. So much more to this formula, aptitude, personality, opportunities, relations, everything else......

Mitechniq

I think we have this discussion at least once a month - "WGU vs. the Others." Honestly, most of you all come with valid points. I am little torn as a WGU graduate but an Adjunct Professor at a Brick and Mortar School. I say 'each to their own' we value education in different ways and we have different end objectives/goals. Some members see WGU for its way of 'validating' their experience and knowledge, others would like to learn in an academic setting. We all acknowledge that experience, education, and certifications are the foundation for most if not all IT careers today. How we achieve these is always on personal preference. If you are a student in my class that just graduated high school, I always push them to further their education through a B&M school. If you are a student that just retired from the military with 20+ years of leadership, military education and knowledge of several IT domains - than WGU fits nicely. I think what I see is the opportunity for my military student to succeed academically in a way that was not there before WGU; he would have to sit in a class going through Intro to PC when now he can test out of it and get a certification as well.

joemc3

I would rather hire a guy/gal from WGU who actually studied hard and do all the material than someone from a B&M who got C's throughout.

PJ_Sneakers

Honestly, the only reason I am in WGU is because it fits my life best out of all the options I had available.

I'd very much prefer to earn a more respected degree. I don't mind saying that at all, because it is the truth. However, it would actually be impossible for me without sacrificing my family's stability. I can actually say with 100% confidence that it'd be impossible for me to manage both a traditional B&M program and my family without sacrificing one or the other.

So I made a decision. I compromised my education for a more stable family. My father did the opposite, and I remember what it did to my childhood. He is extremely successful now, but even today I do not consider him to be my primary male role model despite all of the hard facts.

But this is just where my life has taken me. Everyone is different, and everyone's circumstances are unique. Hindsight is 20/20, right?

NetworkNewb

joemc3 wrote: »

I would rather hire a guy/gal from WGU who actually studied hard and do all the material than someone from a B&M who got C's throughout.

Yeaaaa employers never actually care or ask for actual transcripts though. If they do, those employers are very few and far between. I would find it odd if I was ever asked for it (never have). Unless your going for an internship...