Western Governors University Questions and Answers / Threads related to WGU

TomkoTech

I'm not implying that the transcripts will take that long to get there. However if you are not finishing a course for 2 more weeks I highly doubt it will be ready that day to be sent out. Probably a few days. And if you don't start the process until those 2 weeks, the chances of you getting everything in by the 18th or whatever it is required of the month prior to start May 1st are slim. I'm sure anything is possible depending on how diligent you are. I was just suggesting to start the process sooner rather than later.

Legacy User

Can any of you fine gents provide a referral so I can start the application process.

teresa1517

I have had some of the same questions here and this is a copy of the email sent to me from WGU:

To be admitted into the college of Information Technology you must demonstrate IT experience through at least one of the following four methods:


*Have earned an associate’s degree in IT or equivalent (A.S. or A.A.S. acceptable)


*Have completed the following high-level IT coursework within the last five years: Two or more upper-level Networking courses OR Two or more upper-level Object-Oriented Programming courses (Java, C#, etc.) OR One or more upper-level Operating Systems course OR One or more upper-level Information Security and Assurance course


*Hold transferable IT certifications earned within the last 5 years


*Submit a resume showing three-plus years of IT work experience (please submit a professional resume for review)

TomkoTech

I believe that if you lack experience or schooling all you need to do is take and pass a certification exam relevant to your degree. I believe Ratbuddy did one of the CIW certs and was able to gain admission. I also believe I read from someone else they got their A+ to meet the requirements.

So just pick your easiest subject matter and take that exam.

As for a referral there is a thread for that. I don't have that ability yet as I won't be an active student until April 1st. However all I did was call their number and ask if there was any codes they had to waive the fee, and they gave me one for the month of November.

ratbuddy

dmarcisco wrote: »

Can any of you fine gents provide a referral so I can start the application process.

PM sent.

stryder144

I was told on Monday that I had to have all of my transcripts and VA paperwork turned in before the first of the month prior to the month I planned on starting. So, for me, wanting to start May 1st requires everything in by April 1st. Having said all of that, my enrollment counselor hasn't been the easiest to deal with. As such, I am trying to get everything in by the date he has set but I take it all with a grain of salt. Word of caution: keep every single email or paper you receive from any organization that will have an impact on you starting classes. That way, if push comes to shove, you have proof and can dispute things with whomever.

So far, I have completed the assessments, filled out all of the necessary financial paperwork they require, have contacted every university I've attended (3) and CompTIA, and filled in all of the necessary VA transfer paperwork. Right now, all but one of my transcripts has been delivered and I am waiting for the VA transfer paperwork to get approved and sent in.

I have another phone call with my enrollment counselor tomorrow. Hopefully, I won't be presented with any additional flaming hoops to jump through.

Cheers

TomkoTech

Stryder call the VA people directly. My enrollment counselor was worthless. I posted my experience a while back. However somehow they had listed that I needed transcripts from a school I never attended. I cant remember what it was something like SFU. Her suggestion was to call every school with the initials SFU and request that they send a letter to WGU stating I had never attended there. I told her I wasn't going to do that it was ridiculous and she basically said "Well then you can't enroll. Call us if you change your mind." I was pissed. So I called the VA number directly and they got the **** removed and straightened out for me.

stryder144

I talked to the VA folks at WGU. I just need to follow up with the VA office that is handling my transfer of benefits to WGU. Great suggestion, though.

Here are some class questions:

1. Can I take non-degree plan courses or only the ones that are part of the plan?
2. How easy is it to change IT concentrations, say from Security to Healthcare Informatics?
3. Can you take pre-assessments for every class needed, even if they aren't for classes that are loaded for you?
4. If you pass all of the assessments but fail the final test, what happens? Can you retake the course that semester or must you wait?

Cheers

ratbuddy

1. Only classes in the plan.
2. Easy, but you have to do it between terms.
3. You can take preassessments for everything on your plan, nothing more.
4. You get a free retake, then you need to pay for retakes after that, price depending on what you are taking. Cert exams cost more than the in-house ones. If you don't retake/pass the course that term, it shows up as a fail, so definitely retake until you pass.

TomkoTech

How many times can you take a preassesment?

ratbuddy

Three, and it has to be unlocked by your mentor after each attempt. The questions don't change, so there isn't much point taking it multiple times.

Flat4ForLife

ratbuddy wrote: »

Three, and it has to be unlocked by your mentor after each attempt. The questions don't change, so there isn't much point taking it multiple times.

This is not entirely true, it depends on the class. For example, my WFV1 class I have unlimited attempts at pre-assessments and practice exams. And while there may not necessarily be a whole new set of questions, there are new ones thrown into the mix and do change.

ratbuddy

That's not a preassessment, that's a third-party practice exam. Those, yeah, you can take as much as you want. The real WGU preassessments, you are limited to three and you need to have a mentor unlock your next attempt(s) after you take it once.

Flat4ForLife

Ah ok, I thought they were asking about those. My fault (I'll just walk away now...)

ratbuddy

Hey, maybe he was, who knows

TomkoTech

I meant the actual preassessments lol. Everyone says to immediately take them at the start of the course, I was curious as what happens if you don't do well enough to take the actual exam.

ratbuddy

Then you go study the areas you scored poorly on, that's what preassessments are for.

Flat4ForLife

TomkoTech wrote: »

I meant the actual preassessments lol. Everyone says to immediately take them at the start of the course, I was curious as what happens if you don't do well enough to take the actual exam.

Just like ratbuddy said, that's the point of a pre-assessment, to gauge where you are at and help figure out what areas you need to study in. Pre-assesments do not count against you in any way, they are solely there for your information and guidance. Once you get through the course, you will take practice exams, and those scores will matter because you have to get a certain percentage to show your mentor you are ready to take the actual exam.

JamesKurtovich

To current WGU students: How do you feel about the materials/resources you are given and learning experience overall? Do you interact with teachers or classmates? Are there group projects?

I'm very interested in attending, but if all they do is give you a book to read or direct you to a website full of dry information to memorize, then it's probably not for me.

Danielm7

If you're looking for a lot of teacher/student interaction you probably should look elsewhere honestly. You really don't have a "teacher" exactly. There are course mentors that are very sharp, the ones I dealt with anyway, but unless you ask them for help you'll never talk to them. For the IT courses specifically it seems like almost all the material you get to study from is available outside of WGU. For example, for the CCNA Security, I was given access to a CBT Nuggets subscription and the Cisco Press book. I did hit up the course mentor with something I was stuck on when trying to setup GNS in a VM, but otherwise you're teaching yourself.

You'll probably interact with more WGU students here and at wgustudents.com than you will through the school itself. Like I said, if you're looking for someone to teach you and work in group projects you'll want to look into other schools, WGU is a self-directed, competency based model.

markulous

Has anyone made a post of like "5 things that are a must at WGU"? I saw the posts about taking the preassessments right away that that isn't something that would be common knowledge. Just curious if there's anything else that I should do that isn't common sense.

stryder144

As I am at the admissions stage of my WGU experience, I thought I'd post a quick update. Previously, I mentioned that my admissions counselor hasn't been the easiest to deal with. Now, I have to say that the more I speak to him, the better my perception of him becomes. I have now had three interactions with him and the first one seems to be the outlier of the group.

I learned today that I have run into one minor snag, one just major enough to push back my preferred start date. My counselor is going to speak to the admissions folks to see if it is truly a snag or not. Minor snag-in-question: I had forgotten that I had taken two DSST exams and they are listed on another transcript. Since they take up to three weeks from date of request receipt, that may push my 01 May start date back to June. I am hoping, naturally, that they will not really care about the two exams since neither would likely become transfer credit.

The biggest take away, from my perspective, is that if you feel that someone you are dealing with at WGU isn't exactly being helpful, consider giving him/her a couple of interactions before becoming too frustrated. If you are an older student or a student who has been to a few schools, try to remember every single class/exam/etc you have taken that might have bearing on transfer credit. If you forget any, you might find your start date affected. Also, don't be afraid to ask if there is a waiver to policy available. Doing so may just save the day for you.

Cheers

zidian

Is anyone enrolled in, or completed, the MBA in IT Management? I'm considering going after that degree when I finish my IT-Software degree. I'm wondering if any of the classes have certifications tied to them or if they are all in house projects and exams. The link to the course list from the main website is MBA - IT Management Courses.

bc13

Could someone please refer me for a fee waiver.
I would greatly appreciate it, thanks in advance

JamesKurtovich

Danielm7 wrote: »

If you're looking for a lot of teacher/student interaction you probably should look elsewhere honestly. You really don't have a "teacher" exactly. There are course mentors that are very sharp, the ones I dealt with anyway, but unless you ask them for help you'll never talk to them. For the IT courses specifically it seems like almost all the material you get to study from is available outside of WGU. For example, for the CCNA Security, I was given access to a CBT Nuggets subscription and the Cisco Press book. I did hit up the course mentor with something I was stuck on when trying to setup GNS in a VM, but otherwise you're teaching yourself.

You'll probably interact with more WGU students here and at wgustudents.com than you will through the school itself. Like I said, if you're looking for someone to teach you and work in group projects you'll want to look into other schools, WGU is a self-directed, competency based model.

Thanks for the quick reply.

I'm strongly leaning towards WGU, but I just want a clear understanding of what I'm getting into.

I'm quite motivated, most of what I know has been picked up by self-study, but what I lack is structure and efficiency, which sounds important in a program like this (for saving money, mostly). What I think I need is a forum or some other type of resource where I can learn about the best ways of tackling a course and "busting out" those CUs. I don't want to rush myself, but I don't want to be delayed by slow methods either.

My second question is this: I heard that someone with little college experience would have a very difficult time here. I only have six credits to my name, which were earned approx. 5 years ago. I have my A+, Network+, and I expect to get my Security+ sometime within the next few months. How do you think I'd do?

This school has nearly all good reviews, which is great (and almost unbelievable). And everyone seems to enjoy it. It seems to me that if not having teacher interaction (which seems to be lacking at most online-only schools) was that bad, students would say so.

Danielm7

LordSevink wrote: »

My second question is this: I heard that someone with little college experience would have a very difficult time here. I only have six credits to my name, which were earned approx. 5 years ago. I have my A+, Network+, and I expect to get my Security+ sometime within the next few months. How do you think I'd do?

This school has nearly all good reviews, which is great (and almost unbelievable). And everyone seems to enjoy it. It seems to me that if not having teacher interaction (which seems to be lacking at most online-only schools) was that bad, students would say so.

You should be fine if you can dedicate the time and effort into the coursework. Less credits isn't a huge deal. I transferred in almost all my general ed classes but from what I've been told you can usually move fairly quickly through a lot of them. If you tell them you plan on doing 10 hours a week because you are already busy with work they'll tell you that you aren't a good fit for the school.

It's true that the school doesn't really have the traditional teacher/student type of interaction, but they also specifically look for people who don't need that to learn. You'll see if you apply that they ask the same questions in a number of ways basically trying to find out if you are really the type of person who learns well by themselves, doesn't get frustrated and give up, etc. I remember reading awhile back about how when they first started they wanted to be a great option for people getting right out of high school. They ended up with a high drop out rate and quickly realized that your average 18 year old that has never done anything but HS classes isn't ready to be handed all their own college course materials and told to figure it out and call when you have trouble. For people who have been in IT for awhile that is a lot more normal, most of us have taught ourselves a number of different operating systems, software packages, types of hardware, etc, already.

JamesKurtovich

Danielm7 wrote: »

You should be fine if you can dedicate the time and effort into the coursework. Less credits isn't a huge deal. I transferred in almost all my general ed classes but from what I've been told you can usually move fairly quickly through a lot of them. If you tell them you plan on doing 10 hours a week because you are already busy with work they'll tell you that you aren't a good fit for the school.

It's true that the school doesn't really have the traditional teacher/student type of interaction, but they also specifically look for people who don't need that to learn. You'll see if you apply that they ask the same questions in a number of ways basically trying to find out if you are really the type of person who learns well by themselves, doesn't get frustrated and give up, etc. I remember reading awhile back about how when they first started they wanted to be a great option for people getting right out of high school. They ended up with a high drop out rate and quickly realized that your average 18 year old that has never done anything but HS classes isn't ready to be handed all their own college course materials and told to figure it out and call when you have trouble. For people who have been in IT for awhile that is a lot more normal, most of us have taught ourselves a number of different operating systems, software packages, types of hardware, etc, already.

I see. That makes sense to me. How about "breaks"? Can you take time off?

TomkoTech

WGU doesn't have "breaks" per se. However if you get your minimum 12/18 cus done in 3 months, you don't HAVE to do any additional courses. So that could be a 3 month break if you wanted it.

Danielm7

Technically as long as you do the minimum to be considered full time status which is 12 CUs per term, then you can schedule that however you want. I've read about plenty of people who knock out the 12 in 2 months then relax for the next 4 months until their term is over. They also spend about 3x as much and take 3x as long to do their degree, but it's up to you how hard you want to work.

As for taking a break longer than that, like if you want to take a year in the middle of the program, they really frown upon it and tell you often when you are starting that you need to stay enrolled. But, if something happens and you have to take a long break as far as I understand you can write a letter asking to be admitted again and you'd probably get back in as long as your reasoning was legitimate.

zidian

I had to take a break due to moving across the country for a new job after my second term. They were understanding and the process was pretty easy. I ended up taking 1 month off between terms. I believe the longest break you can get without extenuating circumstances is 3 months between terms.