Western Governors University Questions and Answers / Threads related to WGU

Nobylspoon

veritas_libertas wrote: »

AAS degrees never transfer to anywhere near as much as say an AA or AS degree.

I have been holding on on enrolling at WGU until I finish my AAS in Network Security. I am wondering if I should bother finishing it if most of it isn't going to transfer...

veritas_libertas

Nobylspoon wrote: »

I have been holding on on enrolling at WGU until I finish my AAS in Network Security. I am wondering if I should bother finishing it if most of it isn't going to transfer...

How much more work do have to finish your AAS? I finished mine and I think it helped me with employment opportunities right away.

Nobylspoon

veritas_libertas wrote: »

How much more work do have to finish your AAS? I finished mine and I think it helped me with employment opportunities right away.

At the earliest I will be able to graduate at the end of next year but most likely it will be after Spring semester in 2012. All I have left are upper level classes which are difficult to schedule around my job. Atleast having a reduced course load gives me time to also work on certifications.

I will most likely finish the AAS first, especially if it will help move my career forward. Besides, I might be able to knock out most of the certs that I would earn at WGU before I enroll. Atleast those would transfer in.

SephStorm

Any update on the CAE status of WGU?

jmasterj206

I'm still not sure what to do about my emphasis. Currently I am starting August 1st with the generic BSIT program. I decided to go this route to get it done faster, but I am not sure what good CIW certs will do in real life. Frankly, I had never really heard of them until I started looking at WGU. Also, I have a VUE center 10 miles from my house, but the closest Prometric that does Microsoft is about 2 hours away (Thanks M$ for dumping VUE). I know the basics about server 2008 since I take care of all the user accounts, DNS, file shares, etc. in our current domain, but I don't know all of the inner workings, so maybe I should change to the networks administration emphasis. I just wish Prometric wasn't so far away.
It's a tough call for me it is either get the degree done quickly or get the MCTIP with the degree which will probably take longer plus adding a lot of drive time which is hard to come by with work. Suggestions?

uhtrinity

jmasterj206 wrote: »

I'm still not sure what to do about my emphasis. Currently I am starting August 1st with the generic BSIT program. I decided to go this route to get it done faster, but I am not sure what good CIW certs will do in real life. Frankly, I had never really heard of them until I started looking at WGU. Also, I have a VUE center 10 miles from my house, but the closest Prometric that does Microsoft is about 2 hours away (Thanks M$ for dumping VUE). I know the basics about server 2008 since I take care of all the user accounts, DNS, file shares, etc. in our current domain, but I don't know all of the inner workings, so maybe I should change to the networks administration emphasis. I just wish Prometric wasn't so far away.
It's a tough call for me it is either get the degree done quickly or get the MCTIP with the degree which will probably take longer plus adding a lot of drive time which is hard to come by with work. Suggestions?

How much do the extra certs matter to you? When I had Prometric center test issues it boiled down to MCSA vs MCSE, or design and management vs network administration. I know some people wen the basic IT route, while some went with an emphasis, in the end I think the experience on your resume will matter more.

earweed

You could always just do the generic IT degree and get the MCITP on your own. Being a student you're eligible for 1/2 price MS cert tests ($60). I believe the generic IT has to do the client exam (70-680) and you would either take 3 extra tests for the MCITP:SA or 4 for the MCITP:EA

jmasterj206

Thanks for the advice. I have eight years experience in the field and have already kind of found the glass ceiling with just an A.A.S. Yes, earweed I will still have to do the 70-680. I can do the basics with server 2008 no problem, but in a way I feel I should know more. If there was a closer Prometric I would go the MCITP route and it would be an easy decision. The sad part is there is a Prometric 40 miles away, but of course they don't do IT exams. Thanks again for the advice all.

petedude

earweed wrote: »

You could always just do the generic IT degree and get the MCITP on your own. Being a student you're eligible for 1/2 price MS cert tests ($60). I believe the generic IT has to do the client exam (70-680) and you would either take 3 extra tests for the MCITP:SA or 4 for the MCITP:EA

That's the route I'm taking currently.

With regards to CIW certs, I would focus on the subject matter rather than the end certifications. The skills obtained can be useful, but the overriding importance is that these technologies are frequently in use in this day and age. The generic BSIT program really does provide a decent overview of IT today, even though there might be a few other technologies folks could argue need to be included.

erpadmin

jmasterj206 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I have eight years experience in the field and have already kind of found the glass ceiling with just an A.A.S. Yes, earweed I will still have to do the 70-680. I can do the basics with server 2008 no problem, but in a way I feel I should know more. If there was a closer Prometric I would go the MCITP route and it would be an easy decision. The sad part is there is a Prometric 40 miles away, but of course they don't do IT exams. Thanks again for the advice all.

You know, if you were to decide to do the Network Admin or NDM track, you could schedule your coursework to not have to drive out there so often.

Just sayin'...

jschreck

I will be starting in the August Semster as well. Kinda excited.. 80 percent of my generics are already taken care of. Waiting to hear from my mentor to schedule. Will be nocking these out as quick as i can!

jmasterj206

erpadmin wrote: »

You know, if you were to decide to do the Network Admin or NDM track, you could schedule your coursework to not have to drive out there so often.

Just sayin'...

As in taking multiple certs on a single day? or spreading them out?

erpadmin

jmasterj206 wrote: »

As in taking multiple certs on a single day? or spreading them out?

Ummm...if you could take those exams in a single day and pass, you must either be Stephen Hawking or some kind of a savant!! LOL.

Definitely spread out. You take one class and that's probably gonna last you a good few weeks before you take the exam. You do what you gotta do, then take the 30-40 minute drive to take the test, pass and then repeat. Whether you were going to do WGU or not, at some point you were/are going to have to deal with the testing center. 40 minutes out of the way for what's your career doesn't seem like a dealbreaker...if it were that important to you.

jschreck wrote: »

I will be starting in the August Semster as well. Kinda excited.. 80 percent of my generics are already taken care of. Waiting to hear from my mentor to schedule. Will be nocking these out as quick as i can!

All right Shrek (like you don't get that alot already...lol)!! Glad there is another August person.

jmasterj206

erpadmin wrote: »

Ummm...if you could take those exams in a single day and pass, you must either be Stephen Hawking or some kind of a savant!! LOL.

Definitely spread out. You take one class and that's probably gonna last you a good few weeks before you take the exam. You do what you gotta do, then take the 30-40 minute drive to take the test, pass and then repeat. Whether you were going to do WGU or not, at some point you were/are going to have to deal with the testing center. 40 minutes out of the way for what's your career doesn't seem like a dealbreaker...if it were that important to you.

I think you misread my post erp, the closest test center is 2 1/2 hours away. It is not important anyway. I am just more mad at Microsoft for going with Prometric in 07 instead of Vue, who has tons more testing centers. I will probably wait until I get going to make up my mind. I still have to take CIW foundations and Javascript either way.

earweed

I had to drive 1-1/2 hours for a Vue or a prometric. Try to use the drive as relaxation time. If you do the MCITP:EA that's 4 extra trips out of your life.
I have 2 clients I have to see on Tuesday, one is a 2 hr drive and the other is 20 minutes but it's just one day. It's just a long drive, you may have to do it for work sometime.

erpadmin

jmasterj206 wrote: »

I think you misread my post erp, the closest test center is 2 1/2 hours away. It is not important anyway. I am just more mad at Microsoft for going with Prometric in 07 instead of Vue, who has tons more testing centers. I will probably wait until I get going to make up my mind. I still have to take CIW foundations and Javascript either way.

I don't know where I got 30-40 minutes. I must've been thinking about something else and I apologize for that. However, I think both you and earweed are right. You can definitely go generic for right now, and then as you think about priorities, then you'll consider taking either the Net Admin or NDM track. That's really what I meant. At least you will still be in your state when you take your exams...lol. I have to take a 20 minute train ride into NYC (Manhattan) from NJ to go to the main Prometric test center (same place I went to for my Net+ and A+ exams). It's either that, or drive 30 minutes (on average) just to do it NJ. But it's much more convenient to just get into Manhattan as the test center is litterally right there as I get off the train.

My whole thing is I just wouldn't want you to sell yourself short because of driving. You can always drive hours early and get there early so you can eat, relax, get some cram time in, or however you mentally prepare for your exams.

veritas_libertas

Some of you have asked about getting into graduate programs after graduating from WGU. I found a very helpful thread on the WGU Alumni LinkedIn group.

What brick and mortar MBA programs are WGU grads attending? Has anyone been accepted to a top tier program?

Sign In | LinkedIn

wizardfish

uhtrinity wrote: »

I think they are going through growing pains. ... Imho the students loads on mentors were getting too high.

I just learned that I'm going to almost certainly lose my mentor -- he's being moved to a new position: training the newly hired mentors.

Too bad, because I like my mentor -- he stays out of my way and lets me proceed at my own pace, without any silly games. I've heard that there are mentors that are more in the habit of hand-holding, which would get annoying fast. (For me. IMO. YMMV, etc.)

egb893

Hi guys! Just wanted to say thanks for posting about WGU, I wasn't sure where to go for my bachelors and the information here helped me decide.

I have a start date of Aug 1st for the IT Security program!

The enrollment counselors are just for the enrollment process right? Because mine is terrible and if I have to keep dealing with him after I start I am definitely going to change.

erpadmin

Just got my "Next Step Enrollment Notice" e-mail. Strange, because until I clicked on it, I had no idea what they were talking about until I saw the sender had a wgu.edu address. Very spooky e-mail about making sure that I meet deadlines, even though the Bursar and Financial Aid stated I was all set because of my Direct Loan and that I don't have to pay out of pocket. I should be getting something in the mail between Thursday and Saturday about EWB instructions and another welcome packet.

You know, this was probably discussed before, but I don't see why WGU-related topics doesn't get it's own sub-forum. The threads are good, but they're going to become huge at some point and the fact that there are alot of TE forum members starting WGU, it probably makes sense.

Just a thought.

uhtrinity

veritas_libertas wrote: »

LOL, they are only for enrollment.

And as such are at the bottom of the food chain. I dealt with mine for about 45 days and could tell the person was either new or didn't know a lot of details. I suspect the person was probably a student working part time. The good news is once you start the enrollment counselor will be a thing of the past. Past that point you deal with mentors, most of which were good imo. For those that aren't there is a painless replacement process.

jmasterj206

egb893 wrote: »

Hi guys! Just wanted to say thanks for posting about WGU, I wasn't sure where to go for my bachelors and the information here helped me decide.

I have a start date of Aug 1st for the IT Security program!

The enrollment counselors are just for the enrollment process right? Because mine is terrible and if I have to keep dealing with him after I start I am definitely going to change.

I'm guessing you have the same as me.

jktwardos

I also just received "Next Step to Enrollment" e-mail and it looks like a generic e-mail that serves as a reminder to make sure everything has been completed.

I also start August 1st in BS in Network Design and I am excited to start! We should start a separate thread for everyone starting August 1st (seems to be a few) so we can compare notes

veritas_libertas

Congratz to all my "new" fellow students. Be sure to check out the TechExams thread on the WGU IT Program Community when you get access to the Student Portal.

never2late

I got the same email yesterday explaining about deadlines and requirements that have to be met before July 27th. I am also using financial aid but my enrollment counselor said I should be receiving a packet in the mail explaining the details. Anyone else get this packet before starting classes?

Still waiting for my evaluation on transcripts though. I plan to knock out EWB as quickly as possible then schedule the A+ exams. Been honing my skills with Mike Myers book and scoring consistently in the 90% range on the practice tests.

Veritas, I plan to check out the Tech Exams thread as soon as the student portal is open. Thanks for the info.

novovictus

I am starting BS IT Security Aug 1 and I did receive my credit transfers. Even though I have multiple certs (including MCSE) and do not have to take IT Fundamentals II & III, I still have to take IT Fundamentals I. It should be a breeze but kind of silly IMO...

SephStorm

not sure if I need it being military, but just in case, can I get a referral from someone?

Edit: NVM, they waived it for military anyway, but thanks.

gotta do this application now...

Any advice on the entrance exam?

earweed

It's pretty easy. Make time for it to be in a nice quiet place without distractions.
I didn't know they waived the application fee for military, that's changed since I started.
If you need your transcripts sent out each term for your aid or anything I know that fee has been waived for veterans and active duty.

petedude

novovictus wrote: »

I am starting BS IT Security Aug 1 and I did receive my credit transfers. Even though I have multiple certs (including MCSE) and do not have to take IT Fundamentals II & III, I still have to take IT Fundamentals I. It should be a breeze but kind of silly IMO...

Wait until you see the scope of the IT Fundamentals material. It's broad in scope, and will pick your brain a little on some of the details. While many pass it easily, I say it's a good foundational exam for an IT program. In fact, I think it may be better than many of the equivalent lower-level courses in many B&M schools.

erpadmin

petedude wrote: »

Wait until you see the scope of the IT Fundamentals material. It's broad in scope, and will pick your brain a little on some of the details. While many pass it easily, I say it's a good foundational exam for an IT program. In fact, I think it may be better than many of the equivalent lower-level courses in many B&M schools.

You mean I can't get drunk and sleep through this like I did with "Computer Literacy" a few years to get my A?

LOL...no, I also had the same concern, but it seems like one of those classes that everyone has to take, but will pass, so I will knock this out. When I took Computer Literacy, it was seriously (for me) the dumbest class. In addition to learning what a RAM and HD was, we did typing speeds (yes...typing). Mind you, I probably can type faster with two fingers than most people can type with all of theirs. But the professor saw I was coming to class, passing his little tests and saw I was already proficient and gave me the A. He knew I didn't need to be there (and couldn't test out). I'm imagining this will be the same.

Better to knock it out early then wonder why...lol.