Western Governors University Questions and Answers / Threads related to WGU

XeeN

petedude wrote: »

It's a darn good idea. Some folks have trouble adapting to the WGU format for general ed courses, so it's best to get those out of the way before applying to WGU.

I don't know what the WGU policy is regarding CLEP/DANTES exams, but some of those may help if WGU will transfer them in.

Why do some people have problems adapting to the General Ed format at WGU?

erpadmin

XeeN wrote: »

Why do some people have problems adapting to the General Ed format at WGU?

It's really on the individual, to be honest with you. Some folks hate writing. Others hate math...they develop a mental block when it comes to a course like history, for example.

However, if one were to take those courses at a community college, the positive is that if you hate the subject that much, you can always schedule time with the professor for extra help. Some folks need that. WGU really isn't that good for taking GE courses if you NEVER had a college background. It is great for folks who are self-starters and can knock out some GEs, but if you don't have that drive, it can be very difficult.

FWIW, it took me seven months to complete the remainder of my GE requirements, which consisted of English, math, science, and critical thinking....the rest, I took prior (history, soc, psych, chem for non science major, math for non math majors.....etc.)

XeeN

erpadmin wrote: »

It's really on the individual, to be honest with you. Some folks hate writing. Others hate math...they develop a mental block when it comes to a course like history, for example.

However, if one were to take those courses at a community college, the positive is that if you hate the subject that much, you can always schedule time with the professor for extra help. Some folks need that. WGU really isn't that good for taking GE courses if you NEVER had a college background. It is great for folks who are self-starters and can knock out some GEs, but if you don't have that drive, it can be very difficult.

FWIW, it took me seven months to complete the remainder of my GE requirements, which consisted of English, math, science, and critical thinking....the rest, I took prior (history, soc, psych, chem for non science major, math for non math majors.....etc.)

That makes sense. I don't think I'll struggle with the online format.

I just got word back on my transcript evaluation! Looks like I will be transferring in at least 6 classes from my prior college experience. It looks like I have 9 remaining GE classes at WGU for BSIT:ND&M

I feel very strong in all the remaining areas, especially writing. I am going to see what Straighterline would look like if I went there first, and I will be making a decision within a week. Either way I want to start at Straighterline immediately or WGU November 1st.

Edit: I looked at a chart of classes SL can transfer to WGU for my requirements. There are only three classes (English Comp classes). Looks like WGU is happening November 1st. I'm going to talk to someone at SL to confirm my findings.

erpadmin

XeeN wrote: »

That makes sense. I don't think I'll struggle with the online format.

I just got word back on my transcript evaluation! Looks like I will be transferring in at least 6 classes from my prior college experience. It looks like I have 9 remaining GE classes at WGU for BSIT:ND&M

I feel very strong in all the remaining areas, especially writing. I am going to see what Straighterline would look like if I went there first, and I will be making a decision within a week. Either way I want to start at Straighterline immediately or WGU November 1st.

Edit: I looked at a chart of classes SL can transfer to WGU for my requirements. There are only three classes (English Comp classes). Looks like WGU is happening November 1st. I'm going to talk to someone at SL to confirm my findings.

I'd do the English at straighterline. LAT1 is NO joke. LAE1 IS a Joke and LUT1 is somewhere in the middle. (Not LAT1, but not exactly LAE1....)

XeeN

erpadmin wrote: »

I'd do the English at straighterline. LAT1 is NO joke. LAE1 IS a Joke and LUT1 is somewhere in the middle. (Not LAT1, but not exactly LAE1....)

What did you have to do in LAT1 that made it so much more of a challenge?

erpadmin

XeeN wrote: »

What did you have to do in LAT1 that made it so much more of a challenge?

I had to look at my Taskstream again....it felt like I was working on this paper forever...but from 9/29/2010 through 10/14/2010 LAT1 was done and over with.

Looking at my sig, I remember that I was done with Security+ on August 26....it concluded my 12 CU in my first term. I took a week break to hang out with wifey. Then I enrolled in WFV1, LAT1 and LUT1...knocked out WFV1 but it took me awhile to find a topic. Once I did, I went to work....I only had revisions on the two of the tasks (it would have been one had I not sent the grader the wrong file...), but it was literally work. Writing the annotated bibilography, then a writing plan/synthesis, rough draft of your 10 page paper, then the final 10 page paper. LAT1 was not cute at all...especially when I have never written a paper in APA format before WGU. (ALA/MLA....but that was it.) I found LAT1 to be a bigger pain than Capstone...and that involved more pages...but at least it was a topic I knew well enough.

XeeN

Oh boy, that does sound like fun. I've had to write those types of papers before and they were never quick and easy. Thanks for taking the time to explain.

advanex1

Need as much advice as I can get as far as which courses would be recommended for my preferred path in Network Administration/Network Engineering.

Bachelor Degree in IT Network Administration | WGU College of Information Technology Online - Network Admin Degree
Network Design Degree | Online IT Degree | WGU College of Information Technology - Network Management/Design
Online IT Security Degree | Information Security Degree | WGU College of Information Technology -Security Degree

My question is this, if I would like to stay on the networking side of the house - why are most of the networking degrees Microsoft-centric in their choices for certifications? I mean, I don't mind learning/dealing with microsoft - I've done 2003 to 2007 exchange and 2003 to 2008 server migrations and have a decent amount of time in AD with group policy setups... but I much prefer being on the networks in the routers and switches.

It seems like the security degree is geared more towards cisco devices and I like that - in either course I already have 3 certifications that are required for it - but if you were in my shoes and much preferred the network side of the house - what would you choose and why?

Nobylspoon

Aside from citations, are there APA formatting rules for presentation slides? I submitted tasks 1 & 2 for INT1 and my task 2 presentation was accepted but I had a couple of revisions for task 1, one of which was for APA formatting. I didn't use anything requiring a citation and I used the same template on both assignments. Their comment wasn't very informative.

erpadmin

Nobylspoon wrote: »

Aside from citations, are there APA formatting rules for presentation slides? I submitted tasks 1 & 2 for INT1 and my task 2 presentation was accepted but I had a couple of revisions for task 1, one of which was for APA formatting. I didn't use anything requiring a citation and I used the same template on both assignments. Their comment wasn't very informative.

Without knowing what your slides look like, I had to go back to my Task1 to refresh my memory on the APA formatting. You certainly need to cite something, unless you are a foremost expert on the topics you're discussing. Barring that, all you would need to do is find some books in the WGU library that talk about your topic, throw some in-text citations and then have a references page at the end.

More than likely, your grader wants to see some sources. If it helps, for the first task, I used a total of five sources (three for the first part and two for the second part.)

Nobylspoon

I think I spotted my main mistake. My historical event was a scientific publication but I did not have the title of the publication written in correct APA format. Hopefully that was what the grader was referring to.

advanex1

advanex1 wrote: »

Need as much advice as I can get as far as which courses would be recommended for my preferred path in Network Administration/Network Engineering.

Bachelor Degree in IT Network Administration | WGU College of Information Technology Online - Network Admin Degree
Network Design Degree | Online IT Degree | WGU College of Information Technology - Network Management/Design
Online IT Security Degree | Information Security Degree | WGU College of Information Technology -Security Degree

My question is this, if I would like to stay on the networking side of the house - why are most of the networking degrees Microsoft-centric in their choices for certifications? I mean, I don't mind learning/dealing with microsoft - I've done 2003 to 2007 exchange and 2003 to 2008 server migrations and have a decent amount of time in AD with group policy setups... but I much prefer being on the networks in the routers and switches.

It seems like the security degree is geared more towards cisco devices and I like that - in either course I already have 3 certifications that are required for it - but if you were in my shoes and much preferred the network side of the house - what would you choose and why?

Any advice on the above?

swild

I would personally rule out the Network Admin degree. MCITP:EA is so much better to me than MCITP:SA. the only plus is that you also get the CCENT.

I would decide between MCITP:EA, through the Network Design degree, or CCNA & CCNA:Sec through the Security degree.

I'm going with the Security degree myself because I prefer Linux over MS.

advanex1

swild wrote: »

I would personally rule out the Network Admin degree. MCITP:EA is so much better to me than MCITP:SA. the only plus is that you also get the CCENT.I would decide between MCITP:EA, through the Network Design degree, or CCNA & CCNA:Sec through the Security degree.I'm going with the Security degree myself because I prefer Linux over MS.

Well, I already have my CCENT. I think the reason I was looking at them is because I had 3 certifications already so that would mean less CU's I would have overall.I wouldn't mind having an MCITP:EA, but the ultimate question is would I be able to maintain that certification while also maintaining my Professional level Cisco certifications that I plan on having. That's what my whole decision is based on, I appreciate the input. If you have any on that point specifically that would be even more of a help.

shoutout33

Hey all! First time on these forums, and I must say that it is awesome to finally find folks either planning or already going to WGU for their IT programs. I've search forever for this! First about me. I already have a degree in Organizational Management and wish to get into the IT field. I currently am employed with Small Business Administration (SBA), where I'm maxed out at a lower grade in my job. (GS 5-10) I also plan to back into the reserves to help pay for this education as well. Anywho, here are my question(s):

I have already read a thread reguarding the hardware needed to attend WGU, but the thread was done for early 2010. I would like to know what hardware is needed for the BS in Information Technology: Security degree. I'm pretty much a hands on guy, so I'm not sure about how doing IT online will work. I've recently realized, that I need the stuff in front of me while reading it...if that makes any sense. If you give me the instructions on how to build a PC and I can see pictures and have the hardware in front of me, I can do it. So I'm wondering if you need to purchase some hardware in order to follow along if you will. Another example, would be the Cisco part of the degree. Do I need to buy Cisco routers and switchs to better understand what I'm doing while I'm studying? If my question(s) are not clear, please reply and let me know what you need to help with me this. All input and replies are greatly appreciated and won't be a deterant, as I plan to attend the school anyway. Thanks again.

erpadmin

shoutout33 wrote: »

Hey all! First time on these forums, and I must say that it is awesome to finally find folks either planning or already going to WGU for their IT programs. I've search forever for this! First about me. I already have a degree in Organizational Management and wish to get into the IT field. I currently am employed with Small Business Administration (SBA), where I'm maxed out at a lower grade in my job. (GS 5-10) I also plan to back into the reserves to help pay for this education as well. Anywho, here are my question(s):

I have already read a thread reguarding the hardware needed to attend WGU, but the thread was done for early 2010. I would like to know what hardware is needed for the BS in Information Technology: Security degree. I'm pretty much a hands on guy, so I'm not sure about how doing IT online will work. I've recently realized, that I need the stuff in front of me while reading it...if that makes any sense. If you give me the instructions on how to build a PC and I can see pictures and have the hardware in front of me, I can do it. So I'm wondering if you need to purchase some hardware in order to follow along if you will. Another example, would be the Cisco part of the degree. Do I need to buy Cisco routers and switchs to better understand what I'm doing while I'm studying? If my question(s) are not clear, please reply and let me know what you need to help with me this. All input and replies are greatly appreciated and won't be a deterant, as I plan to attend the school anyway. Thanks again.

First of all, welcome.

Second, may I ask why you want to get into the IT field? Is it solely because you feel that's where the money is?

I only ask because WGU's IT program is not geared well for IT novices. That's why WGU changed their requirements in favor of getting students who already have certs and/or working in the IT field already.

So I guess you've already gone here:

Online IT Security Degree | Information Security Degree | WGU College of Information Technology

Have you looked into A+ certification on your own? You're not going to "learn" how to do A+ at WGU any more than if you got this book:

Amazon.com: CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-701 & 220-702) (9780071701334): Michael Meyers: Books

Or watch these videos (for free):

Professor Messer's Free 220-70x CompTIA A+ Training Course | Professor Messer - CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, Certification Training

That's what I did over 5 years ago (well, not professormesser) to get A+/Network+...but that was for an MCSA I never got to do. If you can't do A+, you can seriously forget anything Cisco.

Then we have the CIW Web Design Specialist...another IT: Security cert. You have to prepare for this exam: 1D0-520.

There are no professors that will hold your hand and "teach you" these certs....they will simply give you a guideline found in your Course of Study (syllabus) and you do it on your own.

You can still plan to attend the school anyway, if you want...however, before WGU will admit you, you have to meet (one of) these requirements:

Transferable IT Certifications for WGU’s Online IT Degree Programs


WGU’s online IT bachelor’s degree programs require students to demonstrate IT experience through at least one of the following:

• An associate’s degree in IT or the equivalent (A.A. or A.A.S. are acceptable)
• Transferable IT certifications earned within the last five years
• Three-plus years of IT work experience

Transferable IT Certifications

I just gave you two of the easiest ones to do if you still want to do it. Security+ is another one with Darril Gibson's Get Certified Get Ahead book for the SY0-201 exam. (On Amazon)

If those certs give you pause, then the Cisco discussion is moot.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

shoutout33

Whoa! Didn't know they changed things. Last time I checked, which was sometime last year I think, I asked about that, and they said that you didn't need prior IT experice or certifications. Hmmm. Thanks for telling me this. I'm going to speak to my counselor and see why this wasn't mentioned too me. Well, like I said, this would be a career change for me and since I'm working full time and the price really can't be beat, I decided to go with WGU. I'm also Federal Government, so it's not like I'm going to command $100,000+ anyway...well, in time with the cost of living here in the DC Metro area, it's possible, but I'd be gowing through my grades first like everyone else.

I've taken a stab at an A+ school before...wasn't ready for it mentally, meaning lack of hustle to get it done. Yes, I am a novice at IT, but I know somethings here and there or as the saying goes, I know enough to get myself in trouble. That being said, I'm tired of getting myself in trouble. Plus, I really need a degree to help push my career with the government. Yes, certs are great, but with a piece of paper, in the government it helps make you more promotable, especially when you're already in.

Still, with all that being said, I still should speak to my counselor about not mentioning this too me when we first talked. I'll be giving him a call Monday, to hash things out. Thanks erpadmin, for straight shooter post. It is greatly apprecaited and did not fall on deaf ears. If anything, it's motivating me to not BS this time around.

erpadmin

shoutout33 wrote: »

Whoa! Didn't know they changed things. Last time I checked, which was sometime last year I think, I asked about that, and they said that you didn't need prior IT experice or certifications. Hmmm. Thanks for telling me this. I'm going to speak to my counselor and see why this wasn't mentioned too me.

If you have read the entirety of this thread, you'd know that some WGU enrollment counselors can be useless. I had gotten a lot of canned answers to questions that had nothing to do with what was asked. Even if you are allowed to enroll, it's just a good idea to do self-study yourself before you even start so that you know what you're getting yourself into. I, myself, had a lack of hustle to get stuff done on my own prior to WGU. However, I was able to do it because I had gained maturity over the years and WGU promised me that if I put in the work, I would see results. I kept up my end of the bargain, and so did they. HOWEVER...I also had gained the knowledge over the years and that also helped me pass my classes/certifications. If left up to me, I would never have done three-fifths of the MCITP:EA cert...because something would always come up. However, doing it through WGU gave me a mental gun to my head....but I also had the knowledge to work through whatever I had to work through.

shoutout33 wrote: »

I've taken a stab at an A+ school before...wasn't ready for it mentally, meaning lack of hustle to get it done. Yes, I am a novice at IT, but I know somethings here and there or as the saying goes, I know enough to get myself in trouble. That being said, I'm tired of getting myself in trouble. Plus, I really need a degree to help push my career with the government. Yes, certs are great, but with a piece of paper, in the government it helps make you more promotable, especially when you're already in.

I guess what I was trying to say is...aptitude is just as important as desire. I don't work with routers and switches...however, I can reasonably discuss how a network works, the OSI model and what specifically functions within the layers of said model (as well as the TCP/IP model). In other words, if I had to study for the CCNA, I could because I have the aptitude to do it. If the A+ is giving you problems for "lack of hustle" then again, a discussion of what you would need to study Cisco is moot. Yes, A+ and Cisco certs have nothing to do with the other, but I don't know any networking professionals who couldn't work their way around a PC (because...they kind of have to.)

I don't want to discourage you from doing IT if that's what you want to do. Just understand that aptitude is more important than desire. Being that guy who knows enough to get himself into trouble is just a description of one of the worst end-users ever. WGU is not easy for someone who isn't in IT already or at the very least, as a decent level of aptitude for IT.

Psoasman

shoutout33 wrote: »

Hey all! First time on these forums, and I must say that it is awesome to finally find folks either planning or already going to WGU for their IT programs. I've search forever for this! First about me. I already have a degree in Organizational Management and wish to get into the IT field. I currently am employed with Small Business Administration (SBA), where I'm maxed out at a lower grade in my job. (GS 5-10) I also plan to back into the reserves to help pay for this education as well. Anywho, here are my question(s):

I have already read a thread reguarding the hardware needed to attend WGU, but the thread was done for early 2010. I would like to know what hardware is needed for the BS in Information Technology: Security degree. I'm pretty much a hands on guy, so I'm not sure about how doing IT online will work. I've recently realized, that I need the stuff in front of me while reading it...if that makes any sense. If you give me the instructions on how to build a PC and I can see pictures and have the hardware in front of me, I can do it. So I'm wondering if you need to purchase some hardware in order to follow along if you will. Another example, would be the Cisco part of the degree. Do I need to buy Cisco routers and switchs to better understand what I'm doing while I'm studying? If my question(s) are not clear, please reply and let me know what you need to help with me this. All input and replies are greatly appreciated and won't be a deterant, as I plan to attend the school anyway. Thanks again.

Good for you continuing your education! Here's my advice. Since you are more hands-on and WGU it totally online, you might be more comfortable in a traditional setting. You could check out the local community colleges in your area. A lot of them are offering degrees you obtain in a hybrid method. By that I mean you have 1-2 days per week in a lab class. The rest is online reading and test taking. This would give you a taste of the online learning, without throwing you in the deep end.

I'm not saying you can't handle the full online degree, but jumping into a new field without the support you might want would be harder. The last time I was in college was in the late 90's and it was full-time, in the classroom. Most of my AAS I earned this year was online and I found that, at least for me, that I learned better online using the given resources, than sitting in the classroom. I am starting WGU in December and am looking forward to the online experience.

erpadmin

Psoasman wrote: »

I am starting WGU in December and am looking forward to the online experience.

I look forward to passing the torch on to you, good sir. Most apropos.

sheckler

erpadmin wrote: »

If left up to me, I would never have done three-fifths of the MCITP:EA cert...because something would always come up. However, doing it through WGU gave me a mental gun to my head

This is my fear now. My capstone passed this week so I'm officially done. There's still a bunch of certs I want to get, so I hope I can sack up and do them without deadlines and a mentor checking in every week

Thxlbx

Yep. My mentor has offered to only call every couple of weeks. I kept the calls weekly to keep me accountable and on track. It really seems to help me.

petedude

sheckler wrote: »

This is my fear now. My capstone passed this week so I'm officially done. There's still a bunch of certs I want to get, so I hope I can sack up and do them without deadlines and a mentor checking in every week

But, that's half the reason they expect you to have certs to get into the program to begin with. If you don't have the discipline to get the certs, then you can't succeed in a school like WGU, mentor or no mentor.

Maybe we should start "accountability threads" like they have on some WGU boards, but for certs. You can post your progress, and set up your profile such that people can IM or E-mail you if you fall behind.

erpadmin

sheckler wrote: »

This is my fear now. My capstone passed this week so I'm officially done. There's still a bunch of certs I want to get, so I hope I can sack up and do them without deadlines and a mentor checking in every week

I'm not bothered by weekly mentor calls. If my mentor was a jerk/unhelpful, I would have gotten a new one and still kept weekly calls. However, that was never the case at all...my mentor has been the most accomodating. In fact, he did what most mentors in his position would not have done...enroll me in every class I had left in the beginning. Yeah, we talked about why I wanted to do that, and I told him I love to gamble. I told him if he was so confident that I could finish my remaining MS exams, plus TWA1/CPW3 then I want to be enrolled in all 37 CUs this term. Besides, it would force me to finish this term. There was no harm in that for two reasons:

1) I average 29 CUs a term (based on the last year)

2) In the unlikely event I can't finish my term by the end of January, I get a free one month term-extenstion.

I want my name in that Winter Commencement book, so I'm gunning for end of the year. I'm extremely motivated to be done with my WGU degree....never have I been so close to the finish line.

spiderjericho

swild wrote: »

I would personally rule out the Network Admin degree. MCITP:EA is so much better to me than MCITP:SA. the only plus is that you also get the CCENT.

I would decide between MCITP:EA, through the Network Design degree, or CCNA & CCNA:Sec through the Security degree.

I'm going with the Security degree myself because I prefer Linux over MS.

I haven't started at WGU yet (waiting for one more transcript to come through). I am enrolled in the Network Administration track and thought it was the one with the MCTIP:EA. I'm glad I caught your post. The Network Design and Network Admin seemed to be similar but I'll tell my enrollment advisor to change it to the Design. Still curious that the server administrator doesn't get the comprehensive Microsoft Certification.

veritas_libertas

spiderjericho wrote: »

I haven't started at WGU yet (waiting for one more transcript to come through). I am enrolled in the Network Administration track and thought it was the one with the MCTIP:EA. I'm glad I caught your post. The Network Design and Network Admin seemed to be similar but I'll tell my enrollment advisor to change it to the Design. Still curious that the server administrator doesn't get the comprehensive Microsoft Certification.

It's meant to be more well rounded. Instead of just MS technology you learn a little of everything such as programming, database systems, Cisco, and Microsoft.

spiderjericho

Our computer networking degree for network server administrators will propel you to career success. The B.S. in Information Technology—Networks Administration will prepare you with the cutting-edge network server administration skills that employers demand as well as nine recognized industry certifications including your Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Server Administrator. You will become an effective, marketable network server administrator.

Our network design degree will launch your network systems engineering career. The B.S. in Information Technology—Networks Design and Management will give you leading-edge networks design and engineering skills that employers demand along with eight recognized industry certifications including your Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) Enterprise Administrator certification. You will become a better networks designer and network systems engineer.

I see what you mean with the CCENT included with the Net Admin track. But in the verbiage/description for Net Admin, they say Server Administrator, which, to me, means having a good grasp of all of the Microsoft pieces in an Enterprise.

But I guess I can see the argument from the design stand point. I'm surprised they don't include VCP5 and Server+ for the Net Admin or the CCDA for the Design.

Now I'm not sure what I want to do. I have to talk to my enrollment guru tomorrow, so I guess we can hash it out then. I just personally want to complete my degree as quickly as possible.

XeeN

My enrollment counselor told me that WGU is changing their EWB / Education Without Boundaries initial course setup. It looks like due to popular demand, starting Dec 1 2011 they will let accepted students take EWB before their start date, thus allowing for a dive into actual coursework on the first day of their first term.

I asked for an exception since I begin November 1st, but didn't get it. Oh well, back to studying for my Network+ (wrapped up my A+ studies, now on target to complete Network+ studies by Oct. 31st).

erpadmin

XeeN wrote: »

My enrollment counselor told me that WGU is changing their EWB / Education Without Boundaries initial course setup. It looks like due to popular demand, starting Dec 1 2011 they will let accepted students take EWB before their start date, thus allowing for a dive into actual coursework on the first day of their first term.

I asked for an exception since I begin November 1st, but didn't get it. Oh well, back to studying for my Network+ (wrapped up my A+ studies, now on target to complete Network+ studies by Oct. 31st).

Interesting.

Do students still have ten days to complete EWB? Will EWB staff still be available on the weekends? Can one enroll in classes before the first day of the first term as well? (Otherwise, what's the sense of "diving in" unless you have a certification to do.)

I really don't see a problem with this....EWB wasn't that much of problem to finish...even if you have a wife and ten kids...it takes approximately five hours to finish that entire course and that's with no interruptions.

XeeN

erpadmin wrote: »

Interesting.

Do students still have ten days to complete EWB? Will EWB staff still be available on the weekends? Can one enroll in classes before the first day of the first term as well? (Otherwise, what's the sense of "diving in" unless you have a certification to do.)

I really don't see a problem with this....EWB wasn't that much of problem to finish...even if you have a wife and ten kids...it takes approximately five hours to finish that entire course and that's with no interruptions.

I'll try to find out. Not sure yet.

How's the EWB course setup? How did you figure the 5 hour benchmark?