Western Governors University Questions and Answers / Threads related to WGU

erpadmin

kodyabbott wrote: »

So your saying that with the material they provide for CCENT and the CCNA I won't be able to pass? Doesn't the MCITP contribute to being work $3k?

Also, I'm not looking for the degree to guarantee me anything. I'm looking at get the best certs that I can accomplish with some hard work and time.

I'm saying that I've known both TEers and others who spent just one term going for the CCNA....for $3k to go for a cert that's alot less in both preparation and exam costs, it hardly seems worth it.

If you feel that confident about it, then by all means go for it, but understand that you will be spending time for the CCNA....and not to mention the MS exams. There were many with experience who has failed the MS exams at least once, and that's with studying available materials that you can find on WGU's Books 24x7 and Technet (including myself.)

It's just friendly advice, my friend. Take it for what it's worth.

kodyabbott

erpadmin wrote: »

I'm saying that I've known both TEers and others who spent just one term going for the CCNA....for $3k to go for a cert that's alot less in both preparation and exam costs, it hardly seems worth it.

If you feel that confident about it, then by all means go for it, but understand that you will be spending time for the CCNA....and not to mention the MS exams. There were many with experience who has failed the MS exams at least once, and that's with studying available materials that you can find on WGU's Books 24x7 and Technet (including myself.)

It's just friendly advice, my friend. Take it for what it's worth.

Very interesting. MS exams as in MCITP and MCTS? I'm starting on the first of March. Is it quite the process to switch programs? Sorry I'm only on page 12 of this thread. After I get done reading it in a month I'll have figured out all my questions ha.

erpadmin

kodyabbott wrote: »

Very interesting. MS exams as in MCITP and MCTS? I'm starting on the first of March. Is it quite the process to switch programs? Sorry I'm only on page 12 of this thread. After I get done reading it in a month I'll have figured out all my questions ha.

MS=Microsoft [Yeah, that can get confusing when we also talk about Master's of Science degrees too...but hey, it's all about context.... ]


It's gonna be hit/miss changing the program, but they SHOULD be able to do it, though by the time you wake up, it will be March 1. You might want to contact Student Services and see if they can switch it. It's easier if they do it before the term, but since it's early enough, they should be able to swing it. Otherwise, the very worst case scenario is you could just do the courses that correspond to both regular IT and your program (IT 1, IT2 and IT 3, etc.) and then switch to regular next term.

Then, once you get the hang of getting foundation certs, and you get that IT job, you can then gun for the big boy certs like MCITP:SA, CCNA, and whatever else you feel you want to do. Otherwise, you're just putting the carriage before the horse (certifying knowledge you only obtained from books instead of requisite experience.)

ThePrimetimer

erpadmin wrote: »

Kody,

You might be better served dealing with the regular IT degree. You can always do the regular certs later (and this is coming from both someone experienced in IT and graduated with the NDM degree.) If you are light on experience, the IT degree may better serve you in terms of finishing quicker and getting your baseline certs, like A+ anyway.

Kody,
I would also look into the basic BS-IT. This is coming from a person who is switching from the Net Admin emphasis. I'm taking ERP's advice and just getting my BS and then I can focus on the certs. I attempted the 70-640 (AHV1) exam 3 times and failed. Those MS exams are no joke, they are pretty tough it you don't have the experience. I've worked with MS server for awhile, but nothing to the degree that those exams ask for.

However, that's just my two cents. Good Luck and welcome to WGU!

SteveLord

On average, how long does it seem to be taking most TE members to complete a Bachelor's course? 2 years? (I know this will largely vary by the individual and credits transferred.) I was thinking maybe a few hours a night would make this possible for me. 2 years would be a good goal.

Hypntick

SteveLord wrote: »

On average, how long does it seem to be taking most TE members to complete a Bachelor's course? 2 years? (I know this will largely vary by the individual and credits transferred.) I was thinking maybe a few hours a night would make this possible for me. 2 years would be a good goal.

As you mentioned it depends on the individual. However at my current pace it will be 1.5 years, which is what I set out to do originally. If I had gone with the general track, I probably could have done it in a year. The MS tests alone almost took me a full term to complete.

snapdad

Is there some type of matrix available that matches Certifications to WGU Courses?

erpadmin

SteveLord wrote: »

On average, how long does it seem to be taking most TE members to complete a Bachelor's course? 2 years? (I know this will largely vary by the individual and credits transferred.) I was thinking maybe a few hours a night would make this possible for me. 2 years would be a good goal.

I only transferred 22 college credits + 6 credits for A+/Network+ for a total of 28 CUs. It took me 1.5 years, shy of a couple of weeks, to complete the BS. Maybe it might have taken me a year, but I wasn't trying to kill myself. 30 CUs a term is quite doable.

Those utilizing GI Bill would have to do a minimum of 18 CUs (as opposed to 12) due to how VA funding works, that much I know. So 30 a term would be very doable.

Lastly, if your A+, Net+ and Security+ is over 5 years....you're gonna have to do them again. That's WGU policy though and it was like that before CompTIA went all CE on us.

Zislatik

Hello all,

I am starting soon at WGU and I have a few questions. I am going after the BSIT:Network Administration with the idea that It would be easier to get the MCITP:EA Vs. the Cisco Certs on the other side. I start April 1st.

Anyone know if WGU is a Dreamspark participant? And should I wait until I actually start to participate? Does anyone know if they participate in the VMware program? The Adobe program? Just wondering before I go buy stuff. Trying to see what is provided.

Thanks in Advance,

Zis

Pishof

Zislatik wrote: »

Hello all,

I am starting soon at WGU and I have a few questions. I am going after the BSIT:Network Administration with the idea that It would be easier to get the MCITP:EA Vs. the Cisco Certs on the other side. I start April 1st.

Anyone know if WGU is a Dreamspark participant? And should I wait until I actually start to participate? Does anyone know if they participate in the VMware program? The Adobe program? Just wondering before I go buy stuff. Trying to see what is provided.

Thanks in Advance,

Zis

Just going to throw out there, the MCITP:EA is no small endeavour and will likely take the largest amount of work and time to finish compared to the other WGU BS.IT degrees. That is a LOT of MCTS exams you'll be required to take if you don't have any finished already.

Of course, if you have lots of prior experience in a large MS server environment then you'll be more comfortable with the material.

erpadmin

Zislatik wrote: »

Anyone know if WGU is a Dreamspark participant? And should I wait until I actually start to participate? Does anyone know if they participate in the VMware program? The Adobe program? Just wondering before I go buy stuff. Trying to see what is provided.

Thanks in Advance,

Zis

WGU is an MSDN-AA participant, and you can also access Dreamspark with your wgu.edu address (or any *.edu address; you have to have an educational domain to use Dreamspark.)

swild

snapdad wrote: »

Is there some type of matrix available that matches Certifications to WGU Courses?

Online IT Degree | Information Technology Bachelor Degree | WGU College of Information Technology
Choose your degree plan, then at the bottom it says the certs you will earn. Under that is a link for transfer guidelines.

swild

Zislatik wrote: »

Hello all,

I am starting soon at WGU and I have a few questions. I am going after the BSIT:Network Administration with the idea that It would be easier to get the MCITP:EA Vs. the Cisco Certs on the other side. I start April 1st.

Anyone know if WGU is a Dreamspark participant? And should I wait until I actually start to participate? Does anyone know if they participate in the VMware program? The Adobe program? Just wondering before I go buy stuff. Trying to see what is provided.

Thanks in Advance,

Zis

Yes to Dreamspark and VMWare. No to Adobe. You will gain access your 2nd month into the program.

(you get access to VMWare downloads when you are enrolled in a particular course, don't remember which)

snapdad

swild wrote: »

Online IT Degree | Information Technology Bachelor Degree | WGU College of Information Technology
Choose your degree plan, then at the bottom it says the certs you will earn. Under that is a link for transfer guidelines.

Thanks, but I was hoping to find something more like Net+ = Course A, 70-680 = Course B, etc. I'm just curious which classes my certs will satisfy.

Psoasman

Zislatik wrote: »

Hello all,

I am starting soon at WGU and I have a few questions. I am going after the BSIT:Network Administration with the idea that It would be easier to get the MCITP:EA Vs. the Cisco Certs on the other side. I start April 1st.

Anyone know if WGU is a Dreamspark participant? And should I wait until I actually start to participate? Does anyone know if they participate in the VMware program? The Adobe program? Just wondering before I go buy stuff. Trying to see what is provided.

Thanks in Advance,

Zis

You know the B.S. IT: Network Admin includes the CCNA?

SteveLord

erpadmin wrote: »

I only transferred 22 college credits + 6 credits for A+/Network+ for a total of 28 CUs. It took me 1.5 years, shy of a couple of weeks, to complete the BS. Maybe it might have taken me a year, but I wasn't trying to kill myself. 30 CUs a term is quite doable.

Those utilizing GI Bill would have to do a minimum of 18 CUs (as opposed to 12) due to how VA funding works, that much I know. So 30 a term would be very doable.

Lastly, if your A+, Net+ and Security+ is over 5 years....you're gonna have to do them again. That's WGU policy though and it was like that before CompTIA went all CE on us.

Thanks ERP. Good info to know. My oldest cert is A+ from 2008.

erpadmin

SteveLord wrote: »

Thanks ERP. Good info to know. My oldest cert is A+ from 2008.

Whew, you're in the cutoff then! Seriously, you should really consider it. You can always do what I'm doing, and get into a graduate program, in-state. If you can dedicate a few hours a night plus weekends, you can do 30+ CU a term, easy, like I did.

thall860

snapdad wrote: »

Thanks, but I was hoping to find something more like Net+ = Course A, 70-680 = Course B, etc. I'm just curious which classes my certs will satisfy.

If you go to the program page, in the middle is a "click here for a pdf program guide" link. Open that and it will tell you all about the courses and what will satisfy them.

SteveLord

erpadmin wrote: »

Whew, you're in the cutoff then! Seriously, you should really consider it. You can always do what I'm doing, and get into a graduate program, in-state. If you can dedicate a few hours a night plus weekends, you can do 30+ CU a term, easy, like I did.

I showed WGU to my neighbor who works in IT in the private sector. Another JOAT. He was really intrigued by WGU and is already in talks with them. It got me thinking about it again. We could probably motivate each other. I am thinking I would like to sign up and finish in 2 years, so I am degree equipped when I turned 30. Military says I am eligible for 50% tuition through 9/11 GI Bill. I am going to see if I can get my agency to cover the other half. Would be cheaper than having them pay for training courses on this stuff. They're typically supportive of training, so I *think* it's more a matter of "if" they can do it.

N2IT

SteveLord wrote: »

I showed WGU to my neighbor who works in IT in the private sector. Another JOAT. He was really intrigued by WGU and is already in talks with them. It got me thinking about it again. We could probably motivate each other. I am thinking I would like to sign up and finish in 2 years, so I am degree equipped when I turned 30. Military says I am eligible for 50% tuition through 9/11 GI Bill. I am going to see if I can get my agency to cover the other half. Would be cheaper than having them pay for training courses on this stuff. They're typically supportive of training, so I *think* it's more a matter of "if" they can do it.

Can't beat free money.

erpadmin

SteveLord wrote: »

I showed WGU to my neighbor who works in IT in the private sector. Another JOAT. He was really intrigued by WGU and is already in talks with them. It got me thinking about it again. We could probably motivate each other. I am thinking I would like to sign up and finish in 2 years, so I am degree equipped when I turned 30. Military says I am eligible for 50% tuition through 9/11 GI Bill. I am going to see if I can get my agency to cover the other half. Would be cheaper than having them pay for training courses on this stuff. They're typically supportive of training, so I *think* it's more a matter of "if" they can do it.

I used TE as my buddy system...would have been nice, kind of, to have dealt with someone else in real life.

What is sad though is that I'm kind of by myself doing grad school (hence my thread on that subject.) Still, with or without your neighbor, these threads are, without question, the best weapon for getting through classes, and even some quick motivation when you don't feel like moving forward (cause those days happens.)

My advice though is that if you are going for a Network Admin/Network Design Management track, (or any track like Security that isn't the basic IT degree at WGU) is to have a plan of attack for how you're gonna do the big boy exams like the MCTS exams (including the 70-680) and the Cisco exams. Maybe you want to get at least Cisco before you start WGU so you can move forward with the other classes.

Question though...why does it matter that you're "degree equipped by 30"? Is there some special benefit?

SteveLord

erpadmin wrote: »

I used TE as my buddy system...would have been nice, kind of, to have dealt with someone else in real life.

What is sad though is that I'm kind of by myself doing grad school (hence my thread on that subject.) Still, with or without your neighbor, these threads are, without question, the best weapon for getting through classes, and even some quick motivation when you don't feel like moving forward (cause those days happens.)

My advice though is that if you are going for a Network Admin/Network Design Management track, (or any track like Security that isn't the basic IT degree at WGU) is to have a plan of attack for how you're gonna do the big boy exams like the MCTS exams (including the 70-680) and the Cisco exams. Maybe you want to get at least Cisco before you start WGU so you can move forward with the other classes.

Question though...why does it matter that you're "degree equipped by 30"? Is there some special benefit?

A couple things.

30 is when I will probably seriously consider reenlisting in the military and eventually go onto 20 years. (I need 12.) It will be a nice additional retirement paycheck combined with what the state will give me when I get old.

It's also a time when the state is suppose to complete a big IT re consolidation project (Dec 2013, as req by legislation.) All of the pay grades above me require degrees to apply for. So obviously if another opportunity comes up somewhere, the degree will be nice to have in hand.

Finally, the obvious. Personal thing. It will help keep me from getting stale and too comfortable. Lets me study and explore a variety of areas and certifications at the same time.

You're right about TE. I come here multiple times a day and WGU and certs seem like a monkey on my back. The feedback and success stories of people here are always great reads.

bull3t_six

Yesterday I completed my readiness exams. I thought before I took the exams that I had read that my scores would be available to me shortly after I complete them. Now, I am unsure where to find these scores. Anyone know?

coffeeluvr

bull3t_six wrote: »

Yesterday I completed my readiness exams. I thought before I took the exams that I had read that my scores would be available to me shortly after I complete them. Now, I am unsure where to find these scores. Anyone know?

You should get an email from WGU

Psoasman

bull3t_six wrote: »

Yesterday I completed my readiness exams. I thought before I took the exams that I had read that my scores would be available to me shortly after I complete them. Now, I am unsure where to find these scores. Anyone know?

They don't show the scores for the readiness exam, it's just pass / fail. You do, however, see the scores when you do the online proctoring at home.

bull3t_six

Psoasman wrote: »

They don't show the scores for the readiness exam, it's just pass / fail. You do, however, see the scores when you do the online proctoring at home.

Hmm, I haven't received a pass or fail neither. I am not worried though, I feel I did pretty well on the math and language tests.

Hypntick

SteveLord wrote: »

I showed WGU to my neighbor who works in IT in the private sector. Another JOAT. He was really intrigued by WGU and is already in talks with them. It got me thinking about it again. We could probably motivate each other. I am thinking I would like to sign up and finish in 2 years, so I am degree equipped when I turned 30. Military says I am eligible for 50% tuition through 9/11 GI Bill. I am going to see if I can get my agency to cover the other half. Would be cheaper than having them pay for training courses on this stuff. They're typically supportive of training, so I *think* it's more a matter of "if" they can do it.

Having a friend go through the process with you is a nice support option to have. Even though he's going to finish 4-5 months ahead of me, lemonade has been great to bounce ideas off of. We have worked at 2 previous jobs together so it's nice to know someone personally who is going through what you are. If you do decide to start, good luck in the process, it's been great so far!

usagent27

I just started WGU yesterday. I am in the WFV1 IT fundementals 1 course. I really don't have much exposure/experience with HTML/XHTML. i have been studying and taking the pretest and scoring above a 75 every time. every time the area that i get dinged is the HTML/XHTML. for those that have taken the test how accurate is the pretest on the WGU supplied materials to the real exam? I requested the voucher today as i know there is a delay in getting it from WGU and i plan on keep studying. I'm just curious if i am worrying over nothing?

erpadmin

usagent27 wrote: »

I just started WGU yesterday. I am in the WFV1 IT fundementals 1 course. I really don't have much exposure/experience with HTML/XHTML. i have been studying and taking the pretest and scoring above a 75 every time. every time the area that i get dinged is the HTML/XHTML. for those that have taken the test how accurate is the pretest on the WGU supplied materials to the real exam? I requested the voucher today as i know there is a delay in getting it from WGU and i plan on keep studying. I'm just curious if i am worrying over nothing?

If you have any experience with IT, you should do fine on WFV1. Just get the study guide that we've all used over at mcmcse.com and look for 1D0-510. Then go spend some time here to brush up on the HTML: HTML Tutorial

Trust me, you do not need to web developing for a living to pass this exam.....but you have to have at least some IT experience. A lot of A+, Network+, Security+ and a tiny bit of Project+ (though you need to know the CIW's three things that make a successful project...it's not the same as Project+/PMP).

It's doable.

petedude

Hypntick wrote: »

Having a friend go through the process with you is a nice support option to have. Even though he's going to finish 4-5 months ahead of me, lemonade has been great to bounce ideas off of. We have worked at 2 previous jobs together so it's nice to know someone personally who is going through what you are. If you do decide to start, good luck in the process, it's been great so far!

Seeing everyone in these WGU threads is good reinforcement and encouragement. It also helps validate what you're doing-- aka you're not the only one working through a program with this school, there are XX number of students on a well-run professional IT board doing it as well. . .