Student Experiences at Western Governors University (WGU)

This thread is intended for students to write about their experiences at Western Governors University.

Please keep it civil, and do not spend your time bashing the school, and its policies. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you have a problem you need to take it up with your professor or mentor. Please no Flaming on this thread.

You can ask for help with a referral (used to avoid paying the application fee) on the following thread: http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/55634-wgu-refer-friend-thread-those-seeking-referral.html

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Nobylspoon

Hypntick wrote: »

Waiting to hear back on HHT1, also QLT1 task 1 is done with. Provided HHT1 comes back fine i'll try and finish out LUT1 and QLT1 this week. Will re-do the pre-assessment for GAC1 tomorrow night. Momentum is gathering!

I've been procrastinating with QLT1. I submitted task 1 a few weeks ago but haven't submitted any others. I really should work on that, lol.

N2IT

Just wanted to throw some information about my experience. So far my only exposure has been to the Human Resources course. So far I am learning quite a bit about HR in general. Writing out all these task have really helped me illustrate and remember the information. I am really learning a lot. Again it's like any school what you put in is what you get out.

Next up is eBusiness and this course the material looks very exciting. I am trying to find that nice mix of speeding up to get task done promptly, but not so fast that I only learn a small percentage of the material. These theories nad practices are very applicable to real world, that's why it's so exciting.

Hypntick

Nobylspoon wrote: »

I've been procrastinating with QLT1. I submitted task 1 a few weeks ago but haven't submitted any others. I really should work on that, lol.

Gonna try and knock out a couple more of those this evening. I need to get as much done as I can before the 25th, go on-call for a week and I can never get any school stuff done when that happens.

Nobylspoon

Hypntick wrote: »

Gonna try and knock out a couple more of those this evening. I need to get as much done as I can before the 25th, go on-call for a week and I can never get any school stuff done when that happens.

My term ends next month so I really need to get that one finished. I have been putting my focus on 70-640/642 this term. I lost 2 months of my term due to my relocation and family emergency at the start of the term so it has been a race to play catch up lately.

Hypntick

Nobylspoon wrote: »

My term ends next month so I really need to get that one finished. I have been putting my focus on 70-640/642 this term. I lost 2 months of my term due to my relocation and family emergency at the start of the term so it has been a race to play catch up lately.

It's not as bad as I thought it would be. I'm pretty much dead against math completely, but the QLT1 tasks aren't super difficult. HHT1 is considerably more complex, at least in my eyes. Took my 2nd pre-assess on GAC1 today, still not a pass, but not far off. Wife will be home tomorrow night, going to work on LUT1, hope to finish this week.

I know i've got one big hurdle in the way of graduation, the 70-680, my book got here this weekend. I am almost MS burnt out from last term at this point. Debating on leaving it for after tech/cap, but I can't think of any good reason why.

Starting to think of what to do after i'm done. I'm eyeballing security as a potential specialization, picked up a half a dozen books on the subject. I have also been tasked with coming up with a mobile device security policy we can present to our clients (work for an MSP) over the next couple of months. Really looking forward to starting my journey down that path.

dt3k

Are any of the books downloadable (PDF, ePub, etc) with our WGU Books24x7 accounts? I know it's possible because I found this: http://documentation.skillsoft.com/bkb/qrc/Books24x7_iPad_QRC.pdf
But I guess they have WGU students blocked.

swild

I'm pretty sure it has to do with the level of account purchased with books24x7. WGU pays for the online only account. I never used books24x7 very much because I prefer have the physical book in front of me.

Hypntick

Waiting to hear back on the last 3 tasks for QLT1 and my revision to HHT1. Task stream is being slower than usual. At this point, that's my only gripe and it's just me being impatient really. Just asked my mentor to add IWT1 to my AAV and had her send me some resources for tech/cap. Trying to use a lot of this momentum as ABV1 is going to slow me down a bit.

erpadmin

Hypntick wrote: »

Waiting to hear back on the last 3 tasks for QLT1 and my revision to HHT1. Task stream is being slower than usual. At this point, that's my only gripe and it's just me being impatient really. Just asked my mentor to add IWT1 to my AAV and had her send me some resources for tech/cap. Trying to use a lot of this momentum as ABV1 is going to slow me down a bit.

I've always noticed that after the middle of any given month, Taskstream tends to be slower than when stuff is handed in in the beginning of the month. If it's the end of the month, be prepared to wait the entire five business days before you hear anything else....reinvest that time into another course or play some solataire or something.

Nobylspoon

dt3k wrote: »

Are any of the books downloadable (PDF, ePub, etc) with our WGU Books24x7 accounts? I know it's possible because I found this: http://documentation.skillsoft.com/bkb/qrc/Books24x7_iPad_QRC.pdf
But I guess they have WGU students blocked.

I don't think the option is available with the WGU accounts. I have a WGU account and an account through work and the download option is only available on my work account.

demonfurbie

i just use the mobile site .... it works well on tablets, phones ect ect

N2IT

Just wanted to post that I am the return task king. It seems every paper I submit gets rejected with positive comments. Then I fix a few things and return it back in and all is well. Is this common, it's kind of annoying putting a ton of effort into something and then getting it returned.

A lot and more are subjective terms, right?

erpadmin

N2IT wrote: »

Just wanted to post that I am the return task king. It seems every paper I submit gets rejected with positive comments. Then I fix a few things and return it back in and all is well. Is this common, it's kind of annoying putting a ton of effort into something and then getting it returned.

A lot and more are subjective terms, right?

Stupid question....Are you following the rubric?

You want to not only perform the task that is given, but make sure that you are following the rubric in Taskstream very closely. What I would do too is put in the comments what I've done and how it matched the rubric. (Brief comments...not a rewrite of your paper.)

I think we've all gotten stuff back at least once. Some courses it would be a breeze, others, not so much.

N2IT

I do print them out and attach them to the task directions so they are always handy. I like how you are calling out parts of your document with balloon or notes in Word. I may have to end up doing that. It's not that I missing anything big it's just more elaboration or more detail into a process. And the most frustrating part is it's usually just one area not several.

Thanks for the reply

erpadmin

N2IT wrote: »

I do print them out and attach them to the task directions so they are always handy. I like how you are calling out parts of your document with balloon or notes in Word. I may have to end up doing that. It's not that I missing anything big it's just more elaboration or more detail into a process. And the most frustrating part is it's usually just one area not several.

Thanks for the reply

No, not in Word. I'm talking about the comment section in Taskstream when you upload a task.....

demonfurbie

N2IT wrote: »

Just wanted to post that I am the return task king. It seems every paper I submit gets rejected with positive comments. Then I fix a few things and return it back in and all is well. Is this common, it's kind of annoying putting a ton of effort into something and then getting it returned.

A lot and more are subjective terms, right?

i got almost all my stuff back at least once

TLeTourneau

N2IT wrote: »

Just wanted to post that I am the return task king. It seems every paper I submit gets rejected with positive comments. Then I fix a few things and return it back in and all is well. Is this common, it's kind of annoying putting a ton of effort into something and then getting it returned.

A lot and more are subjective terms, right?

Have you looked to see if there are FAQ's for the task also? If they are available for the task they often have a good outline of what TaskStream is looking for.

N2IT

Thanks a lot ERP, Demon, and T for the replies. All very good replies and I will incorporate the suggestions and document (in my head) about returned task.

Raidersfan81

I haven't had any Tasks returned back to me yet out of 5 courses for any reasons. I just followed the Rubric very closely like Erp mentioned and went over my work when I was done with the task to check it against the rubric. I also look over all my work to make sure I dont leave out that little tiny thing they are asking for that I forgot to do to avoid returns. So far its working. I'm sure I'll get one returned before its all said and done though.

erpadmin

briandy81 wrote: »

I haven't had any Tasks returned back to me yet out of 5 courses for any reasons. I just followed the Rubric very closely like Erp mentioned and went over my work when I was done with the task to check it against the rubric. I also look over all my work to make sure I dont leave out that little tiny thing they are asking for that I forgot to do to avoid returns. So far its working. I'm sure I'll get one returned before its all said and done though.

I just want to point out that a good number of times, I just Hailed Mary my assignments and hoped for the best (ususally cause I was so pressed for time). Sometimes it was a touchdown, sometimes it was an incomplete. When I got those incompletes, I was able to do it again for a completed pass (in both senses...lol); revisions were always only 2nd and 10.

Still, following the rubric as best as possible (and with calm and patience) is always the preferred way though.

Hypntick

And QLT task 5 came back. Never fails when I have something kicked back, it's always to late to contact a course mentor for clarification. Oh well, LUT1 task 1 submitted.

erpadmin

Hypntick wrote: »

And QLT task 5 came back. Never fails when I have something kicked back, it's always to late to contact a course mentor for clarification. Oh well, LUT1 task 1 submitted.

Which one did you choose to do? Amusement park?

Hypntick

erpadmin wrote: »

Which one did you choose to do? Amusement park?

Zoo, but close enough

Hypntick

HHT1 is done, woo! Need to revise QLT1 task 5 and re-submit for that win. Submitted LUT1 task1 last night, waiting on that. Guess i'm gonna hit up IWT task 1 this evening.

Realized that if I continue at this pace, I could be done by June.

Raidersfan81

Hypntick wrote: »

Zoo, but close enough

lmaooo, I just finished that class as well. Used Disneyland.

petedude

erpadmin wrote: »

I just want to point out that a good number of times, I just Hailed Mary my assignments and hoped for the best (ususally cause I was so pressed for time). Sometimes it was a touchdown, sometimes it was an incomplete. When I got those incompletes, I was able to do it again for a completed pass (in both senses...lol); revisions were always only 2nd and 10.

Still, following the rubric as best as possible (and with calm and patience) is always the preferred way though.

So you Hail Mary'd 'em too, huh?

erpadmin

petedude wrote: »

So you Hail Mary'd 'em too, huh?

Honestly, how can you not? Though I'll tell you what, Hail Mary or not, you learn not how to write a good paper, but how to write one quickly and worth an A. The only thing WGU taught me how to do in terms of writing a paper was how to do it in APA format...but synthesizing it and all of that...that was just high school stuff...I was always a good paper writer; regardless of what the topic is. If I can comprehend it, I can write about it.

The proof of that is in the quality of my papers from my current AACSB professors (whose styles are like night and day in regards to teaching.) The articles I've had to analyze and then opine about them...my favorite papers that I've had to write thus far was about "Blue Badge" land [Microsoft.] The second was an extra credit piece I had to write for my other class about two articles (which I'm gonna share sometime soon in my grad school thread). That one got a "this was the best one" from my professor...everyone else who did that extra credit did poorly.

But courses like LAT1 will help those whose paper-writing/research skills are on the weak side. Mind you, I'm not using running heads, or writing papers in bubbles, but everything else will help one out for grad school. However, I have kept APA formatting to write my papers. I did hate APA initially, but WGU got me used to it.

If a professor wants another format, he'll say so in his syllabi.

NOLAJ

Ok guys, tell me about Technical Writing(TWA1) and Capstone Project(CPW2). What to expect, what they entail, etc.

Hypntick

NOLAJ wrote: »

Ok guys, tell me about Technical Writing(TWA1) and Capstone Project(CPW2). What to expect, what they entail, etc.

I second this question. Getting mighty close myself.

Melika635

GUT1 is on the books! Started writing my TWA1 paper while waiting on Taskstream. All I have left now is TWA1, CPW2, and ABV1!!! I can smell graduation, its so close!