Student Experiences at Western Governors University (WGU)

earweed

jmasterj206 wrote: »

IT Fundamentals I
Languange and Communication:Research
Web Programming
Reasoning and Problem Solving

Hope to knock these out in 2 months and get my science and math done as well this semester.

Shouldn't be any problem for you. Having the A+ and Net+ already WFV1 should be a piece of cake.
For the web programming they have a study guide at mcmcse.com which helped me out a lot. That course is less about actual programming than it is your knowledge of the language.

earweed

I've got my schedule set for next term which starts in September
BHV1 (70-643)
BIV1 (70-647)
TWA1 (Technical Writing)
CPW3 (Capstone)

I'm taking the 70-643 September 7th and will have my TWA1 paper done, hopefully, by then. That just leaves 70-647 (for the MCITP:EA..yaaay) and the Capstone for me to be DONE with my BSIT.
I'm gonna try to get this done before the end of December.
My goals past that are to get some virtualization (MS of course) certs and then some study up on exchange.

erpadmin

I am about 42% done with LAE1. A couple to few hours a night, plus most of Friday, Saturday and Sunday and it should be mostly done. Still waiting for my Webcam, which I was told was sent out already for BBC1. Doing LAE1 should definitely ensure that I pass that.

After a few days of being a WGU student, I definitely have respect for the process. It really is busywork, but when you're done, you would have earned the degree. The good thing is I haven't psyched myself out yet. There will come a time where WGU will have to get done at work, but we're going through an upgrade right now, and that in itself eats up my hours. But the evenings/weekend plan is so far working out.

To everyone else that started, how are you guys holding up?

never2late

erpadmin wrote: »

I am about 42% done with LAE1. A couple to few hours a night, plus most of Friday, Saturday and Sunday and it should be mostly done. Still waiting for my Webcam, which I was told was sent out already for BBC1. Doing LAE1 should definitely ensure that I pass that.

After a few days of being a WGU student, I definitely have respect for the process. It really is busywork, but when you're done, you would have earned the degree. The good thing is I haven't psyched myself out yet. There will come a time where WGU will have to get done at work, but we're going through an upgrade right now, and that in itself eats up my hours. But the evenings/weekend plan is so far working out.

To everyone else that started, how are you guys holding up?

I still haven't started yet. Finally got my transcript appeal accepted for LUT1, which was the stumbling block last week, but my mentor meeting for AAP isn't until Tuesday. I transferred 30 CU's total so I am happy since many warned that an AAS didn't carry much weight with WGU and transferring credit.

Have been following some of the advice here and using the MC MCSE to study the foundations. Also going to w3schools to do some studying this weekend.

My plan is to take the IT Fund 1,2, and 3 and the Natural Sciences this semester then see how it goes after that. Hope to have the foundation courses done in a month.

earweed

Foundations probably wont take you that long with you having an A+, CCNA, and I'm assuming some IT experience. It's a very broad course but not very deep.
Already having the A+, which I'm assuming was too old, IT 2 and 3 should be a breeze. You could probably do it just using the Labsim videos.

erpadmin

never2late wrote: »

I still haven't started yet. Finally got my transcript appeal accepted for LUT1, which was the stumbling block last week, but my mentor meeting for AAP isn't until Tuesday. I transferred 30 CU's total so I am happy since many warned that an AAS didn't carry much weight with WGU and transferring credit.

N2L, if my mentor had it his way, I would have had AAP today, as originally scheduled. I had also contacted one of the EWB mentors the next day after I was done. What I did though was not rush them, or sound like I was rushing them. What I'm guessing is because I was new and excited, they wanted to keep my excitement level up so they didn't sit on my pass for that day or whatever.

When you do AAP, and I'm sure it's still fresh on your mind, definitely concentrate on just taking the courses that will bring you to 12 CUs during the term so that you don't feel like you're pressured. My plan is to do my CUs as quickly as possible and then contact my mentor to add another class (accelerate) if I feel like I'm ready and if it's doable by end of January. You don't want to load up on 20 now and mess up your SAP. EWB was definitely useful, as I did work through the COS to make sure the Is were dotted and the Ts. You really will be doing that a lot when you start.

never2late

earweed wrote: »

Foundations probably wont take you that long with you having an A+, CCNA, and I'm assuming some IT experience. It's a very broad course but not very deep.
Already having the A+, which I'm assuming was too old, IT 2 and 3 should be a breeze. You could probably do it just using the Labsim videos.

I have 10 plus years doing everything from tech to router admin to AD, and my A+ is that old. That is why I gave myself 3 weeks to brush up on the fundamentals. I have read the Myers book to help freshen the brain but most was common sense. The CIW is very broad and I'm not that familiar with HTML but not really concerned since its just memorization. I'll check out the Labsim asap.

erpadmin wrote:

When you do AAP, and I'm sure it's still fresh on your mind, definitely concentrate on just taking the courses that will bring you to 12 CUs during the term so that you don't feel like you're pressured. My plan is to do my CUs as quickly as possible and then contact my mentor to add another class (accelerate) if I feel like I'm ready and if it's doable by end of January. You don't want to load up on 20 now and mess up your SAP. EWB was definitely useful, as I did work through the COS to make sure the Is were dotted and the Ts. You really will be doing that a lot when you start.

The foundations will bring me to 11 by the middle of Sept the latest. Then I'll add the Natural Science one at a time. My goal is 30+ per 6 months but I am realistic in my expectations and won't over extend myself or cause myself undo stress or anxiety. Thanks for the advice though, it is appreciated.

earweed

I've been using the COS for every class since I've been at WGU (almost 2 years) and have found it works pretty well. A lot of people don't use the COS for the IT classes as they usually entail doing a LOT of extra work. I think that extra work has helped me to learn the material a lot better but that's just my opinion.
For the IT classes you have the choice of studying for the cert or treating it like a real college class and following the COS. It's a lot quicker if you just study for the cert.

jmasterj206

Since the WGU site is down here is a question for the Taskstream classes. I am signed up for my research paper Taskstream class and when I sign into Taskstream there is nothing available and it is asking for a code. Do I have to find the code or eventually will the class show up in TS?

themagicone

Your mentor has to load the class into Taskstream for you. For LAT1 (Research paper) there is going to be 2 programs in Taskstream. First is RAT1 and LAT1. RAT1 is 4 items, with LAT1 being the final paper. Get ready to type. By the time I was done with it I was well over 30 pages total.

neuropol

Just had my AAV call. Pretty happy with my mentor. She let me front load the term with IT Fundamentals I,II, and III, along with BBC1. I have an A+ from '98, so I don't think I'll have any problems zipping through them after some review.

I'd like to get the new A+ before the end of the year to avoid any issues with CompTIA. Folks certed for Life, but passing the test after 1/1 will gain the CE endorsement and retain their A+ lifetime cert, but will have to renew every three years still to retain the CE. I really don't want to bother with it ever again.

bwcarty

jmasterj206 wrote: »

Since the WGU site is down here is a question for the Taskstream classes. I am signed up for my research paper Taskstream class and when I sign into Taskstream there is nothing available and it is asking for a code. Do I have to find the code or eventually will the class show up in TS?

Have you clicked the "Schedule Assessment" button for that class in your AAP? That will get the ball rolling for your mentor to open it up for you in Taskstream.

jmasterj206

OK, so I'm getting impatient. I have requested the pre assessment for IT fundamentals I on Thursday and my mentor still hasn't approved it nor is my Taskstream class open yet. We set up the AAV on Thursday. Am I being impatient and this is how it usually works?

earweed

It sometimes takes a few days. As for the preassesment for IT1 don't be disappointed if you score low on it. That thing is very broad. It covers so much material it's not funny. It's not really that hard a course though.
I know you're in a hurry to knock this stuff out but you sometimes have to be a little patient.

petedude

The best thing to do while waiting: Read ahead.

erpadmin

Here's a summary of my 1st week @ WGU:

1) Worked through most of LAE1

2) Received my Security+ materials (LabSim and ILT Certification book)

3) Got my student ID in the mail (really flimsy...should be useful to get student discounts on stuff).

Still waiting for my webcam to come through for BBC1. I plan on taking the LAE1 assessment starting tomorrow and be done by no later than Wednesday (though I'm shooting for sooner). Then will concentrate fully on Sec+ and hope to take the exam by middle to end of September. By the time I get my Sec+ cert, I should be done with the term, though I will, of course, gun for acceleration. I will most likely take another English class and IT Foundations 1.

madmanmuro

Can someone explain why a webcam is needed for some of the courses?

earweed

madmanmuro wrote: »

Can someone explain why a webcam is needed for some of the courses?

It's a new program WGU has where you take the non-IT objective exams at home instead of going to a test center. The webcam is to watch you take the test.
It can also be used for your presentation.

petedude

Over time, it will cost WGU far less to pay someone cheap $$ to watch exams via webcams than it will to send people to proctored testing centers.

powerfool

petedude wrote: »

Over time, it will cost WGU far less to pay someone cheap $$ to watch exams via webcams than it will to send people to proctored testing centers.

It is largely WGU piggy-backing on an existing system that works. Their IT programs include so many existing certifications, and they get a discount (at least in some cases) for the vouchers that they provide. That isn't there cost, beyond the voucher. These proctored exams are at the core of what gives legitimacy to WGU's programs. If you give the impression that they just let people get by without any sense of rigor, the programs will become worthless.

And honestly, they do not have fiscal concerns. They don't have classrooms and large facilities. For the expenses that they have, $2800/semester is actually expensive (just not compared to other online-only programs). I think it would be against the interests of students that have worked hard to lower the cost. If you look at community colleges throughout this country, it is so inexpensive to go to school at these places that many low-income students actually get paid to go to school; combine that with the low bar set for admissions and these schools are packed with student that don't really have any business going to school because they aren't committed to their education and they simply get in the way.

earweed

petedude wrote: »

Over time, it will cost WGU far less to pay someone cheap $$ to watch exams via webcams than it will to send people to proctored testing centers.

There's probably some type of plan to outsource that task. Imagine the opportunity of a stay at home mom or a disabled person unable to work proctoring the test.
On the other hand with the sophistication of facial recognition and related software I can see it one day being totally automated (no people involved in the proctoring) and the software tracking your eye movements. Have the webcam pick up your eyes and your single piece of scratch paper and if your eyes go away from the screen or that paper too often it just cuts you off.

TheDailyMel

I have a friend that lives in SLC who is a proctor for WGU. She's actually a librarian in the SLC library system.

petedude

earweed wrote: »

There's probably some type of plan to outsource that task. Imagine the opportunity of a stay at home mom or a disabled person unable to work proctoring the test. . . .

That's essentially what I meant earlier. You could pay someone minimal wages to watch tests via webcam all day, rather than issuing vouchers whose value include not just proctor wages but some other organization's overhead costs (e.g. Prometric).

earweed

From what thedailymel said WGU is already doing that. Imagine having a parttime job as a proctor..The pay would be low but the work is easy.

jmasterj206

Well I feel like I am finally in the flow...Got my first needs revision from Taskstream!

earweed

That's pretty common. Just try to go with what the rubric specifies. It's a learning process.

themagicone

I love the "Articulation of Response" requirement. I've read the whole explanation for it and I still don't understand it... But anyways, after my first task I learned not to over think the requirements. They make it seem way harder than it is.

erpadmin

Well, I just finished LAE1 with the P-A-S-S! No revisions needed, though that paper admittedly wasn't an A paper (definitely a B paper, but not an A). I was making sure I didn't do any stupid crap like confusing its for it's or there for their. But it wasn't the most persuasive paper I wrote, apparently. I also didn't properly cite web pages (I did cite them, just not "properly"). But overall, I got the "P" and now I will be focusing on getting Security+ once and for all while I wait for my webcam! One thing that shocked me though was how quick I got a grade back. I sent the assignment in at around 2AM EST, give or take an hour. I was going on fumes at that point.

You will be proud though that for my last (body) paragraph, I did use TechExams as one of the primary reasons I chose WGU.

What had helped me with this class was going through COS one by one. The only thing I did not do was the "peer review". But I skimmed/read all the required chapters. LAE1 only cares about the essay you send to TaskStream for grading. But doing the quizes and watching the animations gave me an idea of what the grader would be looking for. I just wanted the topic and start writing/revising away as soon as I was able.

I really am excited....already a week went by and already I just finished a class! Hopefully I can continue the pace by passing Sec+.

If anyone needs help with a paper and needs someone to look it over, feel free to PM me.

earweed

Congrats on getting the big P your first try. They seemed to have improved taskstream since the last time I used it. It sometimes took days for a paper to be graded. Hopefully it'll be that quick when I do my tech writing and Capstone.
That course used to be objective assesment when I took it. You had to go to the testing center and you were presented with possible subjects and you had to write 2 or 3 (I forget, it's been 2 years) essays. You then drove home and waited for your mentor to be given the results which were then forwarded to you. It took around 5 hours to get my results and I was nervous, checking my email every 10 minutes.

erpadmin

I was expecting 3-5 days. Not 5-7 hours...lol. Definitely a nice surprise and is enough to get me to move forward.