Student Experiences at Western Governors University (WGU)

Cold Titanium

Phew...just powered through KET1...Spent about 4 days going through the WGU material until I figured out that it was a waste of time. Task 1 took me about a day and I coded through the night to get Task 2. I think I put about 8 hours of straight coding and reading to get Task 2. Got all 4's

I'm dreading KFT1 though...is it that much harder?

Hypntick

FXT2 task 1 submitted. Rough weekend at work took a lot out of me. Hope to start in and finish task 2 by Friday evening, with task 3 being completed over the weekend. On the plus side, task 1 was my last PowerPoint!

boredgamelad

Cold Titanium wrote: »

Phew...just powered through KET1...Spent about 4 days going through the WGU material until I figured out that it was a waste of time. Task 1 took me about a day and I coded through the night to get Task 2. I think I put about 8 hours of straight coding and reading to get Task 2. Got all 4's

I'm dreading KFT1 though...is it that much harder?

I didn't think it was as bad as a lot of people said. I got freaked out by some of the discussion on here about KFT1 but that mostly served to psych me out.

As long as you stick to the requirements for task 4 and don't overthink the documentation, I honestly think KFT1 is not much harder than KET1.

tekalon

boredgamelad wrote: »

I didn't think it was as bad as a lot of people said. I got freaked out by some of the discussion on here about KFT1 but that mostly served to psych me out.

As long as you stick to the requirements for task 4 and don't overthink the documentation, I honestly think KFT1 is not much harder than KET1.

For me the first three tasks of KFT1 are pretty easy (pretty much write up a code, work with your partner then write a response on the experience, if you really want to play the system, don't even write a code, just write up 'what you learned' from past team work. The other two are research/write code and present the research/code.). The hard one is the task 4, but mainly since it combines what you have been doing with Java (simple part) with mySQL. Learning and combining isn't that hard, but requires that extra thought. I agree with above, don't over-think the assignment, just sit down and do it, if you have questions on 'what are they asking for?' review the grading requirements and then decide on your own. I've asked the course mentors 'do they want x or y' and they would give me vague answers that pretty much repeated the requirements, so stick with the basic requirements and you'll be fine.

TLeTourneau

Rough term for me, my wife was diagnosed with cancer and had to have surgery. After that I had surgery and then my brother had to have brain surgery and then my wife had a severe gallbladder attack and had to have that removed and was readmitted a few days later hospitalized for a week due to an e.coli infection in her abdomen and a partially collapsed lung. I have a month left and finally completed GAC1 and still need to try and get QLT1, HHT1, SST1, LAT1 & LUT1 done. I'm not going to make all of that I know but if I can get one of them done I'll still be in good standing and be OK for my scholarship. That's only because WGU requires a minimum of 3CU's a term completed. I'm going to focus on QLT1 or HHT1 I think. So anyway, it's been a fun term.

demonfurbie

i hope things get better for ya... ya can prob knock out orc1 quickly

Hypntick

Taskstream shocked me with how fast they got back to me, less than 24 hours and task 1 for FXT2 is done. Just submitted task 2, so hopefully by tomorrow afternoon i'll hear something back. I am not looking forward to task 3 at all, some of the forms and documentation required seem quite time consuming. My goal of finishing up by the end of the weekend is in sight for this class, then on to the capstone!

Jasiono

I haven't used taskstream yet. Anyone know why my cursor doesn't go to the next line when I push enter when posting on these forums?

PurpleIT

Jasiono wrote: »

I haven't used taskstream yet. Anyone know why my cursor doesn't go to the next line when I push enter when posting on these forums?

I have had that issue intermittently; a reboot fixed it (step #1, even before checking the cables).

Jasiono

Its been like this for 2 weeks now and im very strict about turning my laptop off when not in use. Must be the browser.

arwes

Finished BNC1 last night, improved from a 55% on the preassessment to 69% on the final. My mentor approved me for BHV1, and the material is still somewhat fresh from my cramming for the 70-649 upgrade exam, so I'll probably do some quick review today & tomorrow and attempt the preassessment on Sunday.

Jasiono

^
Good luck!

Hypntick

Hypntick wrote: »

Taskstream shocked me with how fast they got back to me, less than 24 hours and task 1 for FXT2 is done. Just submitted task 2, so hopefully by tomorrow afternoon i'll hear something back. I am not looking forward to task 3 at all, some of the forms and documentation required seem quite time consuming. My goal of finishing up by the end of the weekend is in sight for this class, then on to the capstone!

Yeah someone gave a serious speed boost to task stream, another task graded and done. I'm digging this under 24 hour turn around time.

xagreus

Thanks for all the experiences and advice, everybody. I've also decided to take the plunge - in my case, with WGU's IT-Network Admin program.

Are there many of you on that track? Any advice before I get started?

xocity

Admin track isnt that bad, accept that the ccna and the mcsa will take you an entire semester in itself, maybe more. Im actually switching to the security track and going to do the MCSA on my own time. Benefir from Network Admin Track is that you dont have to take the 2 dreaded programming classes everyone hates. If you have microsoft experience and prior knowlege to the Server 08 certs or already have them, I would pick network admin hands down. If not, It will just take so much time (assuming you dont just **** the examp) to learn it for it to outway cost. Semester costs ~3k. For ~$1500 I can but me a nice computer for VMs, a Cisco lab and pay for the certs and books and finish the MCSA in the 6 months with the right amount of dedication and focus of course.

Then again, WGU does give you a time limit with the course meaning you have until the end of the semester to finish the given class, and with that time limit comes preassure , with that pressure one tends to focus harder on a subject (atleast with me its like that) so maybe WGU would be that extra "pressure" you need to learn.

Overall the WGU experience been good and the resources provided for each class are decent. Ask yourself if your truly willing take that much time and focus to learn the MCSA certs (they are no joke, they are really tough certs) and do it in the given time and still make it worth doing it. If you can, then go for it!

Hypntick

I did the network admin track, didn't have to do the CCNA, only CCENT. With a good bit of prior Cisco experience, that wasn't bad at all. The MS tests were a beast, took me 4 months to do all 3 of them, with a single failure on the 642. I really enjoyed the program though, with transfer stuff, took me 1 year and 4 months to complete.

bub9001

I just finished WGU up and didn't do the Network Admin. I wanted to but I knew it would add another Term onto my time there. And I knew that I could do the CCNA on my own, and on the cheap. Hope all plays out well after you get your Degree.

Bundiman

I am so excited I final get to start my degree. All ready have my WFV1 and CLC1 cleared for scheduling.

xocity

Just passed INC1. Exam is long and boring but doable if you just do some light reading and study for like a week. Im off to do Cisco ICND1. Told my mentor I want to get this done before they change to the new exam Sept 30th. Already got some Equipment on the way.

Hypntick

Task 3 for FXT2 has been submitted, now we play the waiting game.

Edit: The taskstream graders are amazing me this term, less than 12 hours to get my score back. FXT2 is done! Just emailed my mentor on adding LQT2 (Capstone) to my current term. Hope to finish that up quickly, i've already got the groundwork for it done. 70% done according to CU count.

xagreus

@xocity, Hypntick, & bub9001-


Thanks for the info re: WGU's BS-IT Network Admin. Not sure if I'll go with that or the Security track, but I'm better informed now. Much appreciated!!

hoelschera

Can I get a WGU referal as well. albert hoelscher at yahoo

Nemowolf

DFV1 completed. Thank god. Did not like this class at all.

PurpleIT

Nemowolf wrote: »

DFV1 completed. Thank god. Did not like this class at all.

Yeah, that one sucked. Not so much because the test was hard, but the material was all over the place and I never really knew why I was doing what I was doing in that class. IMHO replacing that class would be a good thing; not just because I disliked it, but more because it is hard to see how it added value to my education.

Jasiono

I feel like gouging my eyes out. I can't stand this humanities course. 3 days in at roughly 45% complete.

Psoasman

I didn't find the humanities difficult, but there is a large amount of information to absorb. I would study throughout the day, in small time periods, rather than a few hours at a time. The pre-assessment exams are quite helpful for this course.

Jasiono

Too much terminology for my liking. I apologize if I keep reiterating about the topic all day, but WHY. The only thing I have found interesting so far is the cinema. I'm downloading all the PDF reviews at the end of each section. They seem to be useful to read before the exam.

nosoup4u

Well failed my first attempt at 70-642, wont get a retake before this term ends so it'll just have to show as not complete for a while...

In a predicament, probably wont pass the remaining three exams before July so I need to probably change over to network admin track.

Life goes on

Hypntick

Ouch, sorry to read that. 70-642 was the one that I failed as well, the way that MS wants you to do networking is mind boggling to me. Sorry to hear that you'll have to change tracks and won't be able to finish. If you do go for a re-test, good luck on it, it's a beast of a test.

nosoup4u

Thanks I'm planning retest in late May once I get switched over to network admin and knock out a few easy classes to get my head right