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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forza_roma

forza_roma wrote: »

For those that have already graduated from WGU with a "BS in IT" no emphasis, can you please share your experiences on what courses you took first and how you planned out your degree? I have no prior IT experience. Below is a table outlining the courses I have to complete. Using the table below what would be your preference or choice on how to plan out the syllabus?

I will be starting 1st week of September. Since I already had a bachelors degree non IT related, I was able to clear 45 CU, which means 77 CU is needed to graduate? Thanks!!!

CODE
ASSESSMENT TITLE

WFV1
IT Fundamentals I

EAV1
It Fundamentals II

EBV1
It Fundamentals III

EUP1
Project in Web Development Fundamentals

EUC1
Web Development Fundamentals

CUV1
Web Tech

DHV1
Windows OS Fundamentals

D1V1
Windows Server Admin Fundamentals

CWV1
Network Fundamentals

CRV1
Networks

DJV1
Software Development Fundamentals

BOV1
Web Programming

DEV1
Security Fundamentals

CTV1
Security

TXP1
Project in Intro to Programming

TXC1
Introduction to Programming

BNC1
Organizational Behavior and Leadership

TYP1
Project in Intro to OO design and development

TYC1
Intro to OO Design and Development

R1T1
Leadership Concepts and applications

TPV1
Project Management

Principles of Management

SBT1
Technical Writing

IT Capstone Written Project

Anybody? thx

Sirbloody

Whelp, just passes CLC1. The exam was way different then the pre-assessment I took, a pass is a pass though.

nerdinhiding

I'm taking CLC1 on Friday. I'm nervous about it. I find that class very dull and challenging to read.

kyper

I'm due to begin at WGU on the first of August. Today was the first day I logged on via the student portal...one of the first things I did was look over some past capstone projects. Some were fairly impressive - network installations, database migrations, corporate website development projects, etc. What surprised me was that all of them were real world projects. On a related note, I've also read comments from people on these boards who have drawn upon recent projects in their workplace in order to complete the capstone.

Say you don't have a business of your own, i.e., no actual client to do any type of project work for. Let's also suppose that your job - if you have one - has not afforded you the type of real world experience that you might use as the basis for your project. What are your options in terms of completing this assignment? Can you write a research paper related to your chosen course of study? My guess is no as that does not really fit the description of a 'project'. Do you simply come up with an idea for a fictitious client or company with a 'business need' and build a project around it? Does your mentor give you a handful of topics if you're in this type of situation? How does it work?

I'm asking about this now because I only need something like 38 credits to do this degree and I'm curious to hear about others' experiences.

Bundiman

I am being asked by my mentor to wait until the next semester to take QLT1. She is saying it is going from 5 task to 2-3 task. Has anyone seen the new rubric to verify this? Thanks

kgb

kyper wrote: »

...
Do you simply come up with an idea for a fictitious client or company with a 'business need' and build a project around it? Does your mentor give you a handful of topics if you're in this type of situation? How does it work?
...

I was fortunate enough to use a current work software project for mine. However, I knew people that did exactly what you state there. Create a client with a business need and provide the result.

Melika635

**Peeks in the door**
Hiiiiiii.... not sure how many of you will remember me, but I'm back!!! I graduated 11 months ago with my BS IT, and wouldn't you know it... I'm already back for my Masters! I'm targeting a 9-1-2013 start for the MBA-ITM. The cool thing is, my husband is also starting 9-1 for his M.Ed. Instructional Design. We have a 4 and 7 year old, so we are hoping to actually walk the stage together when all is said and done!

Don't really have any questions yet... just sent in my application today, but wanted to say hi and re-introduce myself! I see a few remaining familiar faces!

M

Sirbloody

nerdinhiding wrote: »

I'm taking CLC1 on Friday. I'm nervous about it. I find that class very dull and challenging to read.

CLC1 is so dull and boring, I was had a major issue doing the exam just because it was so different from the pre-assessment.

Psoasman

@Melika - welcome back! Good luck on your MBA.

jober

I posted this in the WGU Questions and Answers thread as well. I apologize if I shouldnt put it here as well.

Long time since I have posted but have a question for you all out there. This may seem like a dumb question but it really has me anxious. When accepting award package for financial aid at WGU, I accidently clicked on a wrong answer. Below is the question.

Do you want to be awarded federal student loans?
Accept recommended loans

I wanted to accept a little more than what my total tuition was for upcoming educational expenses(time to upgrade laptop, additional study resources, etc...). My financial aid award letter arrived today with just enough to cover tuition. Is this something that the fin aid office can reverse? I cant believe that I was so careless in my actions in clicking the wrong item.

I appreciate your answers in advance. Thank you. This is such a great forum.

jariners

Just wanted to say thanks for the thread, it has inspired me to apply!

srabiee

jariners wrote: »

Just wanted to say thanks for the thread, it has inspired me to apply!

Awesome! This forum also inspired me to enroll. I'm 2 months in and loving it so far.

Good luck!

jariners

I am typically a traditional college kind of guy, but I think this might be better for me. I found this forum searching for codes to get the free application but I found a treasure trove that helped me finally decide it was for me.

sleepingturtle

After spending over a year with DeVry, I found the course structure was too restrictive due to my insane schedule. I literally work 1 week 24/7 then off the following. On the weeks I have work I found it nigh impossible to keep up. When I am off, no issues and I usually end up getting my coursework done quickly. After reading what everyone posted, WGU sounds like it would be a much more appropriate fit.

Sbancr1

I talked to a councelor today and she said that through tomorrow if you havn't found a application fee waiver wgu25k will work but it expires tomorrow at the end of the day. I'm not sure if this helps you but I hope it does

good luck

Ruminus

I've started the application process at WGU, but my handy dandy enrollment councilor seemed decidedly unhappy I had displayed the nerve to call her instead of waiting for her to call me. I dearly hope they're not all this flaky. At least I know one of the FA's personally, so that should help.

Ruminus

Sbancr1 wrote: »

I talked to a councelor today and she said that through tomorrow if you havn't found a application fee waiver wgu25k will work but it expires tomorrow at the end of the day. I'm not sure if this helps you but I hope it does good luck

Sadly, it did indeed expire.

I always miss these things by a day or two. Oh well, onward and upward! I have to finish out this loan period to get off the hook with University of Phoenix anyway, so I guess a little delay won't hurt anything.

Danielm7

Ruminus wrote: »

I've started the application process at WGU, but my handy dandy enrollment councilor seemed decidedly unhappy I had displayed the nerve to call her instead of waiting for her to call me. I dearly hope they're not all this flaky. At least I know one of the FA's personally, so that should help.

If it's of any help at all, my own experience and many others that I've read about is that the ECs are the worst part of WGU. Should be much smoother once you get past them.

SteveJ16

I also had a really nasty encounter with the ECs, thankfully now that I'm actually working through school at WGU it really is a nice program/layout. The only annoyance for me now is the weekly mentor calls (I don't need a cheerleader to pursue my own education thank you very much).

Good luck!

amcnow

After a while, you can request the mentor calls occur every 2 weeks. It's still an annoyance, but gives you a bit more of a breather.

Haunt

For those WGU students who have taken and passed the Windows 7 certification exam, do you feel the MOAC course material provided by WGU was enough to prepare you for the real exam?

I've never taken a Microsoft exam and from what I've heard they're really hard so I'm a little concerned about whether the WGU learning resource is enough. I already have a lot of experience with W7 from the workplace so a lot of it came natural to me and I've made my way through the learning resource pretty quickly and am getting close to being done. I've also labbed a lot of it on my own with VM's.

Did you guys have to use other outside learning materials to help you fully prepare for the exam or was WGU's enough? Any of you pass first try with just using WGU's materials only?

Hypntick

Even though i'm now certain to go into another term due to work issues popping up, I have to take my G2700 by "Your attempt will expire on Friday, October 18, 2013 11:59 PM UTC." So around 8 pm local time. Really need get on the ball with this thing, but unfortunately at the rate this project at work is going, I don't foresee it wrapping up until the end of the year. Seriously debating on transferring into the new ISA program that doesn't require the G2700 and uses the internal test, just not sure what I should do.

demonfurbie

Hypntick wrote: »

Even though i'm now certain to go into another term due to work issues popping up, I have to take my G2700 by "Your attempt will expire on Friday, October 18, 2013 11:59 PM UTC." So around 8 pm local time. Really need get on the ball with this thing, but unfortunately at the rate this project at work is going, I don't foresee it wrapping up until the end of the year. Seriously debating on transferring into the new ISA program that doesn't require the G2700 and uses the internal test, just not sure what I should do.

if i could get out of that test i would

amcnow

The GIAC certification renewal process is one thing to keep in mind. It will cost 36 CMUs and (at minimum) $399 every 4 years to renew 1 GIAC cert. If you don't plan on maintaining it, then the new MSISA program is your best bet.

wdwiz4

This thread/website has been a great source of information and motivation.

Hypntick

@amcnow I was told by my mentor last night that it now does allow the use of notes. I think i'll clarify that with him today just to be sure, because that is a bit of a consideration. Although there has yet to be a test that WGU offered that wasn't a cake walk, so even closed book I don't think I would be concerned.

amcnow

The change of heart doesn't surprise me. It makes little sense to offer a closed notes alternative to an open notes exam.

I reached out to my mentor and informed her of my intention to go for the G2700 certification this coming term. I plan to sit for the exam sometime in January. While the renewal process is expensive, the cert may come in handy in the future.

What I'm not looking forward to is the capstone. Thankfully, that's another problem for another term.

Hypntick

The capstone isn't as large of a beast as it seems. Sure it's a 50+ page paper, but it's a 50+ page paper on something that you want to write about, which makes things much easier. Although I did have a bit of a leg up by expanding on my undergrad capstone, after all was said and done, another 40 pages of new material, plus the 28 edited things from the undergrad. The most daunting part was the oral defense, until you realize that it's not a terribly formal situation. It's more of a peer review on your capstone, with a few questions thrown in from other mentors. Heck over half the time I spent during mine was in a discussion about social engineering with one of the mentors, so it was more like talking to a few colleagues rather than mentors. I know you'll knock it out pretty easily.

As for the G2700, in my line of work (managed services) the value is less. Even more so with the direction I am looking to go which is into vulnerability assessment and consulting for SMBs. The majority of clients I would even come across would have no need or budget for ISO, and going after the CISSP will give me what I need in the policy development realm, as well as being more well known.

gunbunnysoulja

Passed my 1st exam today, MGC1. It was much easier than I anticipated, so I apparently spent way longer than needed. Off to study TPV1 (Project+).

Lugz

Currently enrolled at American Public University following the Information Systems Security degree path. This is my 2nd semester, and I've established that I do not want to be a security professional. Quite frankly it's boring as hell, and I have no way to really practice what I'm learning. Everything is theory...everything. The labs are nothing more than point and click affairs, with no explanation or overview of why I'm doing the things I'm doing in the lab.

So I'm now fully committed to switching over to WGU, hopefully beginning in November. I want to do the Software emphasis Degree path, but I have a couple questions.

1: I have zero programming experience...none. I did some self taught HTML/CSS stuff a couple years ago, but nothing close to real programming languages. Do I stand a chance? Does the degree expect me to be an Web Development Master along with 3 or 4 programming languages under my belt?

2: Is the course more "active"? What I mean by that is, that I'm sick and tired of theory. I want to be DOING things.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.