Student Experiences at Western Governors University (WGU)

TacoRocket

I would like to chime in. I started in November and cannot complain a bit! My mentor is starting to get accustomed to my speed and is working with me all the way through. I am finishing Principles of Management and Business of IT - Project Management. After these are done I will be working on Organizational Behavior and Leadership while I finish Storage+ and MCSA Windows 8. After those are done, I will be working on my Linux+ and then Cisco.

I have 64 CEUs to go.

JamesKurtovich

It sounds like the school needs to hire more people. My SM has over ninety students and was just given a bunch more from another SM that left WGU.

cshkuru

how does that work? if they figure 30 minutes per student per week that is 80 students per week tops.

techfiend

Students who show they have the self-discipline to continue on their own are usually called bi-weekly. My calls usually come in 10-15 minutes late and rarely last 20 minutes. We usually get a lot done on those calls like enrolling in other courses but that's a 5-10 minute task. The rest is just chit-chat.

I agree they could use more student mentors and that's the main reason for the waiting list. I don't think they see it as a high priority as they're unlikely to lose many students due to the waiting list.

cshkuru

I understand that, but they have to budget the time somehow. They can't just say here are 90 students start calling, oh by the way here are 120 more squeeze em in somehow. Well obviously they can, but it's not a very efficient way to run a program, and at some point that system will break down.

techfiend

I think they're budgeted for certain amount of SM's, if one leaves they hire another one. Keep in mind that it's a comfortable but not very lucrative position so people aren't begging to work the position. My SM is busy but has never felt overloaded even when she's asked to take on more students temporarily.

It seems to me like they either could hire more SM's and raise tuition and raise the capacity to avoid a waiting list or continue on with what they're doing. There's good arguments to be made for either.

yellowpad

I feel really slow comparing the guys here. I can only complete 19 CU since July 1st and the term is ending. Completed my C483 tonight.

JamesKurtovich

I'm not sure how many students were given to him. His schedule was already tight before (with the eighty to ninety students), so I can only imagine what it looks like now. He's having to cut the meetings down to fifteen minutes. I've also suggested bi-weekly calls to help ease the load as I feel pretty self-sufficient at this point.

It's not just short check-in meetings either. Some students have issues that need to be worked out.

ImThe0ne

If you show serious progress, they don't bug you or have to keep up with you. I have completed 34 credits since Aug 2015 and haven't spoken with my SM on the phone in over a month. That's the way I prefer it, he will probably call the end of this week to check in and that will be a 2-3 minute conversation of pleasantries and to make sure I don't need anything. Other than that, he approves my preassess and assessments as needed, etc.

yellowpad

holly smoke!!! 34? this is what i call motivation...

ImThe0ne wrote: »

If you show serious progress, they don't bug you or have to keep up with you. I have completed 34 credits since Aug 2015 and haven't spoken with my SM on the phone in over a month. That's the way I prefer it, he will probably call the end of this week to check in and that will be a 2-3 minute conversation of pleasantries and to make sure I don't need anything. Other than that, he approves my preassess and assessments as needed, etc.

cshkuru

actually the student handbook says they have to contact you at least bi-weekly and if you don't have contact for 30 days you will be dis-enrolled. My mentor is quite serious about it. I would prefer to just be left alone myself.

techfiend

Yeah, the main reasons I didn't talk to my mentor for 2 months is she spent a month moving and I kept getting emails that she will be gone next monday, call <mentor> if you have questions.

One thing that I didn't care for was the progress form you were expected to fill out every week. I never filled it out and fortunately they never bothered me about it.

cshkuru

My mentor for my bachelors was great about all that stuff. Laura Creamer - can't say enough good things about her. Masters, we are still developing a relationship.

techfiend

How is the MSITM? That requires three years of corporate IT experience right? It's definitely the most interesting to me and I have to decide soon whether to pursue a masters now or waste 2 months of the bachelors term.

cshkuru

Yeah it was some insane requirement - I had to do a resume review and then argue with them about it. Honestly I am not that impressed yet. I enjoyed the Risk Management course, but Cyberlaw and Current and Emerging Tech are both pieces of s**t. If you can remember to put ISO/IEC 27002:2005 in everything that seems all they are looking for in Cyberlaw. DSL, Fiber and VMs are all emerging tech apparently and require 20 page papers for a CIO to make a decision on what to pursue. (OK I admit that is an exaggeration but not much of one)

IRONY ALERT: LYT2 - Current and Emerging Technologies wants you to submit all your papers in .rtf or .pdf. I am 3/4 tempted to submit in .txt

techfiend

That's pretty disappointing, I thought it was a relatively new masters degree so I was hoping it was pretty solid. Oh well, I can't take it for another two years now, maybe it'll be better by then.

cshkuru

Well don't base all the decision off these 3 classes. Other guys are much further into the program than I am so they can give more insight on upcoming classes, but those two are pretty disappointing.

Eduardv

On the previous SM conversation -

Yes, I don't know how they are able to just "overload" SM's with tons of students. I had asked that question to mine early on, like how many she had and she said 80 was supposed to be the limit but that they generally have more. I'm in the same boat of feeling bad of taking any extra time from her so I try to be as least impeding as possible. It does seem to make them more ineffective as well as the program as a whole going that route.

I also don't understand how they require a Masters to do that job. It seems like a Project Mgmt/Coordination type of position.

cshkuru

I think most of us here are pretty positive about WGU, even me despite my occasional frustration with some of the individual classes or procedures, but last night I was looking up something or other and came across this blog. My WGU Point of View - Home This woman had a whole different experience. Reading it made me glad that I am in the IT program.

Eduardv

cshkuru wrote: »

I think most of us here are pretty positive about WGU, even me despite my occasional frustration with some of the individual classes or procedures, but last night I was looking up something or other and came across this blog. My WGU Point of View - Home This woman had a whole different experience. Reading it made me glad that I am in the IT program.

LoL, negative Nelly. I am curious if her degree has helped her in anyway.

techfiend

In some states, a masters is required to hold a student facing position in public upper-education. Education requirements are even more stringent in many healthcare positions.

ImThe0ne

cshkuru wrote: »

actually the student handbook says they have to contact you at least bi-weekly and if you don't have contact for 30 days you will be dis-enrolled. My mentor is quite serious about it. I would prefer to just be left alone myself.

So, this is actually if YOU are unable to be contacted, not if they don't contact you. So if they have been calling and emailing for 30 days and you don't reach out to them to let them know you're still alive, then you get un-enrolled.

cshkuru

yeah sorry i didnt mean to say that you would be disenrolled if they failed to contact you. poor wording on my part.

gespenstern

BSIT Security, doing labsim questions on IT fundamentals, so funny to see questions on floppy disks, IRQ levels, rambus and other types of prehistoric memory, BTX, DSL and modems, SCSI and hold your breath, Vesa Local Bus (last time I saw that thing was in AFAIR 1993). They must be preparing me to be a musem custodian...

Disappointed by not seeing questions on punchcards, how can you be really fundamental in IT without proper understanding of punchcards is beyond me

TacoRocket

gespenstern wrote: »

BSIT Security, doing labsim questions on IT fundamentals, so funny to see questions on floppy disks, IRQ levels, rambus and other types of prehistoric memory, BTX, DSL and modems, SCSI and hold your breath, Vesa Local Bus (last time I saw that thing was in AFAIR 1993). They must be preparing me to be a musem custodian...

Disappointed by not seeing questions on punchcards, how can you be really fundamental in IT without proper understanding of punchcards is beyond me

You'll see punchcards mentioned in Data Management - Foundations.

darlenealderson

I have an AAS in computer information systems, and A+ as well as N+ certifications and am thinking of transferring to WGU for the software program. My state school has a limit of 90 transfer credits, not sure if WGU has a similar policy in place. I'm thinking the AAS would net me about 60 credits, and maybe another 15 credits for the certs, correct? Could this be too many credits for transfer and cause my application to be rejected? I know I can't know until I apply, but I was wondering if other people had been in this situation previously.

advanex1

Hello all,

Currently have my Net+, Security+, Server+, and CASP. My CCENT/CCNA are expired, but I'm retaking the CCNA exam shortly. I currently have 88 semester hours and an Associates in General Education (a lot of computer based courses). I'm currently deployed and looking to start a Bachelors program. Would you suggest WGU for someone who has fairly slow internet and sometimes has to spend some time away?

In regards to the application process, if I apply and get my credits evaluated - can I end my commitment there if I don't like the amount that is transferred? Any insight would be great.

Thanks.

techfiend

It's very unlikely all the credits will transfer. My AAS covered all but one general and the A+ still only 50 some satisfied. I've never seen someone denied for too many credits.

Internet must be fast enough for video, I think it was 1mbit minimum and must be stable for proctored tests. Away for how long? I took almost 2 months off, my mentor was fine with it. There's a requirement to complete 12 credits in a 6 month term. You also must be in contact with your mentor at least once a month but special arrangements can probably be made.

advanex1

1mbit? Suppose that's not bad. I already pay about $70/mo for 512kbps. Currently in Afghanistan, suppose I could upgrade if needed to. Away for 1-3 weeks at a time.

Appreciate the input, I don't expect everything to transfer like "Orienteering" for example, but I would like to try and maximize before I officially commit.

Appreciate your input, thanks a lot!

Winzer

Currently doing IT Applications after IT foundations and...

I'm astounded by how much stuff there is for the A+ cert. It's a shame it doesn't get much recognition past entry level help desk jobs.