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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Comments

JamesKurtovich

I just found out that my co-worker who I referred was recently pulled out of the school. Why? He didn't answer the phone when his SM called.

FACEPALM

Nemowolf

Been a long while since i posted, i need advice and some help. Ive spent the last three months going through the Linux+ 103 exam: C697 class designation. I have only ever scored as high as a 52% on the exam. I feel like ive skated through ever other class compared to learning linux from scratch.

What did you all use to help learn and practice for the exam?

I installed virtual box and its been sitting because i have no idea what to do for "practical" experience using linux as i have next to no interactions with it in my job or personal life.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

plopbangcrash

Nemowolf, 3 months for the 103 is overkill. I felt that the WGU was dry but on point for their practice tests but did not see hardly any actual crossover for the actual test. For what it's worth I also used this with WGU's materials to drill down the switches , etc. http://perso.crans.org/~raffo/books/linux-lpic-guide . You can set up a vm or just install Linux directly to a drive and test drive it for a few weeks , very little of the test relies heavily on a specific Linux distro ( you honestly can do the class without installing if you have good memorization skills) Focus on switches , syntax, commands and make sure when manually entering commands to remember case sensitivity and read carefully as it will usually tell you whether you need the full path , the command , switches, etc.
Remember the actual test needs 500 out of a range of 200-800 so 300/600 .. roughly 50% taking into account some questions are weighted. Keep drilling and it will become second nature.

Nemowolf

plopbangcrash wrote: »

Nemowolf, 3 months for the 103 is overkill. I felt that the WGU was dry but on point for their practice tests but did not see hardly any actual crossover for the actual test. For what it's worth I also used this with WGU's materials to drill down the switches , etc. http://perso.crans.org/~raffo/books/linux-lpic-guide . You can set up a vm or just install Linux directly to a drive and test drive it for a few weeks , very little of the test relies heavily on a specific Linux distro ( you honestly can do the class without installing if you have good memorization skills) Focus on switches , syntax, commands and make sure when manually entering commands to remember case sensitivity and read carefully as it will usually tell you whether you need the full path , the command , switches, etc.
Remember the actual test needs 500 out of a range of 200-800 so 300/600 .. roughly 50% taking into account some questions are weighted. Keep drilling and it will become second nature.

First off, thank you for the response. I actually talked to my mentor today about dropping out so i could take my own time to learn this thing. He talked me off the ledge and im basicaly at the point now where i cant finish anything else before my term ends so im taking the week to just look through my next two classes, python and java, to figure out if im gonna skip it and move to the next class or drop out completely.

Im so wrapped up with work that im putting in about 10 hours a day and trying to balance a normal life on top of. Wish i had a better foundation and did some linux work prior to school but it never came up.

plopbangcrash

No problem! For what its worth. I thought the Python class was fun, I used codeacademy and dropped the videos for the course as they were infuriating and constantly quizzed you on subjects , method, etc he hadn't explained yet and then offers a consolatory " don't worry if you don't get these" afterwards. When you pick up the syntax you should sail through. As for Java , some struggle with this class. It didn't make sense to me until about the 3rd section as they start of with " put this at the beginning of the code , we will get to it in a later chapter" so it took a few chapters before they focused on how you create the files, structure, etc and started off with variables and small code examples first which I found frustrating coming from other languages. AS for your performance objectives , join the first cohort you can , pull down the materials and modify, it is criminally close what is required you just basically have to replace the names with those used in the performance assessment and make a few small changes to what you want the code to generate. On the programming classes with PAs I would start the project right away , work through the course and work on the project at the same time. I usually did the PAs before the OAs.

ssgmun5000

Hello everyone. Just wanted to stop by and say that I started my degree in BS:IT Security on 3/1. Transferred in 30 CUs. So far I am liking it.

T-RAV

ssgmun5000 wrote: »

Hello everyone. Just wanted to stop by and say that I started my degree in BS:IT Security on 3/1. Transferred in 30 CUs. So far I am liking it.

Welcome! I actually just found this thread on WGU. I started the same degree a year ago May and I love it so far. Its pretty gratifying to have actual certs in your hand after a class rather than an extra letter on your transcript.

Word of advise. Dont be afraid to use other materials rather than just the WGU material. Their material is good but it is always a good idea to have material that probably comes at it from a different angle. For instance I also use CBT nuggets.

Good Luck!

JamesKurtovich

I'm getting ready to start my third term. I spent the last 7 months on CCNA.

Nemowolf

Sent my notification to my mentor that i am withdrawing from WGU. Maybe in 6+ months my work/life balance will give me the time i need to dedicate to school.

Christian.

My current degree plan has a course called: "Foundations of College Mathematics – C457", but it seems that course was replaced by another one called "Intermediate Algebra - C463". I'm seeing this one when I check WGU's site, or even on some posts/comments of people that are starting this year.

Any ideas? I was searching yesterday but I didn't find anything. Is foundations harder, easier? Was there something wrong with that course that got replaced? I have to do now Intro to Probability, but after that I will take this course and want to know if I should ask to replace it with the new course, or just leave it as it is.

SteveLord

I have Foundations on my list. Starting on 4/12 actually. Just finished Finite Math and just barely passed it with 69%. Not looking forward to another math course already!

Winzer

How hard is the exam for C255 Intro to Geography?

There's an awful lot of stuff to read and it utterly bores me (not to mention it's irrelevant to IT :P).

Christian. wrote: »

Is foundations harder, easier?

I don't know about the new course, but Foundations is really easy. It's about highschool level. I think it's there just to make sure you remember this stuff before doing College Algebra.

JamesKurtovich

Winzer wrote: »

How hard is the exam for C255 Intro to Geography?

Have you taken the PA? I've heard it's more or less the same in terms of difficulty.

rj1790

Having trouble figuring out which program I should choose. I am thinking of Security because of all the high level certifications that you get. Although, I am not to sure which direction I would like to concentrate on. What do you guys think? BTW just enrolled in the BSIT program but I am unsure of the CIW certs that they include in that degree program.

xengoreth

rj1790 wrote: »

Having trouble figuring out which program I should choose. I am thinking of Security because of all the high level certifications that you get. Although, I am not to sure which direction I would like to concentrate on. What do you guys think? BTW just enrolled in the BSIT program but I am unsure of the CIW certs that they include in that degree program.

I wouldn't call anything in the BSIT - Security high level but the CCNA R/S and Security (which are entry-level) could lead to an intermediate level cert like the CCNP R/S or Security, but only with further significant effort. That being said I'd trade them for the CIW certs any day, but I'm attempting to move into a more advanced networking role.

In my opinion, the CCNA R/S is a solid foundation for anyone to have regardless of their IT specialization, but you could always get this after you are finished.

On the other hand, the CCNA Security is somewhat less immediately useful (but still a good credential). It counts the same for DoD 8570, only satisfying the baseline requirements for IAT II, which the Security+ also does. Additionally, the new version of the test 210-260 is causing some folks headaches when it comes to finding decent study resources. I don't have a good gauge for whether the new test is actually harder than the version it replaced but I strongly suspect it may now be the hardest certification in the degree, now.

If you're getting through the degree pretty quickly, the CIW certs will slow you down the least so you can get on to bigger and better things.

rj1790

Transferred in 33 Units. Official start date June 1st. Can't wait to get started. Can you guys recommend faster ways to finish this degree? Going to be studying 30+ hours a week.

markulous

rj1790 wrote: »

Transferred in 33 Units. Official start date June 1st. Can't wait to get started. Can you guys recommend faster ways to finish this degree? Going to be studying 30+ hours a week.

Don't over-study would be my recommendation. You get to retest for free on both the certs and in-house exams. Try to grasp the overall concepts to get a good enough score on the practice tests to get your vouchers then take it. If you fail, who cares? Just take your time on the test and use the results/experience to pass it the next go. Majority of the time you will pass though.

For papers/essays submitted through Taskstream...My advice for that is to not pull out your air. It's a huge pain. Just ask your mentor for any kind of tip sheets they have for each task so that you can figure out what the evaluators wnat.

rj1790

@Marulous Thanks for the advice!

Looking to start my studies. Do you guys think I have access to the studying material at WGU even though my term starts in June? Can you guys provide resource links if possible thanks!

TomkoTech

You won't get access to the material until you have spoken with your mentor. It's supposed to be the 1st of June but if I recall correctly when I initially started I got access to everything once they opened it up to do the bs intro course which needed to be done the week before.

But your mentor will need to get the degree plan opened up for you so you can choose which classes you are taking that semester to start. Once that is done you should have access to everything in your degree.

Resources are tied to your WGU account. So links wouldn't help you. You wouldn't be able to log in for them.

jimit.desai

Hello,

I am currently deciding on a certification to meet the admission requirements for either BSIT or BSIT-Network degree program. I have a few questions that I would really appreciate your help with:

1. Does anyone know how many credits does each of these certifications are worth? CompTIA A+ / N+ / Security+ / Project+

2. Which entry level certifications worth the most credits would you recommend? CompTIA/Cisco/MTA

3. I am currently in a Non-IT field and going back to school to change careers. I would like out of my current role and in some kind of IT field asap. Which certifications should I start with to move jobs without any prior IT experience? It would it would also be helpful if you would suggest a progression of suggested certifications. I am thinking - CompTIA A+ >> Net+ >> Sec+ >> Project+

Thank you very much for your time and assistance,

Jimit.

TheChameleon

The student handbooks show the transfer credits, scroll to the bottom and you have links to the PDFs which will show the credits:

http://sh.wgu.edu/articles/StudentHandbook/2888/?q=transfer+guidelines&l=en_US&fs=Search&pn=1

jimit.desai wrote: »

Hello,

I am currently deciding on a certification to meet the admission requirements for either BSIT or BSIT-Network degree program. I have a few questions that I would really appreciate your help with:

1. Does anyone know how many credits does each of these certifications are worth? CompTIA A+ / N+ / Security+ / Project+

2. Which entry level certifications worth the most credits would you recommend? CompTIA/Cisco/MTA

3. I am currently in a Non-IT field and going back to school to change careers. I would like out of my current role and in some kind of IT field asap. Which certifications should I start with to move jobs without any prior IT experience? It would it would also be helpful if you would suggest a progression of suggested certifications. I am thinking - CompTIA A+ >> Net+ >> Sec+ >> Project+

Thank you very much for your time and assistance,

Jimit.

mzx380

PCTechLinc wrote: »

Steelodon,
I am currently wrapping up my Master's in IT Security with them. I have one regular "class" to finish, then do my Capstone Project. I knew for a fact that I wanted to take the Master's course after finishing my BS in Network Administration with them. I consider attaining my two EC-Council certifications (CEH and CHFI) the greatest part of the program so far. I plan on taking 6 months off educationally after I complete this program to renew some certifications in Microsoft and Cisco, then re-enrolling with them for the MBA in IT Management. There isn't much I could say badly about them; I've had great experiences with them. Just let me know if you have additional questions.

I'd like more information on this if you can spare it. I'm thinking about applying to WGU for their masters program

iaslam18

Hi Jimit,

Were you able to find out how many credits does each of these certifications are worth?

Please let me know.

MA

jimit.desai

iaslam18 wrote: »

Hi Jimit,

Were you able to find out how many credits does each of these certifications are worth?

Please let me know.

MA

yep, yep.. Here they are:

A+ = 8 CU (credits)
Net+ = 4 CU
Security+ = 4 CU
Project+ = 6 CU

lboog

Hello,

I'm interested in attending WGU however I'm unsure of exactly which program to pick. I'd like to get as many credits for my cert as possible. I current have an associates degree in Liberal Arts and a MS certification. MCTS SQL 2008 70-448. IF anyone can tell me what the best route would be and what credits this would take the place of would be helpful. Added Note: I'm also in the medical field.

thanks

TheReceiver

So far I have been making good progress.

I would have to say that my student mentor is useless however, she sounds more like a salesman than giving me straight information.

Business of IT course mentors have yet to reply to emails for about a week. Which is killing me, I am not working now, so wasting this amount of time to get approved for the C179 exam is mind boggling.

Especially so since the course itself seems so far removed from reality I cant help myself when I make mistakes.

iaslam18

Hello everyone,

I will be enrolled in WGU for BSIT. Does anyone know how many Performance Assessments and Objective Assessments are there. I know for certifications will have go at pearson vue testing centers.

Any idea would be appreciated.

lboog

Hello,

Quick questions..when looking at the transfer credit guide, am I correct in assuming when it states "Sql Server 2008/2012", they mean either a cert in sql 2008 OR sql 2012 will give you class credit or do they mean you need a cert in both 2008 and 2012 to gain class credit?

Someguy412

Anyone here get the M.S. in Cyber Security? Thoughts? What were the classes like? How long did it take to finish?

Winzer

If I were to pass the CCNA on my own during a term break, will they credit the 2 courses required when I come back? (And yes, I understand that WGU would pay for the tests so I'm losing money by doing that)