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

veritas_libertas

themagicone wrote: »

Just passed the final math class today. 57% with a cut score of 56%. 45 CU done, I have 1 more month left of my term. I'm going to try my best to get ABV1 and HVC1 done by the end of term. Not sure it's going to happen though. Good luck to everyone else.

QLC1 math class?

themagicone

veritas_libertas wrote: »

QLC1 math class?

No, my last one was QLM1, I passed QLC1 awhile ago. I finished that in 4 hours. I had to wait the dang 2 weeks for the test to be scheduled for the other.

BlackBella

I finally got evaluated for my transfer credit from my 1st BA for this BSITDB.

I only have to take IT classes and EWB class. I am not working and no family, so I am wondering if I can complete well over 20 CU my first semester.

qwertyiop

BlackBella wrote: »

I finally got evaluated for my transfer credit from my 1st BA for this BSITDB.

I only have to take IT classes and EWB class. I am not working and no family, so I am wondering if I can complete well over 20 CU my first semester.

I'm sure youll be able to. I completed about 58 during my first term

BlackBella

qwertyiop wrote: »

I'm sure youll be able to. I completed about 58 during my first term

If I could do that many hours I be done in one semester.

Shawks

LisaKayKing wrote: »

I am Lisa King. I am currently at the end of my 2nd year with WGU. I am working on a Bachelor Degree in IT with Major in Network Design and Management. I am also a 47 year old mom, with a full time job at a security company as IT Professional and wow, so little time to study but staying on course.

I am in a similar scenario, employed full time as a Systems administrator, Married with Children, plus I have a side business of computer repair. But, just like my wife said, it will work itself out as you go. This is something I have been wanting to do for a while, and WGU sounds like the perfect environment to do it in.

Shawks

Well said!

erpadmin

Shawks wrote: »

I am in a similar scenario, employed full time as a Systems administrator, Married with Children....

So, I take it you're a sys admin at a shoe store and your name is Al Bundy?

veritas_libertas

Shawks wrote: »

I am in a similar scenario, employed full time as a Systems administrator, Married with Children, plus I have a side business of computer repair. But, just like my wife said, it will work itself out as you go. This is something I have been wanting to do for a while, and WGU sounds like the perfect environment to do it in.

Sounds like you have a supportive wife. Nothing better than to have your spouse on your side!

erpadmin

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Sounds like you have a supportive wife. Nothing better than to have your spouse on your side!

You got that right! Mine just wants to nag whenever I'm in the middle of something for school.....

asurania

Down to Capstone and i Done my degree - Bsc in IT -Network design & Managnment

Hope to be done by end of next week if not sooner. Just need to find 3 to 4 hours.

Can't wait to start MSc in Jan

nbkripl

Well EWB was not bad at all. Though I must say that 17 minute video on Taskstream was quite excessive, though luckily you can click through it

On to the real work and the fun stuff!!

erpadmin

jahsoul wrote: »

LMBO....I guess I did didn't I. lol. It would be sweet in they throw in a sweatshirt or hoodie..lol

I received a very lovely surprise at my PO BOX today. I got the WGU Welcome Kit!! No flash drive

but I did get the coffee mug, binder, picture frame, stress ball that went to my dogs, and loads of post it notes, not to mention a WGU pen and a "do not disturb sign" for when I take those OLP exams (wifey told me to never use the sign where it says "I'm studying...." LOL. But I was firm on the testing one...). The same kit Veritas described that his buddy got. There is also a post card that I of course filled out that asks what size t-shirt I wear.

Yeah, that coffee mug is nice! But, as I said before...I did pay for it. LOL

Though...come to think of it, hoodies would be nice. I can't force myself to buy one if it's offered.

jmasterj206

Funny you are getting that now erp. I think I got mine the second week of August.

uhtrinity

And all I ever got was a 512mb flash drive

SephStorm

So whats the deal with TS? I've seen a lot of negatives, and I think I heard that it is being either fixed or done away with?

(Oh, and Lacey sounds hot...)

BlackBella

EWB completed in a few hours, so now its off to IT fundamentals once I have my AAV with my mentor Tuesday.

uhtrinity

BlackBella wrote: »

EWB completed in a few hours, so now its off to IT fundamentals once I have my AAV with my mentor Tuesday.

Same here (the graduate version). The thing that sucks is that EWB was already flagged as passed since I did the undergraduate version, but I still had to go through most of the steps. Including setting the email signature, posting to the communities (like I have never done that before), and taking all the little mini tests to make sure I understand how to navigate the portal. My mentor told me she can't set my AAV until they get a confirmation email from the EWB mentors. However the AAV should be set Monday and I have already started on the first class.

edit got the conformation email. Imho EWB (which includes a bunch of busy work) could be replaced with an faq.

uhtrinity

SephStorm wrote: »

So whats the deal with TS? I've seen a lot of negatives, and I think I heard that it is being either fixed or done away with?

(Oh, and Lacey sounds hot...)

I like Task Stream, what I didn't like was the inconstancy in graders. Just write to the rubric and your life will be much easier.

BlackBella

uhtrinity wrote: »

Same here (the graduate version). The thing that sucks is that EWB was already flagged as passed since I did the undergraduate version, but I still had to go through most of the steps. Including setting the email signature, posting to the communities (like I have never done that before), and taking all the little mini tests to make sure I understand how to navigate the portal. My mentor told me she can't set my AAV until they get a confirmation email from the EWB mentors. However the AAV should be set Monday and I have already started on the first class.

You can already start on the first class? Maybe for graduate students. I got a e-mail recording from the EWB mentors that my last project was recorded, but just waiting on the confirmation e-mail too.

How do you like it so far? I have 9 hours of graduate work at a B&M school, and I am debating if I am going to continue my MA once I finish this 2nd BS up.

Looking at the price of $45,000 vs. WGU graduate degree.

SephStorm

Oh you lucky people with no lower level courses....

earweed

SephStorm wrote: »

Oh you lucky people with no lower level courses....

If you go through some of the postings of people taking the lower level Gened courses they are, at least most, very easy. Taking these lower level courses is why a lot of people have been able to do 30+ CUs a term. There are only 2 or 3 gen ed courses which are actually time consuming and/or intellectually challenging.

petedude

erpadmin wrote: »

I received a very lovely surprise at my PO BOX today. I got the WGU Welcome Kit!! No flash drive but I did get the coffee mug, binder, picture frame, stress ball that went to my dogs, and loads of post it notes, not to mention a WGU pen and a "do not disturb sign" for when I take those OLP exams (wifey told me to never use the sign where it says "I'm studying...." LOL. But I was firm on the testing one...). The same kit Veritas described that his buddy got. There is also a post card that I of course filled out that asks what size t-shirt I wear.
. . .

I never got any of that. . . waah. . . since my mentor likes me, I might hit him up for it.

jmasterj206

You know Taskstream would be better if perhaps they only had one grader through the entire process of a class. I wouldn't even mind it if it took a little longer to get grades back. It is just the consistency issue. One grader will let things slide and then later in the process another grader will give you a needs revision for something that was ok earlier. Otherwise Taskstream isn't that bad. I'm not sure if there are any alternatives out there.

earweed

erpadmin wrote: »

I received a very lovely surprise at my PO BOX today. I got the WGU Welcome Kit!! No flash drive but I did get the coffee mug, binder, picture frame, stress ball that went to my dogs, and loads of post it notes, not to mention a WGU pen and a "do not disturb sign" for when I take those OLP exams (wifey told me to never use the sign where it says "I'm studying...." LOL. But I was firm on the testing one...). The same kit Veritas described that his buddy got. There is also a post card that I of course filled out that asks what size t-shirt I wear.

Yeah, that coffee mug is nice! But, as I said before...I did pay for it. LOL

Though...come to think of it, hoodies would be nice. I can't force myself to buy one if it's offered.

I've never received ANYTHING except a sticker. Maybe when I graduate they'll give me something.

erpadmin

jmasterj206 wrote: »

Otherwise Taskstream isn't that bad. I'm not sure if there are any alternatives out there.

Blackboard/WebCT...we use that at the job (a lot of universities, big and small use it too). It's pretty much the same deal. If you've used TS, WebCT (which was bought by Blackboard a couple of years ago) is pretty much the same deal and vice-versa.

In this case, it's not the tool that I have issue with to hand stuff in, it's the folks that do the grading. And since they're pretty much anonymous (I guess by design), you never know who to bother.

My fear is that these folks are out in some distant foreign country, including my favorite one that took all the IT jobs. LOL.

uhtrinity

BlackBella wrote: »

You can already start on the first class? Maybe for graduate students. I got a e-mail recording from the EWB mentors that my last project was recorded, but just waiting on the confirmation e-mail too.

How do you like it so far? I have 9 hours of graduate work at a B&M school, and I am debating if I am going to continue my MA once I finish this 2nd BS up.

Looking at the price of $45,000 vs. WGU graduate degree.

If you can see your AAP and course list you can click on the course of study link. This gives the formal layout for the course, books, and learning resources. Since I know what course I will be starting with I was able to order books, download required reading from e-reserves and get registered for an online learning resource.

I completed my BS IT with WGU in June and liked the experience, it isn't perfect, but much better than my B&M experience.

edit: Depending on the course the Course of Study may be optional depending on your experience or learning style.

SephStorm wrote: »

Oh you lucky people with no lower level courses....

We / they had to take them sometime. I much rather would have done an accelerated run through WGU than all of those classroom hours.

BlackBella

uhtrinity wrote: »

If you can see your AAP and course list you can click on the course of study link. This gives the formal layout for the course, books, and learning resources. Since I know what course I will be starting with I was able to order books, download required reading from e-reserves and get registered for an online learning resource.

I completed my BS IT with WGU in June and liked the experience, it isn't perfect, but much better than my B&M experience.

edit: Depending on the course the Course of Study may be optional depending on your experience or learning style.

I see the course IT fundamentals I after EWB and the books, do you have to pay?

erpadmin

BlackBella wrote: »

I see the course IT fundamentals I after EWB and the books, do you have to pay?

For WFV1, no. The books are part of tuition and will be sent to you within a couple of days of enrollment.

petedude

uhtrinity wrote: »

We / they had to take them sometime. I much rather would have done an accelerated run through WGU than all of those classroom hours.

Or, you could CLEP out of an associate's elsewhere, then transfer to WGU. That would mean significantly fewer classroom hours, and you'd still skip all of the WGU general ed.

I did some classroom hours en route to the associate's, but mostly CLEP/DSST.