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

erpadmin

demonfurbie wrote: »

which math class or all of them?

He means that you can plug a number in to an equation since it's multiple choice.

Ex: 2x + 0 = 0

a) 2

b) 3

c) 0

d) 1

One of those numbers are right...just plug 'em in.

I would imagine for BAC1 it's like that...QLC1 was definitely like that.

demonfurbie

humm i have QLC1, QMC1 for objective assessments .. i havent looked at them yet but i will after this set (ssc1/sst1)

themagicone

Has anyone done the CIW Database class yet? Just curious on difficulty. The book is only 200 pages and I've already read half in 2 days. Might just get this done in 2 weeks and might be able to fit in Project+.

petedude

themagicone wrote: »

Has anyone done the CIW Database class yet? Just curious on difficulty. The book is only 200 pages and I've already read half in 2 days. Might just get this done in 2 weeks and might be able to fit in Project+.

I'd recommend downloading the uCertify demo for this exam. It's much harder than the actual, but if you come within 10% of passing on uCertify you might be ready.

Pishof

"Attached is your official updated transfer credit evaluation. Due to recent policy changes we have revised transfer credits for all students with a March start date."

Did anyone else who started in March get one of these? It looks like they changed more classes from RM to Transfer.. and I have one more class I have to take!

Looks like they added on BOV1 for me..is this the big java course?

sheckler

That's JavaScript

Hypntick

Getting 900+/1000 on the uCertify tests for CCENT. Couple more weeks, run through the rest of the labsim and i'll be ready I think. Really need to get on reading the Odom book as well, just made it to part two. I figure 3-4 weeks and i'll be in a solid spot to sit the real test.

Pishof

Hypntick wrote: »

Getting 900+/1000 on the uCertify tests for CCENT. Couple more weeks, run through the rest of the labsim and i'll be ready I think. Really need to get on reading the Odom book as well, just made it to part two. I figure 3-4 weeks and i'll be in a solid spot to sit the real test.

Sounds like you're taking that exam quite seriously.

So, after looking through my AAP I noticed ABV1 isn't in the list of classes I need to take anymore... that transcript reevaluation they sent me not only added the javascript class but removed the need to take 70-680.

I happily accept that trade. I won't need to take that dreaded Win7 exam now!

Oh wow, just noticed that cut out BRV1 as well.. no CCENT for me I guess. I was actually looking forward to refreshing my Cisco too. I guess CCNA will have to wait until after I graduation which won't be long if they keep cutting out my classes.

earweed

For all those out there the referral lady at WGU (thankfully) doesn't keep very good records. I just got my second Amazon card this year. Same day my chainsaw chain broke so it came in handy. Trying to decide what book to buy with the rest of it.

sheckler

Pishof wrote: »

Sounds like you're taking that exam quite seriously.

So, after looking through my AAP I noticed ABV1 isn't in the list of classes I need to take anymore... that transcript reevaluation they sent me not only added the javascript class but removed the need to take 70-680.

I happily accept that trade. I won't need to take that dreaded Win7 exam now!

Oh wow, just noticed that cut out BRV1 as well.. no CCENT for me I guess. I was actually looking forward to refreshing my Cisco too. I guess CCNA will have to wait until after I graduation which won't be long if they keep cutting out my classes.

That's.. weird. That wgu.edu site still lists Win 7 and ccent as part of the NA track.

earweed

sheckler wrote: »

That's.. weird. That wgu.edu site still lists Win 7 and ccent as part of the NA track.

He may have taken classes that WGU determned to be equivalent to the cert. It happens.
I got 2 humanities classes waived due to 2 music literature classes I took. I didn;t consider them equivalent but WGU has their own guidelines.

Pishof

earweed wrote: »

He may have taken classes that WGU determned to be equivalent to the cert. It happens.
I got 2 humanities classes waived due to 2 music literature classes I took. I didn;t consider them equivalent but WGU has their own guidelines.

Correct, my original course load had me taking BRV1 and ABV1 but the revised transcript evaluation gave me transfer credit for those two classes while requiring me to take BOV1 instead.

That's a change that knocks around a month off from my studying goal but I may add back a course later to get CCENT if I have time for it next term and they allow it.

erpadmin

Pishof wrote: »

That's a change that knocks around a month off from my studying goal but I may add back a course later to get CCENT if I have time for it next term and they allow it.

Why?

You could just very well do that that on your own. I am sure your mentor will tell you the same thing. For your course list, you seem to have plenty on your plate as it is...

eansdad

earweed wrote: »

For all those out there the referral lady at WGU (thankfully) doesn't keep very good records. I just got my second Amazon card this year. Same day my chainsaw chain broke so it came in handy. Trying to decide what book to buy with the rest of it.

I'm still waiting on my 1st....

earweed

It's usually a couple weeks after the referred student completes EWB.

eansdad

earweed wrote: »

It's usually a couple weeks after the referred student completes EWB.

I'm going on 7 weeks, my mentor is looking into it. 6 months and this is the only real snag I've had. Look forward to starting my 2nd term on Apr 1st...

colemic

colemic wrote: »

Same boat here - someone else called and left a msg (I was in a work meeting and couldn't take the call) and I have called my mentor and left messages twice. and she has yet to return my call back. Not cool. It definitely makes me rethink WGU and I am now looking at Capitol College for MSIA.

They get one more phone call, and if I still don't hear back from them, I will switch. I realize that apparently this is not the norm for their customer service, but it IS the customer service I am getting. And I don't like, as a (soon-to-be) paying customer, to be totally blown off.

myedjo24

Is it possible to switch programs? (it's more than likely answered somwhere in these 79 pages). I want to go from IT security to network management, mainly because I'd rather have the Microsoft certs and for some reason they credited me the CCNA class with my network+ cert. That means when I go to take the CCNA Security, I won't really have it, so I think it's kind of pointless. My career path has been going away from routers/switches too, and I'm not really too intersted in that.

themagicone

You may switch at the end of your term. They can switch you in the middle but it requires a very good reason. Just work on generals for the remainder of your term then switch.

As for me... I'm taking the CIW Database class. Now I know that CIW certs are pointless really but this one does have some good info in it. And for some reason beyond me, databases just clicked for me. I just started studying this week, read the whole dang book already, wrote 7 pages of notes and I am passing practice tests at 80%. I'm scheduled to take the final on Monday. At first I thought only giving myself a week was a bad idea but now I think I might just pass.

When I first looked at the algebra portion of databases I was like WTF? But took me like 20 mins and now I can look at a statement and covert it right in my head. Wow I've never had something click like this for me.

petedude

themagicone wrote: »

When I first looked at the algebra portion of databases I was like WTF? But took me like 20 mins and now I can look at a statement and covert it right in my head. Wow I've never had something click like this for me.

Sounds like database administration might be a great alternate career fit for you.

On the exam front, I'll say this: try Ucertify's sample exam. If you can come in at 70% or higher on their diagnostic, you're probably ready.

sheckler

Do we even have anyone here doing the Database or Software emphasis? Those two seem like the least popular.

themagicone

sheckler wrote: »

Do we even have anyone here doing the Database or Software emphasis? Those two seem like the least popular.

My mentor really wants me to switch to the database one. But I really want my CCNA so I'm sticking in security. Only difference in the two programs is the database one gets you the oracle cert and security gets you ccna.

demonfurbie

themagicone wrote: »

My mentor really wants me to switch to the database one. But I really want my CCNA so I'm sticking in security. Only difference in the two programs is the database one gets you the oracle cert and security gets you ccna.

ya could always get your ccna after if the database one would be faster for you

erpadmin

colemic wrote: »

They get one more phone call, and if I still don't hear back from them, I will switch. I realize that apparently this is not the norm for their customer service, but it IS the customer service I am getting. And I don't like, as a (soon-to-be) paying customer, to be totally blown off.

Just FYI, the enrollment process is by FAR the worst of WGU's customer service. Once they get you in, between your mentor and student services, things tend to get resolved pretty quickly. That really can't be stressed enough.

On days where I need access to something (weekends) I can (and do) give Student Services a call and I get what I need relatively quickly and painlessly.

Enrollment is bad, IMO, because there is just so Y amount of WGU interests compared to X amount of "enrollment counselors." I'd be shocked if there wasn't a high amount of stress involved with that group. My advice to you is to let these people know how serious you are in signing up with WGU (I mean really get firmed) and if they don't get the hint by then, then yeah, move on. All I'm saying is that enrollment is definitely the worst part of the WGU experience. After them it's smoother sailing.

erpadmin

themagicone wrote: »

My mentor really wants me to switch to the database one. But I really want my CCNA so I'm sticking in security. Only difference in the two programs is the database one gets you the oracle cert and security gets you ccna.

Negative. When WGU did the revamping of the IT programs, the Database program got switched from Oracle to Microsoft. With that though, you are going for the Microsoft SQL Developer cert, as opposed to Database Administrator (If it were DBA 2008, I would have considered switching after I was done with the math).

The SQL Developer track isn't terrible if you want to be a progammer after graduation. I believe since Java has to be taken, that also introduces you to programming in an object-oriented language, which means you could get into supporting an ERP like PeopleSoft as a PeopleSoft Developer (PeopleCode is a OOL as well...if you know Java, then PeopleCode is friggin cake).

themagicone

I stand corrected. I remember you telling me that now. The list I was going off was old.

colemic

erpadmin wrote: »

Just FYI, the enrollment process is by FAR the worst of WGU's customer service. Once they get you in, between your mentor and student services, things tend to get resolved pretty quickly. That really can't be stressed enough.

On days where I need access to something (weekends) I can (and do) give Student Services a call and I get what I need relatively quickly and painlessly.

Enrollment is bad, IMO, because there is just so Y amount of WGU interests compared to X amount of "enrollment counselors." I'd be shocked if there wasn't a high amount of stress involved with that group. My advice to you is to let these people know how serious you are in signing up with WGU (I mean really get firmed) and if they don't get the hint by then, then yeah, move on. All I'm saying is that enrollment is definitely the worst part of the WGU experience. After them it's smoother sailing.

Thanks, I will give student services a call and see what I need to do to get a different mentor, one that will actually take in interest in me.

I actually am very willing to get the ball rolling, but I can't until I actually speak to a mentor to go through the initial setup screening/interview. I have gotten all the transcripts sent, VA stuff ready to go, just waiting on them.

*EDIT* - apparently I haven't even gotten to the mentor stage yet, I am still dealing with an enrollment counselor.

erpadmin

colemic wrote: »

Thanks, I will give student services a call and see what I need to do to get a different mentor, one that will actually take in interest in me.

I actually am very willing to get the ball rolling, but I can't until I actually speak to a mentor to go through the initial setup screening/interview. I have gotten all the transcripts sent, VA stuff ready to go, just waiting on them.

Student Services and a Student Mentor can't be used until after your enrollment hump. They keep a track of calls with your student ID number, which you won't have until after enrollment.

You really do need to hound enrollment though. Believe me, I know how frustrating it is, but they must seriously be swamped. They were like 20000 enrolled about a few weeks ago, now they're at 24000 enrolled (according to the latest Business Week article about WGU). At this rate, the school will easily be at 35000 enrolled. They are seeing $140 million in revenue, which goes back into WGU (as they are non-profit). Enrollment must seriously be really feeling the pressure. All the more reason for you to hound them or you will walk. If they know you mean business, you will get moved up the queue.

But after enrollment is over, you will have a smoother time....that much I'm certain.

colemic

140 mil in revenue and they can't hire enough enrollment counselors?!

Now that I realize that it's not the mentor, I should be able to just call the enrollment office and talk to anyone... I thought I was tied to a specific one. I will call them this evening if I can.

erpadmin

colemic wrote: »

140 mil in revenue and they can't hire enough enrollment counselors?!

Now that I realize that it's not the mentor, I should be able to just call the enrollment office and talk to anyone... I thought I was tied to a specific one. I will call them this evening if I can.

Online Education, With a Low-Cost Twist - BusinessWeek

This was the article I was mentioning earlier. You are (or should be) tied to a specific enrollment counselor. However, that guy is probably dealing with 100-200 students, so yeah, if he's not getting back to you, then you just gotta call when you can and see what's the hold up. Ask to speak to a manager if you gotta.