Stoked for WGU!!!!

ThePrimetimer

So I applied to WGU about a month ago after reading numerous posts about happy people and doing some googling on the internet about it. Everything is good and I am starting this coming Tuesday.

The best part were the credits that transferred. I only have 7 classes or 39 credits to get my Bachelors in Network Administration. Here is the list of classes I have to take:
WFV1 - CIW Foundations
TPV1 - Project+
ABV1 - Windows 7 70-680
TSV1 - Security+
AHV1 - Windows Server 2008 Active Directory 70-640
AIV1 - Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure 70-642
AJV1 - Windows Server 2008 Server Administration 70-646

I am pretty excited to get started on this too since their all certifications and having a deadline for them will make me study to pass. I'll also be studying for ICND2 on the side of this so when everything is all said and done, I'll have my CCNA to go along with my Bachelor's.

I see good things happening in the future!!
Let's get this train-a-rolling!!!

Priston

That's interesting, you don't need CIW JavaScript Specialist?

snokerpoker

Awesome stuff. Glad to hear you are excited to start WGU. Good luck!

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

I think you missed three more classes (well four if you count the Education Without Boundaries): IT Portfolio, Technical Writing, and IT Capstone Project. Everyone has to take those.

earweed

Alif_Sadida_Ekin wrote: »

I think you missed three more classes (well four if you count the Education Without Boundaries): IT Portfolio, Technical Writing, and IT Capstone Project. Everyone has to take those.

He doesn't have the Portfolio. Network Admin and Network Design and Management don't have that requirement.

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

Really? I stand corrected. Wow, I should have taken that instead. I hate writing.

ThePrimetimer

Priston wrote: »

That's interesting, you don't need CIW JavaScript Specialist?

Nope, my previous AAS transferred it

Well, it looks like I was looking at the transcript .pdf wrong, it shows which classes transferred. In addition to the Capstone and Technical Writing, I have to take LET1, ORC1, and MGC1.

Guess I didn't read carefully enough as I should have as I also have to take the leadership courses, so total, I'm looking at at 12 classes.

Oh well, doesn't bother me, still excited!!

Dakinggamer87

Good luck!!

erpadmin

ThePrimetimer wrote: »

Nope, my previous AAS transferred it

Well, it looks like I was looking at the transcript .pdf wrong, it shows which classes transferred. In addition to the Capstone and Technical Writing, I have to take LET1, ORC1, and MGC1.

Guess I didn't read carefully enough as I should have as I also have to take the leadership courses, so total, I'm looking at at 12 classes.

Oh well, doesn't bother me, still excited!!

I was gonna say; having just read the transfer requirements for another new member recently, I knew the management classes had to be taken as well. If it makes you feel any better, those can be done within a week or so, but it's gonna depend on your work experience. Before you enroll, buy the book for LET1/ORC1. Definitely recommended. MGC1, can be winged...(I think we all winged it and passed). The preassessment will let you know for sure.

Best of luck.

Pishof

Congrats,

I'm also starting on Tuesday and had a lot of classes exempt from a previous AAS. The list of classes I need to take looks identical to yours except I still need the (2) Humanities classes.

What do you think you'll start with? I'm going to do TSV1, WFV1, TPV1 to start with after EWB2.

Xcluziv

Fantastic man, proud of you! I'm sure you will move on to bigger and better things once you finish your degree. Congrats!

Hypntick

I wonder how many of us are starting on the 1st. I know myself and a friend who is also on here are doing it. I see two others in this thread, anyone else?

Mike-Mike

I pushed mine back to April 1st

nhpr

erpadmin wrote: »

Before you enroll, buy the book for LET1/ORC1.

May I ask what the title of this book is? I'm starting on April 1st and I'm trying to front-load as much as I can.

citinerd

nhpr wrote: »

May I ask what the title of this book is? I'm starting on April 1st and I'm trying to front-load as much as I can.

Organizational Behavior 12 ed. by Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge.
ISBN 0-13-243156-4

ThePrimetimer

Pishof wrote: »

Congrats,

I'm also starting on Tuesday and had a lot of classes exempt from a previous AAS. The list of classes I need to take looks identical to yours except I still need the (2) Humanities classes.

What do you think you'll start with? I'm going to do TSV1, WFV1, TPV1 to start with after EWB2.

Probably the same road. This seems like a pretty good step to take before going onto the Windows classes. Maybe we all can help each other our with classes, you know, push each other so that we can get to our ultimate goal!

Who else is going in the Network Admin emphasis starting on Tuesday?

Hypntick

ThePrimetimer wrote: »

Probably the same road. This seems like a pretty good step to take before going onto the Windows classes. Maybe we all can help each other our with classes, you know, push each other so that we can get to our ultimate goal!

Who else is going in the Network Admin emphasis starting on Tuesday?

Network admin track here myself. All I know is once I finish up EWB my mentor and I are going to have a heart to heart and we'll come up with a plan of attack for me to take CCENT here in the next few weeks. I really don't understand the Javascript course, I would think Powershell would be more useful.: Perhaps ITIL foundations instead of CIW as well? Seems more useful to me.

earweed

Hypntick wrote: »

Network admin track here myself. All I know is once I finish up EWB my mentor and I are going to have a heart to heart and we'll come up with a plan of attack for me to take CCENT here in the next few weeks. I really don't understand the Javascript course, I would think Powershell would be more useful.: Perhaps ITIL foundations instead of CIW as well? Seems more useful to me.

Powershelll would be way more useful but unfortunately WGU has requirements that have to be followed. If MS gets a cert test for PoSh that people can pass and the WGU heads approve it then that change could be made.

drew726

I'm pretty stoked by starting in March 1st too man. I'm ready to take my Sec+ exam and am on chapter 8 of the project+ book. As soon as I start, I'm going to get those guys to pay for my exams I haven't completed as much as you. You can see what I have completed on the bottom; basically everything I was able to transfer in. I'm going to focus on whats left of my GE's first and try to finish it asap. They're making me retake QLT1 when I've took math up to calculus because I didn't have anything to transfer in for HHT1. That's fine, if its just algebra, I'll finish it pretty fast I think. I'm ready to start now damnitttt. Seriously, can't wait.

erpadmin

Hypntick wrote: »

I really don't understand the Javascript course, I would think Powershell would be more useful.

If you ever find yourself fortunate to support an n-tier application, you will appreciate the value of learning Javascript. A good number of those applications (like PeopleSoft) utilize Javascript to some degree on the web servers. If you need to do something as simple as a redirect of http to https, then you'll be glad you at least became familiar with it.

I'm sure there are many other practical examples, that's just one of them I could think of off the top of my head.

As for Powershell....I'm sure it's going to be covered in depth in your MCITP:SA studies....I plan on getting down and dirty with it myself real soon.

Lastly, ITIL seems like something you could pursue on your own post-WGU.

ThePrimetimer

Hey,
I have a question on the resources WGU provides. In the .pdf that explains the degree, they provide Sample Learning Resources, such as using TestOut for Windows 7. Do they provide that to you or do you have to purchase it separately.

Also, which book would be best to get for the Windows courses, the official MCITP training guides or they Sybex books?
Thanks

Excellent1

ThePrimetimer wrote: »

Hey,
I have a question on the resources WGU provides. In the .pdf that explains the degree, they provide Sample Learning Resources, such as using TestOut for Windows 7. Do they provide that to you or do you have to purchase it separately.

Also, which book would be best to get, the official MCITP training guide or they Sybex book?
Thanks

Labsim is provided without cost to you (included in tuition). As for which book is best, that's subjective. Some people prefer one, some the other. I will say that the MS-Press book is available free online through books24x7, so check it out there first unless you're like me and can't stand e-books. I also purchased the Don Poulton book and it's well written and helpful so far.

ThePrimetimer

Excellent1 wrote: »

Labsim is provided without cost to you (included in tuition). As for which book is best, that's subjective. Some people prefer one, some the other. I will say that the MS-Press book is available free online through books24x7, so check it out there first unless you're like me and can't stand e-books. I also purchased the Don Poulton book and it's well written and helpful so far.

Great Thanks! I'll do some more research before I land on a choice.

Can anybody comment on how the Labsim courses are? Good or Bad, Pros and Cons?

Hypntick

erpadmin wrote: »

If you ever find yourself fortunate to support an n-tier application, you will appreciate the value of learning Javascript. A good number of those applications (like PeopleSoft) utilize Javascript to some degree on the web servers. If you need to do something as simple as a redirect of http to https, then you'll be glad you at least became familiar with it.

I'm sure there are many other practical examples, that's just one of them I could think of off the top of my head.

As for Powershell....I'm sure it's going to be covered in depth in your MCITP:SA studies....I plan on getting down and dirty with it myself real soon.

Lastly, ITIL seems like something you could pursue on your own post-WGU.

Oh I fully intend to do ITIL while doing WGU if I can manage it. I hear it's fairly simple. I just don't see the value in the CIW certs really. I plan to do them obviously but I doubt they'll ever be listed on my resume.

As far as the Javascript, i'll have to take your word for it. I'm not at the level I can see a use for it just yet I guess.

phonetic.man

Hypntick wrote: »

I wonder how many of us are starting on the 1st. I know myself and a friend who is also on here are doing it. I see two others in this thread, anyone else?

Network admin track here myself

I start on Tuesday in the Security track. I am vibrating with excitement.

Timberwolf5578

Before I joined Capella University, I looked into WGU and wasn't impressed at all. It seemed like mostly self-study with no real assignments (with mandatory due dates) and very little structure. I think there was also some sort of odd "mentor" system, though I don't quite remember the specifics. Yes, WGU seems to be relatively cheaper than many other online universities, but in this case it really seems like you get what you pay for.

As long as a university is regionally accredited, "for-profit" versus "non-profit" makes no difference to me, and if anything it seems like for-profit universities are usually much more organized and helpful to students. For-profit universities seem to cater to students' needs and every little administrative task is not a big headache like it often is in non-profit (especially public government-run) universities (and yes, I know WGU is a private non-profit university).

Anyone who thinks most employers give a damn about whether a graduate is from a "for-profit" or "non-profit" university is simply deluding themselves. As long as a university is regionally accredited, it doesn't matter to most employers whether it is "for-profit" or "non-profit".

Hypntick

Timberwolf5578 wrote: »

Before I joined Capella University, I looked into WGU and wasn't impressed at all. It seemed like mostly self-study with no real assignments (with mandatory due dates) and very little structure. I think there was also some sort of odd "mentor" system, though I don't quite remember the specifics. Yes, WGU seems to be relatively cheaper than many other online universities, but in this case it really seems like you get what you pay for.

As long as a university is regionally accredited, "for-profit" versus "non-profit" makes no difference to me, and if anything it seems like for-profit universities are usually much more organized and helpful to students. For-profit universities seem to cater to students' needs and every little administrative task is not a big headache like it often is in non-profit (especially public government-run) universities (and yes, I know WGU is a private non-profit university).

Anyone who thinks most employers give a damn about whether a graduate is from a "for-profit" or "non-profit" university is simply deluding themselves. As long as a university is regionally accredited, it doesn't matter to most employers whether it is "for-profit" or "non-profit".

I respect your opinion. Some folks need the structure to get by. However a good percentage of us here on the forums are self starters. Most have self studied certs long before WGU so we're used to that type of environment. Do I need a instructor looking over my shoulder at everything I do? No, i'd hate that. It's why I left standard college. It was a major selling point to me to be given the end goal and told, get there how you want and when you want.

erpadmin

Hypntick wrote: »

I respect your opinion. Some folks need the structure to get by. However a good percentage of us here on the forums are self starters. Most have self studied certs long before WGU so we're used to that type of environment. Do I need a instructor looking over my shoulder at everything I do? No, i'd hate that. It's why I left standard college. It was a major selling point to me to be given the end goal and told, get there how you want and when you want.

+1!

To add to this, in addition to the self-starting nature, a good number of us already had the basics required to succeed at a traditional school from the high schools we graduated from, regardless if we were a National Honor Society student or not.

To give an example of this, I was not very studious in high school, but if I had an interest in something, I was going to pass without studying for hours on end. My junior year in high school, everyone in the US History I class was given our first exam. There were two people who passed with 100...one was our future valedictorian (no shock there...I'm sure the guy studied his butt off). The other guy was me, with very little study. Everything on his exam was stuff that he had covered the past week and I had paid attention to all of it. Plus, I was always into history and would have majored in it in college.

Many of those NHS kids ended up being "losers." The "academically lazy" kids like myself ended up working for defense contractors, a public law firm (as a lawyer) in DC, becoming a probation officer, teachers (I dated one of them... ) and myself being a database administrator for a college with only some college and at a salary that definitely is more than what many public teachers make.

I've said this many times, and I'll say it many more: I DON'T NEED A COLLEGE DEGREE to do what I do. My 14 years of IT experience says so. However, I want to go to the next level of my career and I can't do that without a Bachelor's. As Hypntick pointed out, and very eloquently I might add, it's all about the end goal at this point. If I can parlay a WGU degree into a Masters that has a name behind it because I graduated with a BS from a regionally accredited university, then, by golly, that's what I'm gonna do. Period.