Applied to WGU today.

wweboy

Hey everyone,

Thanks to themagicone I've finally looking to take he plunge. I applied for Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Network Design & Management but the fact it doesn't include the Cisco stuff makes me wonder. As it seems you can't really focus on MS it seems everyone wants to have both a CCNA and MSCE or MCITP:EA level certifications.

I know there is the Network Admin path too I'm just stuck on which one to pick. I've been on the help desk for 7 years but in that time I've wore many hats just never given the keys to the car. I got to drive and tune up the car but with the **** hit the fan it wasn't my problem. I've had my Associates degree since 2005 and now I'm just looking to take the next step in my career. I work for a wonderful huge company that offers many career advancement opportunities and I'm excelling my role at my current position.

For anyone who is been in the same boat why did you pick what you did? I want to go the system administrator and transfer into a network administration role.

Thanks for all the help and sorry if this post is "all over the place"

N2IT

I started this month and it's been enjoyable. I am enrolled in the MBA Strategy program.

Do you have a timeline set? I am fast tracking at the moment and trying to get done in 1 year.

petedude

N2IT wrote: »

I started this month and it's been enjoyable. I am enrolled in the MBA Strategy program.

Do you have a timeline set? I am fast tracking at the moment and trying to get done in 1 year.

Doable, from what I hear. I know someone who's knocked out an average of one course per month and will walk in July.

wweboy

Honestly I haven't thought about a timeline but I'd think a year would be feasible. I do have to juggle a full time job but I'll be working a later shift and on weekends its practically dead plus an hour or two during each week night shouldn't take to long I wouldn't think. I just moved to an 8 days on 6 day off schedule so I should have plenty of time to do the work needed and study.

drew726

Good luck, I found WGU was a great experience for me. I worked a night shift in a data center, so I did all my work at my job. Might be tougher if you don't have time to study at work.

erpadmin

My advice, don't try to be a hero and knock out x amount of CUs in one term unless the amount is low. (And while low is relative...I know that low is not 124 CUs...but I know you'll transfer in some past work/certifications.) Set a goal to how many CUs you can do per term and stick to that. If you're in it for the long haul, then you're in it for the long haul. I likened my WGU experience like ice skating...while I was just learning how to skate, I saw other guys doing five-ten laps while I was still concentrating on not falling, and then those guys getting all fancy-like with their figure 8s, and getting cute with triple-axles (those one term guys with a lot of CUs to complete.) Eventually, I learned how to ice-skate, and while I didn't do figure eights, I was able to complete a few laps with a degree of respectability.

Find a comfortable pace to complete CUs...maybe it's two terms, perhaps it's three. Set your schedule to dedicate that minimum twenty hours and many weekends. If you do that, you too will have nice sheepskin on your wall.

And if you're gonna insist on the NDM program, start incorporating lab time into the MCITP:EA program now. 64x has gotten hard by all accounts. (all of them...Microsoft has gotten crazy thanks to dumpers.) Invest in selftestsoftware.com practice exams (really instrumental in helping me pass the exams.) And if you really want to deal with both MS and Cisco, then take Network Administration emphasis. If you've been following that MCSE thread in the General Certification section, you will see that both the MCITP:EA and the MCITP:SA are now the same MCSA 2008 cert. Take that for what it is worth.

wweboy

Thansk ERPAdmin for all the advice. I really don't have a time line I figure 20 hours a week is more then enough. My plan is to do a general or two along with a certfication depending on how much I can transfer over. Ihoping some of my schooling in 205 transfers as well. I mean i took 3 seperate english type classes.

None the less I'm doing this for myself and I have no desire to get it done in one term. I want to try two or three I know the MCITP: EA is going to be my biggest hurdle. I've done a lot in IT but nothing to the nitty gritty parts of the EA and SA. Maybe the java script my be hard too just because I don't care about java scripting it seems so un-needed for this type of work.

wweboy

Well I failed my entrance exam I failed the math portion and did fine on the others. I'm going to call my adviser and see if my math credit could be used to bypass math all together. Either way I think I need to pass everything regardless so I guess I'll be waiting the required 3 months. I'll be getting my CCENT in the mean time and worry about school in August.

gdeusthewhizkid

I just got accepted into WGU myself. I'm not sure what major to take myself.. Im leaning between Netowrk admin and IT security.... def need advice..

wweboy

I had the same question myself when thinking what to choose. In the end ofr me it based on the certs I wanted.

gdeusthewhizkid

wweboy wrote: »

I had the same question myself when thinking what to choose. In the end ofr me it based on the certs I wanted.

I went with IT security. I wanted the CCNA & windows 7 config cert. then degree and then CCNP.

joshmadakor

What kind of math is on the entrance exam?

Valsacar

Basic math.

joshmadakor

Valsacar wrote: »

Basic math.

Yeah, I just took it like 30 minutes ago. How do I end up seeing my score?

KeithC

joshmadakor wrote: »

Yeah, I just took it like 30 minutes ago. How do I end up seeing my score?

When I did the entrance exams you do not receive a score only a green check over the section.