burnt out... what to do

demonfurbie

i just finished my bs degree from wgu and i had some time left in my term so they let me go ahead into the masters.

so i start my masters work... yay ... ohh wait ... this is even more ummm yea not what im interested in

now im at a loss on what to do next

~take a break from wgu
~get some certs that im interested in (CISSP and RHCE)
~keep on at wgu regardless

like every one else if im interested in what im learning i will be happier, as it is right now i loathe opening the paper im working on cause its soo un-realistic and not applicable to the realworld

what to do??

Roguetadhg

Gotta keep pushing on.

There's nothing wrong with taking time out... just becareful that you don't become victim of "I'll get back to school sometime"... Like I am. I took 8 year break! I'd already have my masters if I had kept going... Dang.

ptilsen

It's not like you're out a bunch of time and money if you stop now. If you just finished your BS, now seems like a good time to take a break.

My advice is to get your CISSP or RHCE, then move onto a program that interests you, if such a program exists. Grad school isn't a necessity; if you're more interested in certs and specific skills at this point, focusing on that might be smart. If you do still want a master's, check other programs. There are online MS degrees related to infosec at other schools. Personally, I would not go to WGU for grad school.

demonfurbie

only reason im in the masters now is because i had 4 mths left in my term so it was kinda like use it or loose it

ptilsen

Think of it this way. A term at WGU averaged over even a light load puts the cost per-CU at less than the per-credit cost of many, possibly most community colleges. It's not like you're getting screwed out of a bunch of tuition money if you stop now; you're getting a cheaper education than pretty much anyone in the country can.

I just don't see any point in getting a Master's you're not interested in just to have it or to get your most bang for the buck out of WGU. Unless you think you can finish it in a few months without taking another term, it doesn't seem like the best bet, to me.

kgb

I agree with ptilsen.

I had 5 months left this term... It was a hard pill to swallow, but I realized the odds of me finishing a MS in 5 months was highly unlikely. In addition, there was no program that is software-orientated. I was also burned out of taking tests/assignments from accelerating through my BS. At first, I was having a hard time with the decision because I felt that I was simply throwing away money. But, the truth of the matter is I'm not wasting any money. I paid to go to school for my BS and I got my BS.

My vote is to take a break. Do some self-learning (outside of school requirements) and figure out what you want to do.

PurpleIT

Part of me says to continue with this term; even if you go slow and take it easy. Four months is a lot of time and even if you don't continue when the term is over you have an extra class or two under your belt. If you decide to continue later you are that much closer to graduation; if you don't continue then no harm was done and you can always say, "Well, I started on my Masters, but it just wasn't for me."

The other part of me says that if you just aren't into it, if you are truly burnt out and not just disinterested in this one class you are just spinning your wheels so take a break and reevaluate things in a few months.

ptilsen

I will throw this out there, though: If you can get the materials to take the GIAC G2700 class as part of WGU, using the rest of your term on that seems like a good use of your money that is probably still somewhat conducive to your career goals. That's assuming you're in the IS&A program and that choosing to start into G2700 is an option.

demonfurbie

i wish i could, i was only able to get into the networking masters not sec.

jmasterj206

I would probably take the break demon. I finished WGU around the beginning of July and haven't touched a book since. I really needed the break. Now after about a 6 month hiatus I am ready to get back to it and am starting to miss the studying aspect. I think if I would have kept going and not took the break I would have dug myself deeper.

msteinhilber

What if you took a break from WGU and focused on your CISSP and other certs. Then later, you can return to WGU and work on your Master's and earn CPEs while studying.

KeithC

I guess the first question should really be:

Do you want to earn a masters degree at WGU or at even earn one at this time?

You just finished your BS, you know and understand what it takes to finish a program at WGU. Do you want to keep going with the needs that this program will require?

On the flip slide did you not want the refund since you had a reduced CU term?

It sounds like you do not even want to be in the program you are in. Definitely take a break and think about it.

VAHokie56

I would take a short break , reward yourself for completing what have. Then I would start in on the certs. Do not burn your self on a Masters you do not want then dive right into cert studies...take a break drink some beers have a good time then hit the cert books.

demonfurbie

i think after this term i am gonna take a break... its been a long journey already

MSP-IT

demonfurbie wrote: »

i think after this term i am gonna take a break... its been a long journey already

How long did it take you to finish?

I'm in the Security degree and have roughly 80 CU left. My estimated graduation is Feb 2016, but I want to be done sooner. I finished the equivalent of 25 CU last semester and and hoping to finish at least 18 this time around (I have my 70-680, which I am planning on taking my time with). I'm a week in and almost done with DHV1.

demonfurbie

MSP-IT wrote: »

How long did it take you to finish?

I'm in the Security degree and have roughly 80 CU left. My estimated graduation is Feb 2016, but I want to be done sooner. I finished the equivalent of 25 CU last semester and and hoping to finish at least 18 this time around (I have my 70-680, which I am planning on taking my time with). I'm a week in and almost done with DHV1.

if you want faster switch to the reg IT degree

ive been in college for about 8 years off and on so its been a long road and now im not sure what to do with out school over my head