Lack of formal education is killing me. Seeking advice.

Main Event

Should I go to WGU?

I have a couple questions...

1. Is this a good school for "newbies" entering the IT field? I don't have much experience and I have a AS degree in Computer Networking. I did my transfer already and I have to take some more classes but I need to get into the IT field and stop doing other side jobs.

I want to make sure I can handle the coursework so I don't end up wasting money.

I'm not good at math at all.

RoyalRaven

purplefuzz wrote: »

I know education is important but in my opinion the traditional university route broken and teaches students how to easily go into debt more then anything else. I'll update you all on my progress along the way. Thank you again.

If you can find a university local to you that is a "National Security Agency - Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance" (http://www.nsa.gov/ia/academic_outreach/nat_cae/institutions.shtml) AND has a strong IA/InfoSec program (good teachers/good enrollment), you'd be crazy not to check it out as another option.

swild

Main Event wrote: »

Should I go to WGU?

I have a couple questions...

1. Is this a good school for "newbies" entering the IT field? I don't have much experience and I have a AS degree in Computer Networking. I did my transfer already and I have to take some more classes but I need to get into the IT field and stop doing other side jobs.

I want to make sure I can handle the coursework so I don't end up wasting money.

I'm not good at math at all.

Any experience that you bring to the table will make it easier. I don't think that it matters if you have IT experience or not. The biggest thing to consider is your personal learning style. If you do well by studying on your own, then WGU is for you. If you need the traditional student-teacher interaction and deadlines, then I would recommend against WGU. WGU does not have teachers or professors; they have "mentors". In my time at WGU, I took about 16 classes only had to interact with 2 of the class mentors: one was totally worthless, they other was very good.

I would say that if you are new to the IT field, you are not going to be able to fast track like a lot of the people you see on here. You will need to spend a lot of time learning the basics so it will most likely not be quite the bargin as others (like me) have received.

All that being said, I love that I now have a BS from WGU and highly recommend it if you like to study on your own.

Main Event

How do you mean "New"? I have a associates already seeking a bachelors but I'm asking about the coursework... Is it geared towards more experienced IT professionals? For instance the BS in Networking....

So if your a "newbie" or someone not experienced with the latest technologies it's gonna take much longer to finish.

I have the chance to get 15 credits a year from University of Miami since I work here but my credits won't transfer over.

swild

You have an A+ and that is a good start, but that doesn't mean that you are not new to Programming. IT is a multi-faceted field and someone who has been in Windows Desktop Support for 10 years certainly isn't new to IT, but certainly is new to some aspects like Programming, Databases, Security, Networking, etc. Bachelors degrees (unlike Associates), while having an emphasis, are designed to give you a broad foundation to include most, if not all, of the different specializations, whereas, Associates are usually just the one emphasis and no other breadth requirements.

There are 2 "Networking" tracks at WGU: Network Admin (which is Cisco focused) and Network Design and Management (which is Microsoft focused). Both are going to have their challenges. Both tracks have some programming that will be tough if you have never done that before. Cisco and Microsoft are both known for their tough exams. WGU has recently slacked up on their Microsoft requirements by requiring fewer certifications, but there is no way to make Cisco easier. Cisco has also just launched a new version of their exams which will make it even harder.

I would think that someone with an AS and an A+ would be able to do well at WGU, but expect to have some tough challenges on the subjects you haven't touched before. Some people spend entire terms on just the Microsoft or the Cisco certifications.

datgirl

ptilsen wrote: »

CISSP will be huge. For WGU, the math shouldn't be a big deal. It's a not a computer science program. Go for the security or network admin bachelor's and you'll get plenty of credits. Heck, you can go for the master's after. You could finish both in less than three years and drop the Associate from your CISSP. You'll be in great shape.

There are other options, of course. If the math issue is just that you haven't taken the classes, that shouldn't be the barrier. If it's that you don't think high-level calc is for you, then WGU or other non-CS degrees are good options.

While I am fairly familiar with the requirements for the B.S. at WGU, I would concur that higher-level math skills aren't a huge barrier in Information Technology coursework like it would be in a Computer Science curriculum. Thus by all means I would suggest pursuing the Bachelors' degree, while it won't open all doors, it will open many.

Main Event

swild wrote: »

You have an A+ and that is a good start, but that doesn't mean that you are not new to Programming. IT is a multi-faceted field and someone who has been in Windows Desktop Support for 10 years certainly isn't new to IT, but certainly is new to some aspects like Programming, Databases, Security, Networking, etc. Bachelors degrees (unlike Associates), while having an emphasis, are designed to give you a broad foundation to include most, if not all, of the different specializations, whereas, Associates are usually just the one emphasis and no other breadth requirements.

There are 2 "Networking" tracks at WGU: Network Admin (which is Cisco focused) and Network Design and Management (which is Microsoft focused). Both are going to have their challenges. Both tracks have some programming that will be tough if you have never done that before. Cisco and Microsoft are both known for their tough exams. WGU has recently slacked up on their Microsoft requirements by requiring fewer certifications, but there is no way to make Cisco easier. Cisco has also just launched a new version of their exams which will make it even harder.

I would think that someone with an AS and an A+ would be able to do well at WGU, but expect to have some tough challenges on the subjects you haven't touched before. Some people spend entire terms on just the Microsoft or the Cisco certifications.

I'm not taking straight IT, I'm interested in Health Informatics instead. I'm getting more advice on the program from friends and family who have done it. The majority of them are just medical coders which is something I'm hoping I can avoid and get a title like clinical data analyst or something of that matter.

I know this is a more popular program among the ladies but I'm interested in combining the two.

purplefuzz

Thanks again everyone for the continued replies. I hope this thread will continue to help others out who may have not know about this school. Anyway, below is an update on my decision about WGU.

I decided to enroll and I've got through all the initial crap and my start date is June 1st. I was able to knock out 28 units with some certs and prior community college courses. This college seems like a great fit since I'm almost completely self taught and simply continuing along that route and getting a B.S. degree and a large handful of certs, several of which I was already intending to pursue out of the deal is a huge win-win.

If you don't want to deal with the bullsh*t of the "normal" university system then WGU might be a good fit for you too. Here in California the education system is massively broken and tuition for a UC or Cal State is outrageous. 2 years alone will set you back close to $30 grand (sometimes more) and the loads on unnecessary or unrelated classes a person has to do is time lost in my opinion.