WGU BS:IT/Software (starting Nov. 1st 2013)

NicWhite

Just take your time and grieve. I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

ratbuddy

Well, Network+ and CIW Web Design Specialist are tomorrow. I feel ready for the CIW exam, but Network+ has me nervous. I feel like I'm never going to remember all the signal ranges, cable lengths, and the 8000 acronyms. Fingers crossed.

earonw49

ratbuddy wrote: »

Well, Network+ and CIW Web Design Specialist are tomorrow. I feel ready for the CIW exam, but Network+ has me nervous. I feel like I'm never going to remember all the signal ranges, cable lengths, and the 8000 acronyms. Fingers crossed.

You can do this ratbuddy! Life gets insane at times and throws roadblocks at you...however with each second of life, you are presented opportunity to smash them down.

We are all rooting for you!

slotzero

Good luck today!

ratbuddy

Thanks, folks

Did 97% on the CIW exam, and 884/900 on the Network+. Next up, Security+ and TYC1 on Thursday and Friday. I'm really getting into the swing of things, and I feel like I just want to study more and more. I could be forming an addiction.. WTF am I going to do after graduation??

EngRob

ratbuddy wrote: »

WTF am I going to do after graduation??

Masters

slotzero

ratbuddy wrote: »

Thanks, folks

Did 97% on the CIW exam, and 884/900 on the Network+. Next up, Security+ and TYC1 on Thursday and Friday. I'm really getting into the swing of things, and I feel like I just want to study more and more. I could be forming an addiction.. WTF am I going to do after graduation??

Great job! Congrats! And yes, Master's program is in your future!

ratbuddy

Thanks

That's why I'm switching to Security track after I finish all the Software-specific stuff, so I can get in the MSISA program

EngRob

Yeah! Come over to the Security track!!!!

ratbuddy

Security+ was harder than I expected, and I should have studied longer than two days. So many friggin' acronyms to remember. Passed with 796, although I was sure I had failed it. Maybe I'm just a negative nancy, I dunno.

Tomorrow, TYC1 and CJC1. After those are done, I'll have requests in to bypass Network Fundamentals (CWV1), Web Dev Fundamentals (EUP1/EUC1), and Security Fundamentals (DEV1). That'll make a total of 53 completed and 9 bypassed, plus the 3 I transferred in, total of 65 done. **edit: Gonna bypass Software Development Fundamentals (DJV1) as well, that's another 4 CU, for a total of 69 done, 55 to go.

I need to slow down.

I probably can't slow down.

First things first, I have two exams to pass tomorrow.

anoeljr

Hi ratbuddy, I've been following your thread and I wanted to say congrats on your progress. Very impressive!

earonw49

ratbuddy wrote: »

Security+ was harder than I expected, and I should have studied longer than two days. So many friggin' acronyms to remember. Passed with 796, although I was sure I had failed it. Maybe I'm just a negative nancy, I dunno.

Tomorrow, TYC1 and CJC1. After those are done, I'll have requests in to bypass Network Fundamentals (CWV1), Web Dev Fundamentals (EUP1/EUC1), and Security Fundamentals (DEV1). That'll make a total of 53 completed and 9 bypassed, plus the 3 I transferred in, total of 65 done. **edit: Gonna bypass Software Development Fundamentals (DJV1) as well, that's another 4 CU, for a total of 69 done, 55 to go.

I need to slow down.

I probably can't slow down.

First things first, I have two exams to pass tomorrow.

Keep going but be weary of "burning out". You're doing great though, seeing your progress is inspiring!

ratbuddy

Thanks anoeljr

I'm totally burned out, but I don't get that burned out, so I'm taking a day off, maybe two. Then it's gonna be time to write some papers for TaskStream. Literature Arts and Humanities, English II, Physics, and Biology, probably. I'll take my time and aim to have them done by the second week of January.

Today, I passed TYC1 (Introduction to Object Oriented Design and Development) with a score of 77%, cut score 70%, 2 CU gained, and I qualify to skip DJV1 (Software Development Fundamentals, some useless MTA cert) since I've already done TXC1/TXP1/TYP1. Also passed CJC1 (Introduction to Probability and Statistics) with a score of 88%, cut score 61%, 3 CU gained.

It's official, after seven weeks, I'm more than halfway done, once the bypassed stuff (another 7 CU) goes through.

100k

Man who is your mentor because mine will not let me accelerate that fast. My term ends in February and I have 8 more classes to go. I know I can knock them out by then but she is slowing me down. Gonna have to have a word with this young lady

slotzero

Agreed my previous mentor would not let me accelerate that quickly. I'm hoping my new one in January is this flexible, but I'm not sure I can even come close to ratbuddy's pace!

Congrats on the pass today!

whotime

how is the semester wrapping up ratbuddy?

ratbuddy

Won't be wrapping up until May

I've switched gears. I'm working on studying stuff that isn't really covered in the WGU material. I've got a crapton of virtual machines going, and I'm learning to code client-server databasey stuff. Also doing some Linux work.

If I wanted to, I could probably finish my degree by February. I'd rather not. I won't be eligible for Pell after I get a degree, and I'd rather get as much as I can out of the grants. I'm going to try to end this term with all the IT-Software specific stuff done, and 12 credits remaining to ensure full time status. Then, I'll transfer to another degree track for my second term, probably IT-Security. That'll land me another ~$1k worth of certs, some Cisco knowledge, and allow entry to the MSISA program.

After that, a few years work experience, then a BSB:IT Management, and an MBA:IT Management.. Maybe

Short term, TLDR, I'm going to write the TaskStream projects for Physics (UBT1) and Literature, Arts, and the Humanities (IWT1) this week.

ratbuddy

IWT1 (Literature, Arts, and the Humanities: Analysis and Interpretation) task 1 submitted, task 2 started. I'll finish it tomorrow.

I also added UBT1 (Introduction to Physics Lab) and DIV1 (Windows Server Admin Fundamentals, MTA 98-365 cert) to my degree plan. I'm taking this group slow, since I'm self-studying a bunch of other stuff. Expected date to clear the board again is next Friday, January 10th. After that, College Algebra (CIC1) and maybe Organization Behavior and Leadership (BNC1) or something. Dunno.

ratbuddy

Task 1 was returned for revision. Everything came back with perfect 2.0s except the references. I didn't do the in-text citations right. Resubmitted. Task 2 is halfway done.

edit: Task 1 already accepted, 2.0 across the board. They were really fast in getting to the resubmission. Now I just need to finish the slideshow for task 2

ratbuddy

Finally finished the slideshow for task 2 of IWT1. Just going to tweak the formatting and make sure I have the reference section right, then hopefully move on the the physics tasks. I've also scheduled the exam for MTA 96-365 (Windows Server Admin Fundamentals, I think) for a week from tomorrow.

I can't wait to finish the gen-ed performance tasks and get back to exam-based classes. Busy work annoys me.

ratbuddy

Had to resubmit the slideshow due to screwing up the in-text citations again. Fixed it, and just got back the results, and I'm done with IWT1. Yeesh, what a grind. The course mentor did email this link when I asked for example projects, and it definitely helped: http://bit.ly/18IzVLu

On the bright side, I got college credit for writing a paper comparing a 19th century poem, a WW2 painting, and Dumb and Dumber. Good times.

zidian

ratbuddy wrote: »

On the bright side, I got college credit for writing a paper comparing a 19th century poem, a WW2 painting, and Dumb and Dumber. Good times.

I remember doing something for a film appreciation class. I wrote a 10 page paper on the importance of symbols in the movie Boondock Saints. It was pretty funny writing about the F-word as an important symbol.

ratbuddy

Just passed the MTA 98-365 with a 90. Very basic exam. Know your A+ level stuff, know what active directory is and a little bit about how it works, and you'll pass this one for sure.

After I write the papers for physics, I'm going to start knocking out the IT-Software specific stuff, starting with the OCA Java cert.

74 CU done, 50 to go.

slotzero

Congrats! Keep it up, you're rokkin it!

acharya007

Thank you for this very inspiring and motivating thread ratbuddy. I am starting my 1st term @ WGU Feb 1st and had a quick question. If you skipped those basic courses how do you makeup for the total 123 credits required to graduate? Can you choose any course that's not listed on your degree plan?

ratbuddy

No need to make anything up. The stuff you bypass shows up as if you had transferred those CU in when you started.

NicWhite

I enjoy reading about your progress. Keep up the good work @ratbudy.

mikprat

Your thread is very inspiring..Keep it up. I plan on starting in the next few months and also planning on finishing in 1 year. You sound like you have a good mentor too. Is there a way to request your same mentor?

ratbuddy

I'll ask him on Tuesday.

Nothing new to report, by the way. Well, nothing major. I've submitted one paper for physics, and I'm doing the other one slowly. My main focus is studying for the OCA Java 7 exam. I'm aiming to be ready for the exam by the end of February. I'm also learning Lua and a few other things. After the OCA, I'll do the rest of the software track-specific stuff, like the Perl and Javascript CIW certs, IIRC. Change to security track May 1st, and hopefully graduate by August or so. Two year goal, mid-level developer job and complete the WGU MSISA. Five year goal, senior-level with a CSSLP. Subject to change, but today, those are my goals.

Oh, I did take the Organizational Behavior and Leadership (UBT1) preassessment last night, scored a 66, cut score 51, so I'll brush up on a few things, then schedule that exam, probably for the same time I take the College Algebra (CIC1) exam.

edit: Yay, just got notification that the first physics paper passed, just need to do the lab report now.

mikprat

So are you a super genius or something? The amount of classes you have knocked out in a couple of months is beyond amazing