I am getting close to choosing WGU as my online university of choice for finishing my BS in IT (going for the Network Design emphasis for the added MCSE certificate.) The flexibility and freedom of this truly self paced learning program is very appealing to me.

 There are a few questions that remain in my mind I need answered to really make a final decision. I am considerably worried I may not be able to find sufficient academic help if I were to get stuck. With no actual professor to ask specific questions or bounce my thoughts off of - can I truly rely 100% on my designated mentor to help me? Or is the online community generally open to providing and receiving help from others? I am just worried I may get caught in an unforseen difficulty on a late night, and not be able to get the help I need in a timely manner. Are the resources provided at WGU truly reliable? Should I consider a more B&M traditionally based online school if this is of much concern? 

Another general concern of mine is being able to transfer my BS in IT after I have earned it to another school for a Master's degree. My enrollment advisor told me that WGU graduates its students with a grade considered as a "B." He also mentioned some upper schools may require higher requirements in order to transfer for a Master's. Is this a limitation to be worried about? 

 I keep reading so many good things about this school, maybe I am just trying to look for the bad. I guess I am just looking for assurance that this online university is really as great as what I've read.

 Any feedback or general views would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

PS - I am also a bit worried about the proctored exams and finding a location in Northwest Ohio. I am hoping this could be worked out ahead of time. 

There is always a little bit of apprehension when someone is considering distance learning.  It is definitely not easy way out of earning a degree.  There is real work involved.  However, the school does want to see you succeed.  First of all, if their students aren't doing well, they aren't collecting tuition.  Online schools, like brick-and-mortar schools, are also concerned about their graduation rates.  I am a student at Andrew Jackson University, and any time I have needed help they have been quick to respond.  It was the same at Penn Foster College, where I also take courses.  In general, schools don't want to set you up for failure.  

Finding a proctor wasn't an issue for me.  The librarian at the local public library proctors my exams, and he doesn't charge anything at all.  

My experience with WGU was very positive - but the competency-based model is most definitely NOT for everyone.  Check the recent threads here about WGU and IT.

You can contact the other schools now about WGU.  Just be advised they almost certainly will attempt to get you enrolled in THEIR school immediately   I've never heard any horror stories - other than the usual some credits may not transfer because the courses are structured differently, and unfortunately have the same or very similar course titles - but that's true of all schools, not anything that is unique to WGU or distance learning.

Throughout your program at WGU you will have a personal mentor with bi-weekly contact, alternating via e-mail and telephone, and subject area specialists as you go through each subject area.  These are usually teams, and you will be contacting them and classmates online.   The only times you will have a delay of more than a few hours are the bi-annual graduation ceremonies - all the mentors get a week or so or additional training in conjunction with graduation (a major plus, in my estimation).

There are literally hundreds of pre-approved proctors - virtually every college co-operates through their own testing centers; also many/most commercial texting centers - like where you would normally have to go for those certification exams.  Otherwise, it's not difficult at all to make arrangements through the public library; we had a couple of military dudes/dudettes go through their military command.  (BTW, you're allotted roughly twice as much time as you're likely to need on the computer-based multiple-guess questions; plus the pre-assessment and scoring tool should guarantee that you will be prepared to ace it.) 

A couple of tips about the testing center - mine was only 3 miles away at a private college, still it was  routine to  have to park several light years away, so I allowed an extra 5-10 minutes for that nonsense; also the first and second work day of the week at 8 AM worked out best for me - never had those times turned down and never more than two or three others taking exams. Later in the week and particularly  later in the day and you start running into all sorts of complications.  Of course, your actual mileage may vary.

Most of it, though, is performance tasks - with rubrics specific to each one, so that's next to impossible to screw up either. (For example, if the rubrics call for "at least four examples" give them at least five )

The recommended textbooks are standards, and they generally aren't going to pitch a hissy-fit if you opt for a used copy, and most of the courses are okay-fine with the previous edition.  I'm strictly 'dead-tree version only' but many of the students are excited about e-books - where that option exists, and I'm not sure it's going to apply to many in IT.

With 26-week terms, you should be able to finish a lot faster than the computer-generated model indicates. 

The main difference at WGU as I see it is that you will never be hobbled with a dumb-as-rocks cohort, or have to re-order your life around someone else's schedule.  Everywhere else you have to carefully read the fine print about how they define "flexibility" and "at your own pace" - particularly when so many of them are only half-semester or half-quarter in length to begin with!  For the courses that come easiest to you, that's WAY too long; for courses that are an uphill battle, there's simply is no "extra" time to spend where you need it - it's push, push, push.  Still, 26-week terms is positively deadly if you're the least bit prone to procrastination and/or cavalier about time management and meeting your own goals and deadlines

If you haven't already done so, download and read the program guide for the program you're interested in, and pay particular attention to assessments and learning resources in the last few pages of the PDF file.

WGU is a good school and more importantly they are regionally accredited, a big deal if you plan on getting a masters degree and want a lot of options.  The requirements for grad admissions vary from one school to the next suffice to say most require an overall GPA right at or near the 3.0 mark for at least the last 30 to 60 hours of your BS however even this may vary as you might be given conditional admission or probationary admission and/or even asked to sit for a GRE exam or something.  The best thing to do is do your best.  Shoot for a GPA of 4.0, maybe you'll only get a 3.5 GPA but hey, even that's impressive.  If you have an idea of where you want to get your grad degree, check out their admissions requirements now, you may be glad you did.

As for WGU, good luck on your program and let us know how things work out for you.

Thanks for the replies so far.

 What I meant by WGU graduating its students with a "B," I meant they absolutely graduate all students with a "B." Meaning even if you did work which would grant an "A," you would still graduate with the lower grade... or at least thats how I understood it when my enrollment advisor explained it to me. I guess that is how their competency system works. I don't think I will run into too many problems the more I think about it though. I will just need to research some reputable masters programs when it comes time, and talk with that specific school about transfering my degree from WGU.  Though WGU does offer those programs also.

Anyway, I will be talking with the enrollment advisor again today to discuss financial arrangements. I will bring up these final questions with him also. Thanks again for the feedback, I came to this website after doing a lot of research. This is by far the best site for finding legitimate information and reviews on online schools. I'll do a follow up post on here after I get things rolling.

I wouldn't worry about the GPA issue unless you're gunning for really top schools for your Master's, and even those would also require test scores that would be an alternate way for you to demonstrate how awesome you are.  Same with faculty recommendations -- although if WGU's system doesn't have instructor led courses then that too might be an issue.

If you already have a sense of where you might want to go for your Master's, you could try asking their admissions people what their opinion is of WGU's approach.

-=Steve=-

You do get a numerical score on all assessments - if you're concerned about bragging rights   The just don't make it to the official transcript.  Perhaps in future they will since this has been an enormous stumbling block for graduates trying to explain to future employers,  The facts that this method has been approved by accreditation agencies, as well as independent consultants and advisors within industry and academia apparently isn't enough. 

The flip side of this of course is that the great unwashed masses are clueless that a score of 40 on a final exam is a perfect paper if the maximum score possible is only 40; or, perhaps more realistically, scores all over the board for the quarter or semester ranging from  odd numbers like  175 points to  850  mean  absolutely nothing without a detailed explanation. 

Hey everyone,

 Imagine my excitement to create my profile this morning and see that some of my "WGU Questions" have already been answered. Thank you!

I am considering WGU as well, in their Interdisciplinary Studies/Elem Ed. K-8 program.  My situation is such that I have 12 credits to transfer in, and about 25 hours per week to devote to my the program.  My credits are not enough, I don't feel, to eliminate entire portions of the program, they're an English 101 here and a Sociology 101 there, that kind of thing. 

I'm just curious with the "go at your own speed" and knowing my own learning style (I do well indepentantly and think I can work above average consistently) about how many terms would I realistically be looking at? I see there are nine terms in the program... is it possible to get through 2 full terms in six months? 

Anyone have experiences in going "fast" at WGU? How did that work for you?

Thanks!

Michael

With the competency-based model, losing credits in transfer isn't the BigDeal(tm) it is in schools based on seat-time   If you've already passed the course, this will be a simple matter of reviewing your notes, taking the pre-assessment for areas where you need more work, and a veritable calkwalk through the WGU assessment. 

As I've already gone into it in detail, go through my previous posts (not just this thread) - but essentially the computer generated model for 5 years is apparently based on very conservative assumptions: most notably a generous amount of time-off from your studies on weekends, holidays, and vacations, and a strict 15 hours per week.  Most people can sustain that very comfortably; many of us have more time than that, but I would caution against being overly optimistic about sprinting through the program without a few nasty speed bumps   Keep in mind that this is college and you're still expected to do college-level work. 

It's fairly routine to  shave off a couple of semesters if your study skills are better than then hypothetical "average" -  particularly your reading speed and comprehension, and your keyboarding skills and fluency with an office suite.  Some subjects are going to come very easily, others not so much.  That's precisely where the 26-week term and absolute flexibility kicks in!  You have to complete the performance tasks or proctored exam; that has absolutely, positively nothing whatsoever to do with seat-time, calendars, or someone else's schedule!  If it comes easily, you can finish that assessment in a few weeks; ordinarily you'd be obliged to suffer through the remaining dry, boring lectures until the end of the quarter or semester, but not here!  Similarly, if you're struggling with the subject, you can take your time without being forced to accept a mediocre grade and faulty understanding because you've run out of time.

I'm really not interest in that sort of thing, but it wasn't all that rare to read about students completing 30, 40, 50 credits in a term.  (One stay-at-home mom was putting in a 40-hour week now that her kids were in upper grades and able/willing to help out with household chores.  IIRC she completed 56 credits that term.)

Bottom line, the 5 years indicated by that computer generated model is very conservative IMNSHO, and most students with only 15 hours a week should complete their degree comfortably in 4 years, possibly closer to 3 1/2 or even 3.  Again, if your study skills are well-honed, and you're reading speed and keyboarding skills are better than the hypothetical average used in this model, you can pretty much schedule accordingly.  Keep in mind, though, that this is college, and you're expected to do college-level work

mike1981:

I'm just curious with the "go at your own speed" and knowing my own learning style (I do well indepentantly and think I can work above average consistently) about how many terms would I realistically be looking at? I see there are nine terms in the program... is it possible to get through 2 full terms in six months?

Have you contacted the school?  I wouldn't be shy about contacting their admissions people and asking what they think about this.  In this age where litigation has replaced baseball as the national pastime they're unlikely to say anything truly definitive, but they ought to be able to give you a good sense of things.

-=Steve=-

I actually just finished the program you're asking about, curiousitguy.  My experience was that if you had a question and asked the content mentors, you generally had an answer within 1 business day, usually sooner.  You have the option of contacting them during their office hours via a chat session or phone, via email, or opening discussions in the course community.  I found myself with great relationships with some of the content mentors I "spoke" with, and found them incredibly eager to help!  Do keep in mind that while you will generally get your answers during what we would consider normal business hours, there were occasions when I got an email at some odd hour, too.  And don't rule out the benefits of talking to your fellow students, either. 

I'm staying with WGU for my masters degree - I'm taking the MS in Info Security and Assurance starting in May - but I think that for anything but the really top tier schools, your solid "B" equivalent will be fine, especially in IT.  The highly competitive schools for MBAs might be more of a problem. 

I've really been happy with my experiences at WGU - it's not perfect, but then, neither were the B&M schools I've attended in the past.  What it is, is a solid school progressing steadily toward excellence, and the amazing flexibility of the school was exactly what I needed.  I finished my program in two years, taking 122 semester credit equivalents (WGU uses the term "competency units", but they are clear that these are roughly the equivalent of semester credits). 

Thanks SpaceDust, I was hoping a WGU student would chime in.

By the way, your screen name reminds me of an old saying, "Be humble for you are made of the Earth. Be noble for you are made of the stars."

-=Steve=-

Cajun:

Steve, who said that?

I've only seen it attributed simply as being a "Serbian proverb".

-=Steve=-