My WGU BS-CSIA Journey

[Life_One]

I think you got it pat down perfectly. 20 units should be doable as you mentioned. Haha, don't worry too much about the camera or anything, just keep plugging in...

Thank you, it will come together.

[Life_One]

Some updates!

On 2/4/19 I passed Fundamentals of Information Security and on 2/6/19 passed Ethics in Technology. I am currently taking C779 Web Development Foundations, this class is being more of a pain than I like but I aim to take the OA this Friday if my Mentor approves the OA this Wednesday. I'm not a book learner and the UCertify material for this course isn't the best for my style. Thank goodness I have access to Lynda and Quizlet!

I am enjoying the class but I think it would make much more sense to include a Python or R course instead of HTML but what do I know lol. I'll probably update this in a month or when I knock out another few courses.

I'm really happy with WGU.

*Update, there is no longer a PA for this class (C779) and I am told the quiz's are much harder than they used to be, with the OA being relatively easy.

[Life_One]

Time for an update. 

Class Credits Completed 
Fundamentals of Information Security – C836 3 yes 2/4/2019
Ethics in Technology – C961 3 Yes 2/6/2019
Orientation – ORA1 0 Yes 2/28/2019
Web Development Foundations – C779 3 Yes 2/24/2019


While the first month was good, this month has been hell. I am stuck on the Business of IT - Applications – C846 which is the ITIL foundations exam. As of this writing, I have failed the OA twice. The first time by one question and the second time by three questions.

Even though I score in the passing range on various material for the exam and I have used Pluralsite and Lynda for their resources, I can't seem to grasp this word salad of a certification. While the methodology is sound and I find it interesting the test for the exam differs from my study material.

Which brings me to some other thoughts about WGU and school. I choose WGU because of speed and affordability and I can now understand if you are in your professional career what a God send WGU is. If you know your material you can blaze right through and complete the degree in no time. The added Certs are just the bonus to the degree.

But if you aren't a professional or you where a professional and have been out of the field for a while I think some value of WGU is lost. That value being speed, All the material I have used has been provided by Ucertify through WGU, which ranges from this isn't too bad, to what in the world are they teaching? Then combine that with the fact I am not a book learner makes learning the material harder than it should for me.


While I love the school itself and my Student Mentor is phenomenal, I wish there was a campus nearby where I could talk to other students about the class or attend lectures or something. When I was taking my Certified Ethical hacker (CEH) class at a Brick and Morter I learned everything from the hands-on labs with other students and my professor showing us ways to better implement attacks and what not. I would have never learned as much from a book. I would have failed the class instead of achieving a good grade.

The last area I want to cover is networking and employability. If you are a professional you don't need either of those things from the University, but if you don't have a career in the field, you would need help through internships and other means which are not offered at WGU.  

I have looked at the cost of state schools and others and while they are expensive, they might be a better fit for me. WGU has been paid for the year and I will continue to grind out as many credits as I can but if I would have to do this for two years. It would be 100% miserable. 

Just some thoughts as I continue forward.

[udi]

Time for an update. 

Class Credits Completed 
Fundamentals of Information Security – C836 3 yes 2/4/2019
Ethics in Technology – C961 3 Yes 2/6/2019
Orientation – ORA1 0 Yes 2/28/2019
Web Development Foundations – C779 3 Yes 2/24/2019


While the first month was good, this month has been hell. I am stuck on the Business of IT - Applications – C846 which is the ITIL foundations exam. As of this writing, I have failed the OA twice. The first time by one question and the second time by three questions.

Even though I score in the passing range on various material for the exam and I have used Pluralsite and Lynda for their resources, I can't seem to grasp this word salad of a certification. While the methodology is sound and I find it interesting the test for the exam differs from my study material.

Which brings me to some other thoughts about WGU and school. I choose WGU because of speed and affordability and I can now understand if you are in your professional career what a God send WGU is. If you know your material you can blaze right through and complete the degree in no time. The added Certs are just the bonus to the degree.

But if you aren't a professional or you where a professional and have been out of the field for a while I think some value of WGU is lost. That value being speed, All the material I have used has been provided by Ucertify through WGU, which ranges from this isn't too bad, to what in the world are they teaching? Then combine that with the fact I am not a book learner makes learning the material harder than it should for me.


While I love the school itself and my Student Mentor is phenomenal, I wish there was a campus nearby where I could talk to other students about the class or attend lectures or something. When I was taking my Certified Ethical hacker (CEH) class at a Brick and Morter I learned everything from the hands-on labs with other students and my professor showing us ways to better implement attacks and what not. I would have never learned as much from a book. I would have failed the class instead of achieving a good grade.

The last area I want to cover is networking and employability. If you are a professional you don't need either of those things from the University, but if you don't have a career in the field, you would need help through internships and other means which are not offered at WGU.  

I have looked at the cost of state schools and others and while they are expensive, they might be a better fit for me. WGU has been paid for the year and I will continue to grind out as many credits as I can but if I would have to do this for two years. It would be 100% miserable. 

Just some thoughts as I continue forward.

My biggest fear about WGU. I definitely wouldn't start my term without the maximum transfer allowance. I was thinking about doing the data science master's, but didn't because I read that the Oracle, I think, class was the hardest and took months to study for and pass.

[Life_One]

Time for an update. 

Class Credits Completed 
Fundamentals of Information Security – C836 3 yes 2/4/2019
Ethics in Technology – C961 3 Yes 2/6/2019
Orientation – ORA1 0 Yes 2/28/2019
Web Development Foundations – C779 3 Yes 2/24/2019


While the first month was good, this month has been hell. I am stuck on the Business of IT - Applications – C846 which is the ITIL foundations exam. As of this writing, I have failed the OA twice. The first time by one question and the second time by three questions.

Even though I score in the passing range on various material for the exam and I have used Pluralsite and Lynda for their resources, I can't seem to grasp this word salad of a certification. While the methodology is sound and I find it interesting the test for the exam differs from my study material.

Which brings me to some other thoughts about WGU and school. I choose WGU because of speed and affordability and I can now understand if you are in your professional career what a God send WGU is. If you know your material you can blaze right through and complete the degree in no time. The added Certs are just the bonus to the degree.

But if you aren't a professional or you where a professional and have been out of the field for a while I think some value of WGU is lost. That value being speed, All the material I have used has been provided by Ucertify through WGU, which ranges from this isn't too bad, to what in the world are they teaching? Then combine that with the fact I am not a book learner makes learning the material harder than it should for me.


While I love the school itself and my Student Mentor is phenomenal, I wish there was a campus nearby where I could talk to other students about the class or attend lectures or something. When I was taking my Certified Ethical hacker (CEH) class at a Brick and Morter I learned everything from the hands-on labs with other students and my professor showing us ways to better implement attacks and what not. I would have never learned as much from a book. I would have failed the class instead of achieving a good grade.

The last area I want to cover is networking and employability. If you are a professional you don't need either of those things from the University, but if you don't have a career in the field, you would need help through internships and other means which are not offered at WGU.  

I have looked at the cost of state schools and others and while they are expensive, they might be a better fit for me. WGU has been paid for the year and I will continue to grind out as many credits as I can but if I would have to do this for two years. It would be 100% miserable. 

Just some thoughts as I continue forward.

My biggest fear about WGU. I definitely wouldn't start my term without the maximum transfer allowance. I was thinking about doing the data science master's, but didn't because I read that the Oracle, I think, class was the hardest and took months to study for and pass.

I only have experience with one class mentor/professor he was nice and quick to respond to my questions. The mentor asked me what I needed help with and I said "I'm trying to get a feel for it (ITIL) but I can't seem to grasp the concepts" they sent me a remedial plan which had me complete the quiz's and tests in Ucertify. I Imagine if you were taking the oracle class you would receive a similar response. I'm not sure how in de-depth it allows them to be with students or if it allows them to give us outside material.

If you pursue WGU for your masters, I wish you the best of luck.

[TrailRunr]

Join the WGU IT slack channel. I think it's wguit.slack.com. I suspect a lot of your fellow students feel exactly the same way about the ITIL course. I believe many students use their own resources instead of the inferior resources provided by WGU to maximize speed and efficiency.

[quigongene]

I remember many in the Slack channel mentioning an ITIL phone app as the best way to study for that exam. After all the horror stories I read, I just took the MIS DSST before I enrolled.

[Life_One]

Join the WGU IT slack channel. I think it's wguit.slack.com. I suspect a lot of your fellow students feel exactly the same way about the ITIL course. I believe many students use their own resources instead of the inferior resources provided by WGU to maximize speed and efficiency.

I remember many in the Slack channel mentioning an ITIL phone app as the best way to study for that exam.  After all the horror stories I read, I just took the MIS DSST before I enrolled.

I wish I would have taken the MIS DSST for sure, That looks so much more bearable. I doubt I can do that now but I'll ask. 
I have the ITIL App and I am not great with it, but I'll use the app to study and forget the rest, that seems to be the consensus.

Thank you guys for the feedback, I'm taking it easy this week and I'm working on my plan.

[Merlin]

I remember many in the Slack channel mentioning an ITIL phone app as the best way to study for that exam.  After all the horror stories I read, I just took the MIS DSST before I enrolled.

I wish I would have taken the MIS DSST for sure, That looks so much more bearable. I doubt I can do that now but I'll ask. 
I have the ITIL App and I am not great with it, but I'll use the app to study and forget the rest, that seems to be the consensus.

Thank you guys for the feedback, I'm taking it easy this week and I'm working on my plan.

Unfortunately, once your term begins at WGU you cannot transfer in additional credits. This includes credits earned at other schools, and via ACE courses, CLEP, DSST, etc. Since you started in February, the DSST is no longer an option unless you quit and come back or something along those lines.

[Life_One]

I remember many in the Slack channel mentioning an ITIL phone app as the best way to study for that exam. After all the horror stories I read, I just took the MIS DSST before I enrolled.

I wish I would have taken the MIS DSST for sure, That looks so much more bearable. I doubt I can do that now but I'll ask.
I have the ITIL App and I am not great with it, but I'll use the app to study and forget the rest, that seems to be the consensus.

Thank you guys for the feedback, I'm taking it easy this week and I'm working on my plan.

Unfortunately, once your term begins at WGU you cannot transfer in additional credits. This includes credits earned at other schools, and via ACE courses, CLEP, DSST, etc. Since you started in February, the DSST is no longer an option unless you quit and come back or something along those lines.

That's a really good point. We will see how it ends up,Things can only go forward.