WGU - faster to just do it all there - or - Sophia/Study.com????

[dfrecore]

In addition to what was mentioned, you're the one who can actually answer the query you have as you know your own commitments and schedule.  Each individual scenario is different and the route they choose for their situation will be similar but not identical.  You've not provided us with much details, if you did the template and addendum, we would know your background, education, experience, skills, etc.  For someone who has all of the info they need to accelerate, completing everything at WGU would be easy.  For someone starting out, then transfer the max from Sophia/Study.com, etc.  You're most likely in between, so I would highly recommend completing the bulk from Sophia before you enroll at WGU.  In fact, I am leaning to the latter, finish the max of 90 credits before beginning at WGU as you've been a senior member for some time, life happens and commitments change, you don't want to pay for a term at WGU when something unexpected happens, you can always "pause" membership from most ACE providers...

I would also say that doing self-paced courses through Study.com or Sophia or whatever is a good test trial for yourself - if you don't get more than 2 or 3 courses done in a single month, then a CBE program may not be the right one for you; better to find out with a $99 or $199 month at Sophia or SDC than a $3800 term at WGU.

[esh]

Appreciate the replies.

There are a few youtube reviewers that suggested it was much faster to do all courses through WGU.
-practice test - study up on what you didn't know - then final test.
So their suggestion was that this is faster than Study or Sophia because there are no unit quizzes throughout the course.

My question for those that have done so, is if this is really true and faster. (realizing its probably a bit more expensive as it will mean addition time/tuition at WGU rates while Study and Sophia are more affordable.
Again - time is my priority.

thanks again.

[ashkir]

It really depends on how well you are with the platforms. IF WGU is easier for you, and you can knock down classes quickly than that. Many people can finish a Sophia class every 2-3 days

[MNomadic]

Appreciate the replies.

There are a few youtube reviewers that suggested it was much faster to do all courses through WGU.
-practice test - study up on what you didn't know - then  final test.
So their suggestion was that this is faster than Study or Sophia because there are no unit quizzes throughout the course.

My question for those that have done so, is if this is really true and faster. (realizing its probably a bit more expensive as it will mean addition time/tuition at WGU rates while Study and Sophia are more affordable.
Again - time is my priority.

thanks again.

Again, this depends. It depends upon you and it depends on the class. I've done many classes at study.com, Sophia, WGU, traditional college, and more. Some classes could be easy to study for and pass a test. Some classes have heavily involved projects. Some classes require much more studying to learn(for example, learning a new programming language). The YouTubers you speak of are greatly simplifying the topic. 

Example 1: several classes recommended at Sophia like project management and web development can be completed within a few days even if you're starting from zero knowledge. The quizzes/tests are open book and low stakes. The corresponding classes at WGU require passing a single test but many people repeatedly fail those particular tests for one reason or another and get stuck on those classes for months at a time. In that case it would have been much faster to complete the courses at Sophia.

Example 2: Critical thinking and logic is a course that can be completed at study.com but involves writing 3 papers, taking dozens of quizzes, and taking a proctored final. That same course through WGU involves a single test that many find quite doable. I personally passed it without studying at all because it felt like common sense to me. Obviously it was much faster that way. 

There's no simple answer because everyone has different strengths and preexisting knowledge plus every class is different. You really would have to go class by class to figure out which are faster by which means, and even then, it's still a guess. I don't know which program you're doing so I can't offer any further guidance but Dfrecore's advice of trying out some courses at an alternative credit provider before committing to a term at WGU is an excellent idea in my opinion.

[esh]

Thanks everyone. Extremely helpful.
MNomadics detailed post highlighted the issues in a way I hadn't considered. Awesome post.

I'll dive into the search function and see what the braintrust thinks about this on a course by course basis and will try and consolidate that info into something that future searchers might find helpful.

[rachel83az]

Bear in mind that some of the courses have changed recently (in the past 6-ish months?) and others might also have changed since the last time someone posted about the class. WGU seems to always be changing things around, which can be confusing for students who are trying to make decisions.

[ss20ts]

As someone who has completed a CBE program, I never would have attempted it without completing courses on Sophia. That's where I learned I could actually do it. I set up schedules for myself and completed most of my classes pretty quickly. I didn't think I had it in me. Then Sophia was free for a period of time so I had nothing to lose.

I see soooooooo many people on socials struggling with countless classes at WGU. Many people are not prepared for CBE. I often wonder if they took classes on Sophia or Study prior to enrolling at WGU and how those courses could have changed their academic plans. It's one thing to say you can be successful at a CBE program. It's another thing to actually be successful and complete your degree. Every day I see people quit WGU because they're struggling with the CBE format. It is not for everyone.

[bjcheung77]

Thanks everyone. Extremely helpful.
MNomadics detailed post highlighted the issues in a way I hadn't considered. Awesome post.

I'll dive into the search function and see what the braintrust thinks about this on a course by course basis and will try and consolidate that info into something that future searchers might find helpful.

This is what I would recommend, since you're stuck at two paths and deciding which way to go... You know what WGU requires and what can be transferred or not, create a spreadsheet of the requirements and the courses that can be transferred in. Look up the providers and see how many assignments, quizzes, finals there are for each provider and put it into the spreadsheet. That will be your best bet, so you can have the max mix/match of all the requirements to get this done the fastest... So for example, complete all the Sophia.org courses that transfer over without any assignments, I think those may be easier/faster than at WGU.

[dfrecore]

As someone who has completed a CBE program, I never would have attempted it without completing courses on Sophia. That's where I learned I could actually do it. I set up schedules for myself and completed most of my classes pretty quickly. I didn't think I had it in me. Then Sophia was free for a period of time so I had nothing to lose.

I see soooooooo many people on socials struggling with countless classes at WGU. Many people are not prepared for CBE. I often wonder if they took classes on Sophia or Study prior to enrolling at WGU and how those courses could have changed their academic plans. It's one thing to say you can be successful at a CBE program. It's another thing to actually be successful and complete your degree. Every day I see people quit WGU because they're struggling with the CBE format. It is not for everyone.

My kid needs ONE class - Intro to Computing - to get her Pierpont BOG AAS.  She has been dragging it out for at least a month now, probably more, on Study.com.  She was on Sophia for a month and got through Developing Effective Teams (1cr).  She is a conscientious student with a 3.2GPA, and has taken 16-week, 8-week, and 10-week courses, and never missed a deadline.  But apparently, she does NOT do well without those deadlines. (I too struggled with this).

So to know that ahead of time, and not throw away money on a CBE program, is worth a lot.

[ss20ts]

My kid needs ONE class - Intro to Computing - to get her Pierpont BOG AAS.  She has been dragging it out for at least a month now, probably more, on Study.com.  She was on Sophia for a month and got through Developing Effective Teams (1cr).  She is a conscientious student with a 3.2GPA, and has taken 16-week, 8-week, and 10-week courses, and never missed a deadline.  But apparently, she does NOT do well without those deadlines. (I too struggled with this).

So to know that ahead of time, and not throw away money on a CBE program, is worth a lot.

Without that free period on Sophia I never would have tried UMPI. I didn't think I had it in me to set and stick to my own deadlines. Sophia gave me the opportunity to prove to myself that I could do it. I see a ton of people not complete the minimum 4 course requirement at WGU in the 6 month term. Then they freak out the last few weeks. So many have to leave the program because they don't get the courses done. I really think many people would benefit from Sophia or Study before enrolling in a CBE program. A lot of people struggle without deadlines and having someone like a professor to remind them of the work they need to get done. Knowing you need this kind of help in advance would save a lot of people a lot of money, time, and headaches. CBE is definitely not for everyone.