My Journey from Dead End Job to Success

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - Printable Version

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My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - passit1 - 04-16-2016

The papers vary depending on the assignment and they usually require APA for citations. I use my existing knowledge to write the papers and then find scholarly articles to support my answers. Much faster than reading all the course material, doing research and then writing the paper. All except for global marketing - the amount of research for a topic I know so little about is really cutting into my productivity and driving me nuts.
About half the courses have challenge exams. Quickest way for this is to take handy pre-assessment to determine baseline and create a study plan from the coaching report WGU provides based on the pre-assessment. From there I figure out etext chapters to cover and maybe take a webinar for courses that have a higher degree of difficulty to the challenge exam. Exam gets scheduled for about a week from when I start studying but frequently I feel ready before the scheduled date and reschedule for sooner.
The support from WGU is very helpful with the mentor giving info on resources and instructors sending emailed webinar links - excellent that I don't have to sift through all the course material to find the most useful bits.
Basically, plan the work and work the plan.

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - jsd - 04-16-2016

Thanks for the insight! I appreciate it. I'd be interested in a program like WGU, but without a BSBA background I'd worry my knowledge gap is too wide.

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - KayV - 04-16-2016

passit1 Wrote:The papers vary depending on the assignment and they usually require APA for citations. I use my existing knowledge to write the papers and then find scholarly articles to support my answers. Much faster than reading all the course material, doing research and then writing the paper.

Basically, plan the work and work the plan.

For someone who already knows the subject, this is outstanding advice, especially for people who are easily mired in research and end up trying to write a three-volume masterpiece instead of a paper. Great idea!

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - passit1 - 04-18-2016

While I was researching more information to revise the Marketing project a course advisor sent me an email and offered a half hour phone call to give me advice. Very glad I took her up on it. And it taught me a valuable lesson about reaching out to the course advisors. I don't tend to ask for help from sources I don't know about. Nothing frustrates me more than wasting time with someone who is no help whatsoever.

I was coming at this from too much of a hard data perspective and not from a theoretical one and I wouldn't not have known that if not for the advisor. Impressed with the knowledge she had on the course and the project and more impressed that WGU pays attention to their customers. They know my type is out there and reached out. This is the fourth unprompted offer of support that came and all were immensely helpful. The other ones were a Financial Management recorded webinar link, a form showing how to use a financial calculator, an email inviting me to a live webinar (ethics exam was full of tricky wording and the webinar told us what to look for) and Panapto webinars showing us how to make our own for the Management communications project.

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - rebel100 - 04-18-2016

jsd Wrote:Thanks for the insight! I appreciate it. I'd be interested in a program like WGU, but without a BSBA background I'd worry my knowledge gap is too wide.

I suspect you would be fine, perhaps a tiny bit slower, but the WGU MBA is forgiving of prior background by design.

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - jsd - 04-18-2016

rebel100 Wrote:I suspect you would be fine, perhaps a tiny bit slower, but the WGU MBA is forgiving of prior background by design.

Thanks for the encouragement Smile

A little early for me to be worrying about this, but does WGU post the syllabi for their classes publicly (like TESU and some other schools do) so I can get a feel of the structure of the courses? Obviously I don't expect them to post their assignments and such publicly, but I'd be interested in seeing what textbooks they use and all of that fun stuff.

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - videogamesrock - 04-18-2016

I just uploaded my resume on Monster to see what's out there. I keep getting calls for insurance position jobs.
Any idea how to make the insurance companies stop calling?

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - passit1 - 04-18-2016

jsd Wrote:Thanks for the encouragement

A little early for me to be worrying about this, but does WGU post the syllabi for their classes publicly (like TESU and some other schools do) so I can get a feel of the structure of the courses? Obviously I don't expect them to post their assignments and such publicly, but I'd be interested in seeing what textbooks they use and all of that fun stuff.

This right here - you checking into it and making decisions this way....you are MBA material and would do very well.
They give you everything - the texts are electronic and are accessed through the website once your degree plan loads.
I don't think they list everything but the names of the courses but there's a great blog post about someone who did the program and it gave me a solid overview before I took the plunge:
How I Did an MBA in 4.5 Months at WGU Online

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - jsd - 04-18-2016

passit1 Wrote:This right here - you checking into it and making decisions this way....you are MBA material and would do very well.
They give you everything - the texts are electronic and are accessed through the website once your degree plan loads.
I don't think they list everything but the names of the courses but there's a great blog post about someone who did the program and it gave me a solid overview before I took the plunge:
How I Did an MBA in 4.5 Months at WGU Online

This link is great!

This table of how it was all broken down for him is very, very helpful. I know it's harder work than it seems, but the table makes it seem so manageable. I know I won't be finishing anything up in 4.5 months, but I love this outline.

Now that I think about it... you might be on pace to beat his time! Good luck! Wink

[table]
[tr]
[th]Class[/th]
[th]Chapters to read[/th]
[th]Assessments[/th]
[th]Dates[/th]
[th]Time Completed[/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C200 Managing Organizations & Leading People[/td]
[td]9[/td]
[td]2 papers[/td]
[td]November 3-18[/td]
[td]16 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C211 Global Economics for Managers[/td]
[td]20[/td]
[td]exam[/td]
[td]November 19-26[/td]
[td]8 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C202 Managing Human Capital[/td]
[td]14[/td]
[td]exam[/td]
[td]November 27-December 5[/td]
[td]9 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C204 Management Communication[/td]
[td]16[/td]
[td]oral presentation, paper[/td]
[td]December 5-13[/td]
[td]9 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C212 Marketing[/td]
[td]22[/td]
[td]paper, exam[/td]
[td]December 13-23[/td]
[td]11 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C213 Accounting for Decision makers[/td]
[td]11[/td]
[td]exam[/td]
[td]December 24-January 2[/td]
[td]10 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C206 Ethical Leadership[/td]
[td]8[/td]
[td]2 papers, exam[/td]
[td]January 2-14[/td]
[td]13 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C214 Financial Management[/td]
[td]15[/td]
[td]exam[/td]
[td]January 14-21[/td]
[td]8 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C207 Data-Driven Decision Making[/td]
[td]7[/td]
[td]2 papers, exam[/td]
[td]January 21-30[/td]
[td]10 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C215 Operations Management[/td]
[td]13[/td]
[td]exam[/td]
[td]January 30-February 6[/td]
[td]8 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]C216 Capstone[/td]
[td]7[/td]
[td]6 quizzes, team simulation, 3 papers, oral presentation[/td]
[td]February 7-March 18[/td]
[td]40 days[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Total[/td]
[td]142[/td]
[td]11 papers, 6 quizzes, 8 exams, 1 team simulation, 2 oral presentations[/td]
[td]November 3-March 18[/td]
[td]135 days (4.5 months)[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

My Journey from Dead End Job to Success - passit1 - 04-18-2016

Just because something's completed quickly doesn't mean it isn't hard. If memory serves Mr. 4.5 months owned his business and took a leave to complete the program. So yeah, some of us are keeping the pace while still working, not that it's a competition or anything...I'm mean it's just great we can all get a degree...not like I'm trying to beat his time or anything...no, not me.....