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+--- Thread: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? (/Thread-Is-the-final-capstone-course-for-the-IT-software-engineering-or-CS-major-hard)
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Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - whiverem - 06-04-2023
Or is it easy for all these majors?
Can someone with a GED and not much experience writing research papers pass this, after having completed most of the prior classes at Sophia, SDC, and some at WGU? And maybe pass it quickly?
This is the only reason I'm hesitant to try. I've haven't done any courses yet at Sophia, SDC, or at WGU. I don't want to have done all the courses and then be stuck at this one course and can't graduate and it all ends up being a huge waste of time.
I believe I could pass all the other classes for the degree though. For the IT major capstone course I think you have to write 35 pages but I'm not sure. Are you just answering mini questions or responding to small things and that ends up being your paper? Do you have to cite scientific journal articles or can you cite an article from something like tomsguide.com?
RE: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - LevelUP - 06-04-2023
(06-04-2023, 01:08 AM)whiverem Wrote: Or is it easy for all these majors?
Can someone with a GED and not much experience writing research papers pass this, after having completed most of the prior classes at Sophia, SDC, and some at WGU? And maybe pass it quickly?
This is the only reason I'm hesitant to try. I've haven't done any courses yet at Sophia, SDC, or at WGU. I don't want to have done all the courses and then be stuck at this one course and can't graduate and it all ends up being a huge waste of time.
I believe I could pass all the other classes for the degree though. For the IT major capstone course I think you have to write 35 pages but I'm not sure. Are you just answering mini questions or responding to small things and that ends up being your paper? Do you have to cite scientific journal articles or can you cite an article from something like tomsguide.com?
I didn't understand the concept of a research paper before I started TESU, but I was able to get through it. Picking a topic you are familiar with helps.
The hardest thing at WGU will be some of the all-or-nothing certification exams, though most of the IT ones aren't too difficult.
The mindset you need to have is that you're going to make it through; it's just a matter of time.
When you face challenges in certain courses, you can:
- Research the problem on the Internet.
- See how other people have gotten through the course.
- Ask peers.
- Ask your professor.
- Hire a tutor to guide you through the subject.
If, god forbid, things don't work out for you at WGU, you can always switch to a different college.
The number one reason why people fail at WGU is that they don't bring in enough transfer credit and are shocked to find that they have a lot of work to do to finish.
I suggest setting yourself a small goal of getting a free Pierpont BOG AAS, which can be done with all Sophia courses. By the time you complete 2-3 courses at Sophia, you'll start to get a feeling of whether you are ready to earn a college degree.
Commit just 10 minutes and start now by taking the first free lesson. Then you can officially consider yourself a college student.
https://www.sophia.org/
RE: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - rachel83az - 06-04-2023
I agree; you need to start somewhere. If you don't start, you're going to be stuck asking questions on these boards forever. At only $99/mo, Sophia is relatively low stakes and is a good place to start.
RE: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - whiverem - 06-04-2023
I'm going to do the Piperpont associate degree soon. Next thing after that for me was the WGU IT major degree, and I wanted to finish that as quickly and easily as possible.
RE: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - bjcheung77 - 06-04-2023
rachel83az Wrote:I agree; you need to start somewhere. If you don't start, you're going to be stuck asking questions on these boards forever. At only $99/mo, Sophia is relatively low stakes and is a good place to start.
*Ding Ding* You have a plan, get one thing done at a time by following through course by course. Have a spreadsheet created and link us to it...
whiverem Wrote:I'm going to do the Piperpont associate degree soon. Next thing after that for me was the WGU IT major degree, and I wanted to finish that as quickly and easily as possible.
Yes, do the Pierpont, it's just 1 ASU course for $25 and the rest are Sophia.org courses. I think the UMPI BLS MIS option would be better... you can ladder that up to the MAOL or WGU Masters after.
It'll look like this, Pierpont BOG AAS, UMPI BLS MIS, WGU Masters of your choice as long as you have the prerequisites completed.
RE: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - davewill - 06-04-2023
In the end, only you know how good a writer you are. I haven't dealt with WGU, but in the case of TESU, you turn in multiple drafts and get feedback to help you finish the final paper successfully. However, that's not going to make up for a serious lack of writing skills.
The main reason that two English courses are required is to teach you to write research papers. If you're really concerned about learning to do this, especially if you weren't exposed in high school, you may wish to take those courses in a more traditional setting like a community college.
To answer your question about structuring the paper, yes you come up with a main research question, then 3-5 subquestions that will help answer the main question. You research each of your questions, answering them each in turn, and then finally make a conclusion based on all of the research. You will have to cite every single piece of information you use and all quotations. A big part is citing everything correctly. You will be expected to use mostly academic sources, although there may be instances where citing an article on tomsguide.com could be appropriate.
RE: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - origamishuttle - 06-04-2023
(06-04-2023, 01:08 AM)whiverem Wrote: For the IT major capstone course I think you have to write 35 pages but I'm not sure. Are you just answering mini questions or responding to small things and that ends up being your paper? Do you have to cite scientific journal articles or can you cite an article from something like tomsguide.com?
All WGU papers should be written to the rubric. A good method to do this is to convert each requirement to a heading or subheading and then start filling in each section, then edit/refine until it looks good enough. For the capstone, you choose the topic, but it needs to be approved by the instructor. It's generally best to choose a simpler subject with enough sources available to cite. That way it's easier to write about it, and it's easier to find sources to do the reviews of other work - you need seven. The CI should also provide tips and resources to help guide you, and you will have unlimited attempts, so all in all, the capstone is not too bad.
RE: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - whiverem - 06-04-2023
(06-04-2023, 11:03 AM)bjcheung77 Wrote:rachel83az Wrote:I agree; you need to start somewhere. If you don't start, you're going to be stuck asking questions on these boards forever. At only $99/mo, Sophia is relatively low stakes and is a good place to start.
*Ding Ding* You have a plan, get one thing done at a time by following through course by course. Have a spreadsheet created and link us to it...
whiverem Wrote:I'm going to do the Piperpont associate degree soon. Next thing after that for me was the WGU IT major degree, and I wanted to finish that as quickly and easily as possible.
Yes, do the Pierpont, it's just 1 ASU course for $25 and the rest are Sophia.org courses. I think the UMPI BLS MIS option would be better... you can ladder that up to the MAOL or WGU Masters after.
It'll look like this, Pierpont BOG AAS, UMPI BLS MIS, WGU Masters of your choice as long as you have the prerequisites completed.
I don't know which courses to do at UMPI. Does UMPI use something like Zybooks or Ucertify or Cert Master like WGU by any chance?
For WGU it's pretty clear what to take there according to these pages:
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/WGU_IT_Computer_Science_Degree_Plan
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/WGU_IT_Information_Technology_Degree_Plan
Edit: I just came across this: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/UMPI_BLS_Management_Information_Systems_Degree_Plan. For the classes to take at UMPI, like BUS 200: Intermediate Business Computing, BUS 345: Database Management Systems, BUS 440: Business Analytics, and UMPI UL Courses, can I learn the material from other websites easily to prepare for these classes, like maybe something like Coursera or something else? I like to learn material for classes where I have to read from easy sources before taking the classes. Is there group work in these classes? Are the quizzes, tests, or exams proctored, or do you have set limited time to do them or do you have as much time as you might want? Can I finish the classes as quickly as I want like at WGU or do I need to wait for the semester to end to do more classes? Thanks for guidance on this, I really appreciate it.
RE: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - rachel83az - 06-04-2023
UMPI is almost all papers and projects. Zybooks is programming. UMPI doesn't have a technical Bachelor's degree right now.
RE: Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard? - origamishuttle - 06-04-2023
(06-04-2023, 12:32 PM)whiverem Wrote: I don't know which courses to do at UMPI.
Yes, WGU degrees have specific courses and no electives, whereas UMPI has electives and multiples minors/concetrations to complicate things. The courses you take at UMPI are dictated by which degree you choose. There are specific courses required for gen eds and for a minor/concentration, and there are a certain number of UL courses you need to complete at UMPI. Assuming you transfer 90 credits and have less than 10 specific courses left in your degree, you'll need to fill the remaining with UL/LL electives.