What is wgu like

Khan academy made videos to teach differential calculus to ninth graders for FREE. Edx posts college lectures for FREE. There is no excuse for this. Someone is profiting at the non-profit. I complained to my "mentor" in an email. No response. I complained to the Better Business Bureau. WGU responded publicly that any grievances with the university must be handled internally. I did some digging and found out that that school had been audited by the Department of Education in and the Inspector General proposed the biggest fine in the history of the Department million.

It is a correspondence program and not a Title IV online school which normally has streaming lectures to fulfill an instructor-student communication requirement for federal aid yet is still collecting money from federal loans and Pell grants as if it was Title IV compliant. In an attempt to get around the requirements, WGU created a "mentor" system to fulfill the amount of communication between instructor and student needed to be compliant. But these mentors aren't really instructors and have nothing to do with with your course, and act more like academic advisors.

Yes the school is accredited, because if you survive it's high attrition rate you will know things, but that doesn't mean it follows normal teaching and business ethics, of even the law. You can find the OIG report here: www2. Jill Brown. I found WGU's program excellent and exactly what I needed.

The work-at-my-pace was very important since I was working full time as a teacher while working on my master's degree. While it is work-at-your-own pace, you do have to finish a certain number of credits per semester to stay in good standing. My mentor was good at putting the positive pressure on me when I needed it and also connected me to additional resources. While all of the course instructors were helpful, when I got into the higher math classes like Abstract Algebra and Advanced Calculus, I had one that was a favorite and helped some much.

It was definitely rigorous, but I was able to easily pass the Math Praxis exam on my first attempt after going through the program, and I wasn't a previous math major. I would definitely say this works for a certain type of student - I have always done well with online programs and am highly self-motivated. If you are not a disciplined self learner then you may struggle with your studies.

All course material is provided online and there is no peer interaction. I was okay with this since I like to study on my own. My only complaint would be the course instructors. The course instructors tend to be hands off unless you ask for assistance.

Program mentors on the other hand are extremely valuable. My program mentor was amazing and really helped me stay motivated. I plan on returning and starting a masters program soon.

I hated my brick and mortar school. It was more interested in stealing money from me whether it was parking tickets or extra fees. It was horrible. Now, competency-based grading takes some getting used to. I definitely had a few fits about it and probably drove my mentor and instructors crazy at times. To earn a legitimate Master's degree in 6 months, I had to write a 6-page paper every other day.

There is no way that I wrote this much or researched this much in 1. Let me stress one huge thing. Even on the weekends. Yes, at times you will get frustrated when a paper gets returned to you for the fourth time. And yes, it will say where you are not competent which smacks your ego right in the face. However, for the money and with wonderful, rapid responses to your questions, you cannot beat WGU for this degree. If you are already teaching, start the program over the summer and get most of it done before you go back to school.

I started July 1 with a plan to finish in December winter break if necessary. That pace is for almost no one, but it can be done. Just get ready to lock yourself in your basement after you put your kids to bed for two straight months. No lectures, homework, accredited, sounds great right? This school is terrible, I would not recommend it to anyone. First off, many of the posts you see online praising WGU sound like bot spam or marketing ploys. It is almost creepy. It is hard to find real information about this school.

They do a very good job managing their reputation online, in other words deleting or hiding posts that shame them, and promoting posts that make them look good. Second, many students at this school are just trying to "check off the box" for HR as many even on this website wrote in their reviews. Personally, I think this is a bad rap for the school overall but especially for graduates, do you really want to be from a school where the entire alumni was trying to "check off the box"?

That being said, their degrees are accredited somehow but that doesn't mean their program is any good. Third, they will tell you just about anything to get you into the program and they make it sound so much better then it actually is. Many of the degrees offered at WGU IT, Nursing, Business Administration cater to technical industries - they are technical degrees, for technical careers.

The careers they set you up for require hands-on instruction, and real world experience. You can't get this at WGU. The jobs they are supposedly setting you up for have functions that are so technical it would require a real instructor, and a physical lab environment where they can try new things, make mistakes, get their hands dirty so to speak.

Again you can't get this at WGU. No group projects, no other students to network with, no true opportunities to gain soft skills or learn anything useful. Don't listen to all the bots and BS that this school saved the day. Save yourself the time, money, and energy, just go to a state school. I was misinformed about students placing themselves and I feel like I have had no help with Complio until after I ordered the wrong package.

I have done everything by myself because I did not know who to contact. I will say my mentor has tried to help me as much as she could. I feel as if WGU should have someone reach out to the students to help them way before the students plan to observe.

After starting the program, I had a lot of unexpected obstacles that I encountered along the way that would cause me to lose motivation at times. WGU may not work for everyone, but in my opinion, it really is a great school. There were assessments that I had to retake along with papers that I had to revise, but all in all it was a good experience. The program requires goal setting, dedication, and studying. One of the things that helped me the most was following the rubric, and by doing that I was more successful.

Throughout the program, I found some courses along with a few assignments to be rather challenging, while the remaining were a breeze. With self motivation and the support of my mentor and the Facebook group, I was able to stay on track.

I am now in the process of enrolling into WGU Masters degree program. It is entirely online. No instruction except some recorded cohorts with details about the assessment papers that sometime contradict the actual instructions.

Evaluation of the papers submitted are based entirely on compliance with APA mistype the name of an author once or the year of publication…it will be returned not competent even if everything else is perfect and whether you can repeat back the wording of the prompts enough. There is no constructive feedback.

No way to know whether it was just okay or really good. For a fraction of the price, you can enter WGU's mostly self-study program and get the exact same degree.

A Bachelor's degree alone does not guarantee success in your chosen field certifications and experience are more important ; however, it does get you that check mark from the Human Resources department which gives you opportunities to impress the persons in charge that actually make the hiring decisions. What do you really get for all that extra money? The ability to say you graduated from a University with a big league football team? No thank you. I should have listened to the other reviews that said not to attend this school.

However, I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt and see for myself. Welp, I did just that, and unfortunately, the negative reviews are valid. I did the work, submitted it, it got sent back to me, I followed the "mentor's" instructions, it got sent back again, I made an appointment with the "instructor", I was sitting right by my phone when I missed her call my fault , I called right back, got her vm, listened to the message she left me and went to the website to reschedule another call with her to find that the next available appt with her was not until weeks after the class ended.

I love the competency based school because we did not have any homework which is great because I did not have much extra time. It allowed me to be flexible and was really what I needed since I was working full time. Overall, I had a fantastic experience with WGU. My personal mentor was so helpful, encouraging, and kind!

The way the programs are set up with accelerated learning options and flexible hours made it possible for me to complete my degree quickly and at my own pace. The added requirement of the edTPA is my only complaint as of now.

It makes it difficult for teacher candidates to enjoy and learn from the full experience of student teaching with the unnecessary added stress and work of the edTPA. Initially, I entered the virtual halls of WGU as a novice in the field of nursing studies. However, after completing the BSN program, I felt I became an expert because I was taught and guided by the best educators. I also felt that my advisors' and professors' stance on education was not just only to give a passing score on my papers or projects, rather, these educators insisted that I show a comprehensive knowledge of the subject material requested.

Finally, as a result of this high-level educational pursuit, I will forever say, that I am proud to be a product of the higher learning institution known as Western Governors University. However, the advisor, mentor, and professors made the transition an easy one. They were all available for questions and guidance. I never felt alone during this individualized curriculum.

A reminder that I can do it and will do it! This was not because the classes were easy but because of the support I received from WGU staff and at home. I have referred and encouraged many others to take a look at this program. You know why? Education on your terms, your speed with support when you needed from mentors, instructors, and other students. I recommend this school to everyone I talk to great job WGU!

An amazing experience! My mentor was phenomenal. Instructors responsive and helpful, and an abundance of tools and materials to help learn and master course content. I have about 20 years of experience in my field, but was unable to get interviews or advance my career without a degree.

Graduated with ZERO debt, great resources and instructions. Quality education. Attending WGU was the best educational decision I have made. I received my first Masters from another college and the cost alone was insane, not to mention the schedule even tho it was an online. I wish I had found WGU years ago. I would strongly encourage and recommend WGU for their degree programs and education. Ben Espinosa, a sales representative for a textile manufacturer, took a business management program at WGU.

After earning his degree, the company he was working for promoted him to a sales executive position and paid him handsomely, too. Eric Mutch, on the other hand, was a senior operations manager at a tech company. He earned an IT management program and, after updating his LinkedIn profile, was approached by a Silicon Valley startup. Some make more money annually, while others make less money annually. The amount of salary WGU graduates receive per year depends on factors like their degrees, job titles and workplace performance.

Earlier, we mentioned that many employers are happy with the Western Governors University graduates they hired. This is a testament that many students who graduate from WGU get hired and are good performers. Besides their job market value after graduating, many students planning to apply to online schools also worry about how much money they can make in their respective career paths. The following are some of the highest-paid Western Governors University graduates based on job positions:.

If you search anything on the Internet, you will find a plethora of opinions ranging from positive to highly negative. Instead of relying on people who posted their opinions on the Internet, reach out to real people who had relevant experience and successfully leveraged their degrees. Try to reach out and ask whether the WGU diploma helped him to get the job. Getting a degree from Western Governors University is cheaper than getting a degree from a traditional college or university.

In some instances, particularly if you have plenty of time to sit in front of your laptop, you can complete your program at a much faster rate e. Look no further if you are looking to earn an online degree from WGU. There are many perks that come with going to a regionally accredited school like WGU. The tuition is per semester regardless of how many classes you complete, and you can progress at your own pace.

So, if you can finish a course in a week, there is no penalty. The classes were challenging but not too difficult, and the staff was helpful anytime I needed it. The exams can be scheduled any time I wanted — really helped with my work and kids schedule.