But there are many other self taught computer guys and gals who are thinking the exact same thing, and many of them are going to be even better than I am. I found that the entry level CompTIA certs required a simple book and a little money for testing vouchers, but when I factored in the cost of getting higher level certs (which would require classroom instruction), I was looking at several thousand dollars. So I thought, "why not just get a degree"?
Let's face it. IT careers these days require a bachelors to get your foot in the door. The few that don't will have every aforementioned "self taught computer genuis" competing with me. So I went to the local community college and set up my path to an associates, and later, a bachelors.
The problem? I am not a 20 year old living with their parents and working a few hours a week, I am a 30 year old adult with a full time job and bills to pay. College classes were never held at a convenient time for my schedule, and the commute alone would've cut into much of the "free time" I had after work.
So I began to look into online education, or "distance education" as it is often called, and was both excited and skeptical. I could get a bachelors degree at my own pace, and without setting foot on a campus, but would employers value a degree from such a school?
And which online university should I choose?
For legal reasons I won't name any other schools but let's just say I clicked a few ads and searched Yahoo answers for some opinions. What I found were these online universities were not regionally accredited, were expensive, and were generally mocked by the college educated community at large.
Then a friend I hadn't seen in awhile introduced me to Western Governors University, or WGU. He told me WGU is regionally accredited, affordable, and that I should check it out. I wasn't expecting much, and felt bad for my friend who I believed was in for a rude awakening upon graduation.
But upon inspection, I found that WGU was indeed regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, who is recognized by CHEA. Other schools sharing this accreditation? Oregon State, Portland State, MHCC (the local community college), PCC (the other local community college), Lewis & Clark, Washington State, University Of Oregon, Brigham Young, and several others.
I also found that when reviewing WGU's IT bachelor degrees, they included 9 certifications including CompTIA's A+, Network+, and Security+ which according to employment listings in my area, is more than enough to become a technician until I finish my degree.
Cost? Pay a flat rate of $2,890 per six month term which makes it highly affordable. So not only can you "attend class" whenever is convenient for you, but you can put more time in at your leisure and complete sooner. Brick and mortar schools don't have classes at 3am. WGU does.
But even though WGU was looking very good, it didn't stop me from checking out a wide variety of opinions. The funny thing? Most negative opinions of WGU come from people who have never enrolled...
So after much consideration I decided to enroll at WGU.
The first thing you do once you've decided to enroll at WGU is request more information; a counselor will call you and answer any questions you might have. You will also be mailed detailed materials about the university that you can look over.
Then you will begin the admissions process which is rather straightforward. First you fill out the online application and pay the application fee (which is waived if another WGU student refers you). Since my friend is a student, I didn't pay the application fee.
Please note: Unfortunately, I am unable to refer any visitors to this blog. The reasons are as follows:
1) The friend referrel form requires personal information from both the referring student and the prospective student including full name, mailing address, and e-mail. Neither of us can/should provide these details to someone we don't know.
2) This blog is an unbiased account of my experience as a student. Since a referring student can receive a modest gift certificate for thing's such as recommended texts, referring people through this blog would be viewed as bias.
3) WGU limits the amount of students one can refer for the above reason. Enrollment in the university should be strictly to obtain a quality education that fits our busy lifestyles, not as a profit driven affiliation.
Thank you for understanding.
Then you will complete the readiness assessment (brush up on your english/math), and send in your transcripts, if any.
Next is making tuition arrangements or applying for financial aid. Not difficult at all, and there are plenty of checklists, phone numbers, and e-mails to get the support you need. After completing the financial aid process you will do an intake interview with your enrollment counselor to make sure you're ready and that everything is in order.
School begins on the 1st of the month after you complete all the necessary steps.
Your first class?
Education Without Boundaries, WGU's introduction course.
