Taking IT Fundamentals I

EWB was relatively simple, and much of it I did on a vacation to Disneyland via hotel rooms and airports. Could I have done this at a brick and mortar school? No.

So upon arriving home I spoke with my mentor to setup the initial courses for my degree program. I was initially setup with some lower division courses to start off with before getting into the Information Technology courses but after informing my mentor I had been studying for my A+ certification using Mike Meyers 1100 page book, he switched my courses around that within the next few months I would have my CIW Associates and A+ IT Technician certs.

When you start a course at WGU the first thing you do is refer to the Course Of Study which is the course syllabus. The texts, videos, practice tests, and other materials are called Learning Resources. The Course Of Study will tell you exactly which learning resources you need to sign up for as well as give a detailed outline for your progress.

The primary learning resource for my first course (IT Fundamentals I) is four textbooks with an included disk with labs and other tools. You will perform a variety of tasks such as web design, working with servers, databases, and some introductory programming (PHP, Javascript, Perl, etc.) They were also mailed to me without any extra cost, something I never experienced at community college.

Another resource is an extremely detailed video training course that covers the textbook material. I prefer to read the material first, and use the video training to clarify what I have read.

You will also be given access to practice tests that can be taken in a variety of different modes and will show you the specific areas that you are weak and/or strong. For instance, having done html in the past I scored well for that portion of the test, but was weaker with databases and programming. So instead of reading the whole book(s) again I could just view my test scores and review the specific sections I was lacking in.

It is really nice to have different learning resources with different formats. If I don't want to sit at my desk in front of the computer I can grab a textbook and read lying down on the couch. If textbook study gets boring and/or confusing I can tilt my chair back, put my feet up, and watch detailed and professional videos.