An Unexpected Boost

I have been preparing to take my second shot at the Security+ exam and like all Wednesdays I was awaiting a call from my WGU mentor, but today a different voice was on the other end of the line; my "course" mentor. This is an actual instructor for this particular course and was calling to offer any assistance she might have. Today she answered some specific questions I had about the content I was reviewing and even created a new study plan for me which I am rather excited about.

The best part about this is I didn't even have to contact her which I am certainly able to do through the student portal. You can instant message or e-mail the course mentors at any time to set up a phone call or otherwise get the help you need.

I am very pleased to know that at WGU the faculty will make every effort to make sure you are succeeding. Not only was my course mentor helpful and knowledgeable, but she was very friendly and patient. I didn't encounter this with teachers at the community college.

Failed Exam

I sat for my Security+ exam today and wasn't surprised when I saw the "you did not pass the Security+ 2008 exam"... It was a tough test and I was simply in too much of a hurry to get it out of the way.

The most accurate learning resources I have used for preparing for CompTIA exams are the practice exam software that has questions worded in the same manner as the actual exam. Coincidentally, I only used this software in my last couple days before my exam and scored around 75%. As a result I failed.

One thing I found that I didn't pay too much attention to before was the exam resource has pdf's containg its own chapters on the subject matter and it is helping tremendously. Currently I would read the primary text based resource, kick back with the Learnkey videos, spend a couple days on the exams and test. Now I will pay much more attention to the exam software and its subsequent chapters.

I don't think my failure was related to a lack of knowlege as much as insufficient practice with the wording of exam questions. So I am going to tweak the learning resources and try again. My advice to WGU students is to make use of the community and learn what is working for others; they'll state the learning resources they used and which ones they felt were the most beneficial. If multiple students who passed all used one particular resource, you can be confident it will help you.

I'll be glad to get Security+ out of the way.

Networks I - Term 2

It seems I underestimated my networking course which will give me my Network+ certification by about 30 days. I was going to get a head start reading the texts and test a few days after term 2 started on December 1st. However, my test for Network+ is scheduled for early January and I am just now done with the primary text and refreshing with videos which will be followed by test and lab simulations.

There are some tough areas in networking although I have touched up on some of these areas already for CIW Associates and A+. The key is to read slower with comprehension; if you get to the chapter summary questions and can't answer them, go back and read that section again. Also, make sure you keep to a set schedule so there are no gaps in your reading for even one day.

For those who might be wondering what the quality of the texts are these are indeed high quality college texts with labs where professors have you walk through what you've learned. The only difference is you are responsible for performing the lab activities instead of sitting in a classroom and following the instructors instructions.

The next concern you might have is that in a brick and mortar universities computer room, they have all the operating systems and software programs you need. Surely we can't be expected to go buy a copy of Server 2008 to do some lab exercises, right? Well, you don't have to. IT students at WGU get access to dozens of operating systems and applications to perform any tasks they need to.

I have 60 days to complete both Network+ and Security+ (each) which technically leaves me with two extra months in this second term although if I pass Network+ on my scheduled date and complete Security+ in the same amount of time, I'll be ahead by four months.

I understand that the day might come where I fail one of my certification exams first attempts and will need some extra time to study and re-test. As you become a student you will have access to your course of study for any course, even ones you haven't enrolled in yet. This is so valuable because it allows you to get a preview of what that course entails so you can accurately gauge how much time you'll need to complete it.

Remember that once you and your mentor approve courses during your term setup (called AAV) you will need to complete all those courses by terms end (or a certain percentage) in order to remain in good standing with the university.

Networks I and Security I are both worth 6 credits which gives me the 12 I need to be a fulltime student, and I am absolutely confident I will pass them both long before the six month term end. But I am still only enrolled in the two for right now so I am not "under pressure" to complete more in the event one of these two courses becomes a snag (I've heard Security+ exam is difficult).

Once I pass these two courses and if I have, say, three months left in the term, I can then call up my mentor and add another couple courses. I can look at the course of study's for any course I want to add to determine if I have enough time to complete it, or add another course that seems easier.

All thing's I've picked up along the way.

Update:

I passed the Network+ exam today using the same primary texts and video instruction I used for A+.

Term 2

Started my second term on the 1st of this month and am working on my Network+ and Security+ certifications. Now that I know my way around the university and don't have any introductory courses such as EWB, I think this will be a great term.

Networking gets tough in places but this is why I like Western Governors multiple learning resources. What seems overwhelming in the texts gets cleared up in labs and videos. Mike Meyers is doing the videos for Network+ and he is one of my favorites for clearing up confusing sections.

This past week I have been in Florida enjoying air boating, the Kennedy Space Center, Gatorland, and Disneyworld among other places. I have read my textbooks on the plane, in the airport, and at my hotel desk after a day of fun. Not too much of course, but just enough so I can continue working.

But I actually enjoy learning these subjects, and I know that every chapter I read brings me one step closer to a better career.

Ahead Of The Game

I finished my Language And Communications course with just over a month left in this term and had a choice:

Take a month break or keep working.

So I had my mentor add one more course in the Language And Communications domain for two more credits this term. I passed a week ago. For those who are wondering how Taskstream works - my assignments were graded within 3 days, no revisions were necessary, and everything went smoothly. Scored a 4.0 which is "highly competent.

The following day I ordered the learning resources for two of the IT courses I am taking this next term...

Even though I won't be officially adding the new courses until next term, I am already reading the textbooks for one of them and will be ready to take the objective assessment within days of my next terms start date.

Tis so much better to be ahead than behind.

First Term Comes To A Close

I have one course left in my first term at Western Governors University, a Language and Communications course. Like the other courses I have taken this term, the learning resources are top notch and even the lower division courses have videos, pre-assessments, and faculty support. With a click of the mouse I can chat with one of the instructors, or call/e-mail my mentor if I need anything.

Update 1:

This Language and Communications course is my first lower division course at WGU and is slightly different than the IT courses I have taken this first term. There are three e-texts to read, labs, and videos so at first it might seem a tad overwhelming knowing where to start, what to read, and how to gain competency...IF you are in too much of a hurry.

This is why reading the COS or course of study (the syllabus) is so important before beginning any course. The COS will literally tell you line-by-line how to get started, what learning resources you need, what chapters and pages to read and in what order, which labs to do, etc.

Following the course of study I am having absolutely no trouble at all navigating these resources and am learning a great deal. The course mentors are also really helpful and frequently post messages and tutorials on how to excel in these courses.

One of the e-texts features I was impressed with were the imbedded videos. As I was reading a certain section that I didn't fully understand, I noticed a video link that illustrated the concepts for me.

During my first term I have amassed a short stack of "real" books that were 100% included with my tuition, several hours of video training, hundreds of practice test questions regarding my CIW and CompTIA A+ certs, a community message board with nearly endless information, and I just found out I have access to tons of free software and operating systems through the university. This machine is currently running a copy of Windows 7 Professional, and I have XP Professional 64 ready to install on my other desktop along with a fresh copy of Vista to be installed on one of my notebooks. Cost? Absolutely nothing.

There have been no hidden charges whatsoever at WGU. My costs have been a flat rate tuition and a $45 library fee. The books cost nothing. The software cost nothing. The numerous e-mails and phone calls with my mentor have cost nothing, nor have the chat sessions or e-mails I've sent to course instructors.

On to my second term...

Update 2:

I completed my last course for this term and still have a little time left before the next term starts, so I decided to knock out a couple more credits to accelerate my progress.

Something else we can do here at Western Governors is request the learning resources for upcoming courses at any time. My next term doesn't start until December but I have already ordered my (included) textbooks for my Networks I and Security I courses. So not only am I finishing a couple more credits, I can also get a head start on two of next terms courses.

CompTIA A+

I just tested for my A+ certification and passed on my first attempt. I had bought a single A+ guide prior to enrolling at WGU and while I liked it, the primary learning resources available through WGU much better prepared me for the questions I encountered in the exams today.

The key to WGU is multiple learning resources. Mike Meyer's videos were excellent for "most" of the information but CompTIA often words questions in deliberately confusing ways. The primary texts were technically descriptive and helped fill in any blanks Mike's materials left out. I used practice tests from one resource that was more straightforward, and another that more closely matched the difficult wording/structure of CompTIA's.

The result is I passed.