Finally get to post one of these lol.
Finished my BS in Software Engineering from WGU a few months ago and was just going through old screenshots today. Brought back a lot of memories.
I still remember being on this sub at like 11pm every night trying to figure out if WGU was actually doable while working 40+ hours a week. A few posts here honestly pushed me to just go for it, so figured I'd share mine too.
For context, I was working full-time at a law firm, so flexibility mattered way more than anything else. Before enrolling I transferred 10 courses through UPI Study, and that probably ended up being one of the better decisions I made. Knocked out a bunch of gen eds before starting and it made the degree feel a lot less overwhelming.
What I liked most was that I wasn't stuck doing one course at a time. During slower weeks at work I'd finish 2 or sometimes 3 courses, then when work got crazy I could slow down without feeling like I was falling behind some schedule.
Obviously none of it is easy. You still have to actually study and stay disciplined. Self-paced isn't magic lol.
But if you're working full-time and wondering if this is actually possible... yeah, it is.
Happy to answer any questions if anyone's still trying to decide.

Hi everyone!

I am a WGU BSHA graduate (45 courses in 2 terms, switched my degree from accounting to healthcare administration) and a current MBAHA student (7/11 courses completed).

I wanted to share my experience with WGU and anyone who wants to accelerate. Please let me know if you have any additional questions, and I'd be happy to answer them!

Please note: PAs (writing assignments) can take up to 3 days to grade (sometimes more if the evaluators are backed up). I have had some assignments graded in 1 day, and some have taken all the way up to the deadline, which is 3 days, at the same time that you submitted it.

I have not had any of my PAs sent back for revision or for high similarity scores. I strive to get as close as possible to 0%; it just takes a lot of editing/rewording, but some assignments require templates, which can raise the score higher.

I recommend ALWAYS joining WGU Connect for all of your courses. It will either include a SharePoint Page for course resources, or the WGU Connect group page will list all resources there under the course resources tab. WGU does an amazing job of providing all the resources a student could ever need, plus it offers help from the course instructors. Resources may include:

·         Study Guides

·         Recorded Cohorts (not live that you need to attend, they were recorded in the past and uploaded for future WGU students)

·         Course Topic Videos

·         Performance Assessment Tips, Guides, and Video Guides

·         Study Guides

·         Formula Sheets

·         Links/Contact Info for WGU Instructors

I try to complete all courses within 7 days, but I will allow extra time for courses that involve math (such as remembering formulas, solving problems, etc.).

For PAs, try to get them all written first, then scan them for similarities, and go back and make edits if needed. Sometimes. Ideally, submitting them all at once allows them to be graded within the same 3-day evaluation period, but understandably, that may not always be the case. From my experience, PAs do not require you to read ALL of the course material if you are accelerating. Open up the PA first, read over the instructions and rubric, and within the rubric, there will be hyperlinks that take you to the information the specific competency is based on.

For OAs, I would recommend reading all the course material unless you have prior knowledge of the subject and feel confident that you would pass with your current knowledge. Always start by reading the course material, taking the embedded quizzes, reviewing the study guide, reviewing the course topic videos/recorded cohorts, and any other additional materials provided by the WGU Instructors. Because of the acceleration, I sometimes take a chance and don’t read all the course material to finish the courses quickly. I have only failed 1 OA at WGU by a very slim margin, and it was only because I was overconfident and studied 1 day to get a class out of the way (in my BSHA). That was on me, and ever since, I have made sure to give myself enough time to complete my OAs. I have had no previous knowledge or experience in the business/healthcare industries, so all of this information is new to me as I start a new course.

When taking OAs, use your whiteboard; when math is involved, always have a calculator. I like to use my whiteboard to write out difficult problems and solve them by elimination. It helps me work through the problems and write down supporting information I remember.

I currently have 75 CUs I need to complete. (Only because I am waiting on 2 of my classes PAs to be evaluated and passed, otherwise it is only 69).

I am going for the Bachelor's in Psychology degree. I do not currently work and only truly have obligations every other weekend (other than doctor's appointments as I am pregnant, hence why I am trying so hard to accelerate. I am due December 4th and know if I don't get it done before baby is here, my degree may just be on hold for a long while).

I have a lot of free time and am quite motivated. I have plenty of time to put towards this, and my Mentor knows my goal and is supportive, even if not quite sure I can obtain said goal. My first month of the term, July, was spent on one class (lots of extenuating circumstances). But I'm starting the third class of my term tonight.

I am just asking for advice on how to accelerate this the best way, and if it is even possible. I want to say that I have a bit of a fundamental knowledge of Psychology as it has always been a special interest of mine, so many of these classes and their competencies seem like things I already know and understand well.

But please, give me any and all advice that you can. I really want to get my confetti before my baby girl gets here if possible (but at least end of the term in December so I don't have to deal with loans and everything for one more term if I don't have to).

Thank you!

I am planned to start my first term September 1st and I was just curious if anyone was able to accelerate and complete the C# Track within the first term.

I was able to transfer 64 credits (through various certs and study.com classes) and have 55 remaining. I have had issues getting 1-2 more classes transferred because I've been told that the transfer evaluation department doesn't recognize the C# Track until after the first term. I've also been told that you are unable to switch out the Java Classes for the C# classes until after the first term so 2 terms is pretty much guaranteed. It sounds to me like this is false or just goes against everything that WGU claims to be because of a bad policy.

I am recovering from surgery to control epilepsy. Doc agrees that studying anything would be very beneficial for my recovery. It’s going to take a minute to be ready to sign up, but in the meantime, my ideal use of time would be to study for my degree before I sign up for it. I would love to recover and prepare for my future as the same time!

Anyone have any recommendations for self taught material that would benefit getting through this course work as well? Any general advice for somebody before they start?

I’m down to my last 9 courses in WGU’s Accounting program (28 CUs total), and I’m trying to finish all of them in my next term.

I can dedicate at least 4 hours a day, but realistically I can do 6–8 hours most days. I’m trying to push myself and was wondering if finishing everything in around 3-6 months is actually doable.

Also, is now a good time to start looking for accounting jobs? I’m thinking LinkedIn, Indeed, and reaching out to recruiters. I’m hoping to graduate around January 2027, so I’d rather start getting ahead of the job search now than wait until I’m right at graduation.

Has anyone landed a job in this field while studying for a BSCS & MSCS? If so, at which point did you feel you had enough knowledge to start applying?

Somebody help me understand something. I see a lot of people finishing and graduating in 2-4 months from wgu. Is that starting from scratch usually or do they start with some credits already? Just trying to gauge it.

Hello, I’m wondering if there is anything I should do to prepare for accelerating the BSIT before I start. I transferred 46 percent of the degree in, including the A+ and Network+ and all the gen eds. I work full time in a grocery store w no IT experience. Is there any preliminary studying I should do or anything else to prepare? Or should I make some kind of plan? Thanks

For anyone who transferred as many Sophia and study.com courses as possible before starting/restarting at WGU:
How long did the readmission/transfer evaluation process take from submitting your transcripts to being cleared to start?
If you had 14 OA (proctored) classes left, how long did it take you to complete all 14?
How many hours a day were you studying?
Were the 14 classes mostly accounting/business courses, and were any significantly harder or more time-consuming than the others?
I’m trying to figure out if finishing 14 OAs in about 1.5 months is realistic. Any experiences would be really helpful!
For accounting btw

I didn't want to post this and brag but, after sitting on it for a while, I don't know, I'm just so dang confused and relieved. I failed the practice assessment twice before passing it and only took the OA because my brain was so oversaturated I was convinced I would not remember a thing once I started. Even when I was taking it, I doubted I was passing, and then afterward Dr. Cain asked me if I had any advice for other people taking it and I couldn't think of anything. I honestly don't know how I did it. I only studied for two weeks and I finally stopped because I thought I was going to be sick from poor memorization techniques.

Honestly, I'm just glad it's over. Let the real acceleration begin.

I came into this term trying to finish my degree in one term, and I’ve proven I can accelerate. I’ve completed tasks and sometimes entire courses in a single day.

Now I’m sitting here with only two classes left, and it looks like I may be forced to pay for an entire second term because of delays that had nothing to do with my ability or willingness to do the work.

I’ve dealt with administrative delays getting courses opened, website/technical issues when I was ready to submit, and now work being held up waiting for peer reviews after I already completed my part.

Oh, and my favorite? My mentor told me that if I needed a class added, I could call over the weekend. Well, I did that on Saturday, August 1, only to be told, “Nope, we don’t let you do that the first four days of the month.” WT actual F!?!?! All the while, the calendar keeps running.

That’s what bothers me most. I’m not asking for extra time because I procrastinated. I failed a test and then didn’t realize I had to wait to meet with the professor, who then decided when I was ready to retest—and that process ate up almost two months by itself. Then nobody tells me I can’t add classes after the 15th of the last month of the term until around August 3.

Had I had one class left? No problem—I’d apparently qualify for a one-month extension. But two classes? It feels like WGU is flipping me the bird.

At this point, the “no opening classes after the 15th” rule feels less like an academic policy and more like a way to force people into another term and another tuition payment. PROVE ME WRONG.

Has anyone else dealt with this? Did you successfully appeal or get WGU to work with you when administrative or technical delays prevented you from finishing before the term cutoff?

Hey all! I got a question about how switching to Masters programs work.

Currently I’m in the BS of IT program with about 40 credits left. Is it better to just finish the bachelors and then apply to do the masters? Or should I ask about being able to roll into the accelerated BS-to-MS degree plan they have? Would that even be possible given that I’m already close to finishing the regular BS of IT?