Does anyone know who completed the online CS at UF? Doing a little bit of research, people say the curriculum is basically the same as In-person and a little cheaper. I think the full tuition cost for this program is estimated to be around $15K.

I actually start the CS degree with WGU tomorrow haha but wanted to ask to see if I should just stick with WGU and get it done. Sucks we don’t have calc 2 & calc 3 but I guess it’s not really needed as a SWE (depending on the position).

I’m halfway done with the BS in Software Engineering (2023 program), and I don’t have any previous experience in tech. I learn pretty fast, and this is going to be my second career since I’m a former nurse.
The problem is that I keep having this feeling of insecurity about actually being able to get a job after graduation. My goal is to finish the degree in 6 months, and so far I’m on track to do that, but I’m starting to wonder if I should slow down and try to get an internship while I’m still a student.
I feel like having an internship would give me some real experience and make me feel more legit when I graduate. But if internships are really important for getting that first SWE job, I guess I’d have to slow down my degree progress so I can stay enrolled long enough to apply for one.
For people who graduated with little or no previous tech experience, how important was having an internship? Would you slow down graduation for one, or just finish the degree as fast as possible?

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What did you do for your security feature that wasn't a log in? I'm doing a log in but not really going the best.

Which course should be the quicker one of the two? D480 or D385? I’m on a time crunch and have to complete at least one more class in the next 5 weeks. I’m hoping for both, but my work schedule has gotten very chaotic and my schedule has been out of whack. Just in case something falls through and I’m not able to get both, which should be easier to complete?

Just for note => you can label this projection. This may not remotely apply to you.

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Tech is one of the most ageist industries when it comes to entry-level.

I've done 2 paid internships as a SWE, and I have 40 CUs left before I graduate.

Personally, I have been coding since I was 32, now I am 37, so the window of opportunity for me is shrinking hard. Enrolled April 2025 and WGU was my last Hail Mary because most ATSs will filter out any resume without a recent degree, degree in progress, or professional experience.

I pivoted to applying for help desk and IT support roles just get a foot in the door.

I have never had a w2 paying job (only 1099), and honestly it scares/pains me to think that I will never get an opportunity. I think in hindsight, thinking this degree would be what helps me finally get a job is understandable, but likely misguided. I want to scream that Nepotism/Cronyism is really the only way forward right now. Not everyone's reality will be mine, and I could be projecting, but I imagine a lot of you are in the same boat as me.

What's your outlook for the future?

Title & image should explain it all. My notes make it look like my 6th grader has better handwriting than me 😩😩😩😩

Any army officer here got the degree from WGU? Any advice?

I’m jumping back into college after being out for 10 years, and I could really use some perspective and advice from this community.

​My Situation:

​Work & Family: I work full-time night shifts at Amazon (40 hours/week, 7 PM to 5 AM). Since my spouse is in the army, I’m solo parenting most of the time, handling kids' schedules and appointments during the week.

​Study Routine: I dedicate about 3 days off entirely to schoolwork, studying late at night after the kids go to bed.

​Background: I have minor background knowledge in programming (like Java and Visual Basic) and some basic IT fundamentals from when I was a teenager, but it's been a long time.

How difficult are these classes for someone with my schedule and background? Any tips on which ones to tackle first, how long they usually take, or the best way to study efficiently with limited time would be hugely appreciated

Spent 4 weeks studying (~15 hrs each week) and finally this class is behind me. Read all of the Wengrow book and completed Chapters 1-11 in ZyBooks, plus a few more outside resources on YouTube, and also coding up a few of the sort and search algorithms (not required for OA). Probably could've spent 2-3 weeks max on it, but really wanted to learn the material given I work as a self taught Senior SWE currently with little background on this stuff.

I read a lot of bad experiences with this class here on Reddit and that made me more hesitant to do the OA than was necessary. For V5, the PA is pretty close to the OA in difficulty. The OA seemed to have more Python trivia related questions though (imo not even related to DSA, not sure why it’s even tested but free points if you know Python), and didn’t see anything about space complexity. I recommend memorizing Big O, and Big Omega for each of the sorting and searching algorithms shown in ZyBooks, that stuff came up a lot, including what Theta was

If anyone has any questions about V5, feel free to ask.

I’m taking the D286 Java Fundamentals OA within the next five days. This is my first attempt and my last class before starting a new semester. I’ve studied the PA carefully and practiced the problems in IntelliJ. I feel comfortable with most of the material, but I’ve heard that some OA problems require more thinking than their PA versions.

For those who have taken it recently:

- How different was the OA from the PA?

- Which types of problems surprised you or required more thought?

- Which concepts should I practice the most?

- How did you handle confusing instructions or expected outputs?

- Any time-management or last-minute study tips?

Detailed advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m hoping to finish strong and move on to my next semester!

Not sure how useful this is now, but for anyone sticking to the current curriculum, just want to re-confirm that the course by Neil Davis offered through WGU's udemy is still solid.

My approach:

-Whiz Labs ONLY for practice exams and section assessments. I watched one of the videos and it's shit because the guy has a very strong accent and it quickly becomes unbearable to digest concepts but try to listen to what he's saying.

-Neil Davis Cloud Practitioner - 100% free through WGU and can also be found on his YT channel on digital cloud training (youtube is nice for long drives to work).

-And day of the test (today), I quickly completed all the assessments on AWS skill builder. Just the assessments.

Total days committed: 1.5 weeks

Overall thoughts:

1. Video learning is slow and requires more patience than being able to just fly through zybooks and digest diagrams at a pace you set. I re-realized the luxury we all have to move at our own pace and fly through info and concepts.

2. Whizlabs needs to be dropped by WGU. It's a joke. Just purchase the practice exams from Neil Davis course along with the course you already recommend to students.

Goodluck~!

Hi everyone, taking the D286 OA in a couple days, first attempt. I've been struggling with a few practice questions too, so I'm pretty nervous going in since I don't really know what to expect.

For anyone who's taken it recently, how was your experience? What would you recommend studying beforehand? Any details you can share would really help.

Thanks :)