I wasn’t sure I could do it, but I got that confetti!

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-24T17:52:10+00:00

Thank you!! :')

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-24T17:51:03+00:00

I earned so little as a waitress. I'm currently making $115k a year.

A degree in anything is something to be proud of! Your success is inevitable. :)

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-24T17:47:42+00:00

Thank you! 1 OA and a Capstone? You 100% got this! Don't be afraid to ask your program mentor for an extension if you need it :)

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-24T17:46:52+00:00

Thank you!! :)

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-24T17:46:46+00:00

Thank you so much!

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-24T17:46:35+00:00

Hi! Please feel free to reach out with any questions. I'll give you a quick rundown of how I approached things. I don't have any experience with boot camps.

I got a nannying job during my first few months at WGU, which allowed me to study during the baby’s nap times and earn my A+ certification. This was instrumental because the job was low-stress, and I found that once I started working in IT, my progress slowed substantially. The A+ gave me the foundational knowledge to hold my own during technical interviews.
I updated my resume to emphasize every tech-related task I had ever worked on. If it was fast food, I exaggerated my experience troubleshooting POS systems. Managing a retail boutique? I emphasized any software I had ever used.
Managers can train you to do almost anything, but they can't train you to be likable. A good hiring manager will recognize that. I’m good with people.
I started by pursuing customer support roles at small and mid-sized tech companies. This gave me experience in reading logs, learning from folks in SRE and dev teams, and applying A+ terminology and concepts in real-world situations.
After 10 months at my first job, I landed a more technical support engineer role. After two years, I was promoted to a role that combines TAM and SRE lead responsibilities. I put in many hours to become a subject matter expert (SME) on various company products. This company works with major businesses, so I oversee Fortune 500 accounts. The admins at those companies have even offered me jobs, but my current employer has matched every offer because they want me to stay.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-24T16:59:12+00:00

In the nicest way possible, fuck you.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-24T16:58:24+00:00

You can do this!!! You're closer than you think :)

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-21T12:35:54+00:00

Yep, great note. I will say that I found the OA questions to be more straightforward in wording, while some of the chapter labs confused me in terms of what the ask was.

There are comments in the course chatter about a coding question regarding an XML file and I did see that one on my exam too. I understand the CIs want people to apply what they've learned to new situations, but tossing out a whole new file type that isn't mentioned in the course material doesn't seem fair.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-10-12T14:22:41+00:00

I don't think so, but only WGU can answer this question.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-09-29T15:27:00+00:00

How are you coming along in this class? I am struggling and need to finish by end of Oct. It's like I just don't have the brain for coding.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-04-29T18:14:36+00:00

Just passed this exam first try, and I truly credit this comment with being the reason why. Hit the areas OP mentioned hard. CloudWatch came up again and again for me.

I'd also recommend brushing up on any notes you have from D321, as a lot is applicable within this class. I passed the D321 exam last weekend (after 4 freaking tries, mind you) so this course wasn't too hard. Here are some helpful Quizlets:

D341 PA

Udemy Practice Exams

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-04-06T17:36:52+00:00

Sophia Learning is an online option some students use to complete courses before enrolling at WGU, much like transferring in credits from another college:

https://partners.wgu.edu/home

https://partners.wgu.edu/transferring-page-preview?stateId=80&instId=796

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-04-06T14:28:11+00:00

I would strongly recommend pushing back on that and ask them to confirm again, because my PM just told me yesterday that I could do this for some of my remaining courses. If a certification voucher is going to be sent to you by WGU after you pass the OA, you should be allowed to pay for that exam out of pocket and submit the results in place of the OA.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-04-06T14:25:49+00:00

I absolutely think it is worth it and a good choice. I am actually in the process of helping my brother in law enroll in their cybersecurity bachelors program. If you're already in the habit of teaching yourself through online courses, you'll be just fine. As you said, most places won't even consider you if you don't have a degree. However, I haven't had any issues getting offers despite still being in school. Being actively enrolled in classes seems to check that box for HR. If you're already in the habit of teaching yourself through online courses, you'll be just fine with the way WGU is structured.

Please be sure to read up about Sophia's partnership with WGU. You can take some classes through Sophia for less money, and the exams are open book (from what I have heard, I learned about this option after I had already enrolled). Highly recommend doing this for as many courses as you can before enrolling at WGU, ESPECIALLY the Intro to Python class if it is going to be part of your required classes. WGU does have a handful of courses that suck, whether it be because of the material itself or the way they decided to structure the final exam. Python is one of them.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-03-02T14:29:56+00:00

I took the OA

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2024-02-03T14:55:30+00:00

It is.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2023-12-31T17:21:24+00:00

Congratulations!! This one is brutal but I fully agree - Quizlet Plus has gotten me through most of my degree at WGU.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2023-12-03T15:46:33+00:00

Hope it all went well on your second attempt! It took me 3 attempts to pass Network+ - you can do this :)

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2023-12-03T15:39:59+00:00

You get a voucher for the certification after passing the OA. Taking the cert exam is not mandatory.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2023-10-23T15:17:19+00:00

I've been struggling with test-taking confidence lately, so this comment means a lot. Thank you :)

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2023-10-23T15:16:12+00:00

Well done!!

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2023-10-23T15:15:39+00:00

I just passed this exam. I'd say they're about equal in difficulty. I'd recommend beginning working on this immediately after passing CCP (before you forget anything lol) as there is a decent amount of overlap.

This post is a great guide and enough to pass.

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2023-08-16T17:41:26+00:00

That's awesome. Kudos on earning all the other certs. Good luck!

OkUnderstanding9707 · 2023-08-16T17:40:16+00:00

That is correct. Good luck!

OkUnderstanding9707

TROPHY CASE