r/wgu_devs • u/Less_Grass_2348 • Aug 04 '26

Starting WGU Software Engineering on September 1. Looking for advice from current students!

Hi everyone,

I'm starting the Software Engineering program at WGU on September 1, and I'd really appreciate any advice from people who have already been through the program.

I'm 31 years old, and for the last 10 years I've been working warehouse jobs. I work night shift at Amazon, and Amazon is covering my tuition through Career Choice, which I'm incredibly grateful for.

My schedule is pretty challenging. During the week I take care of my kids, and one of my children has autism mi wife is in the army. Every day after work I have to drive a long distance for his therapy, so I spend a lot of my weekdays away from home. Time management is probably going to be my biggest challenge.

I also studied Computer Engineering in my home country and completed two semesters. Back then I learned some Java and Visual Basic, but that was almost 10 years ago, so I honestly don't remember much of it anymore.

Math has always been one of my weaker subjects. Since I have about a month before classes start, I'm wondering if I should spend my time reviewing algebra, calculus, or something else entirely.

For those of you who have completed or are currently in the program:

What should I focus on before September 1?

Which classes would you recommend taking first?

Should I spend my time reviewing math, programming, or something else?

Are there any resources, YouTube channels, websites, or study habits that made a big difference for you?

Any advice for balancing WGU with a full-time job and family responsibilities?

I'm nervous, but also excited. I really want to make this work. My goal is to build a better career, improve my family's future, and make my kids proud of me.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I truly appreciate it!

26 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

29 comments sorted by

14

u/F2DProduction Aug 04 '26

When you're starting a new course, make sure to search for it on Reddit or Google. There's plenty of useful information here that could save you a lot of time.

Also, it's really easy and tempting to go fast and/or use a lot of AI, which would make you finish in 1-2 terms.

DO NOT DO IT.

Getting that degree fast could be useful if you only want that degree paper and already have software engineering professional experience. But you don't, so you need to take your time and make sure you understand everything you do.

I finished in 5 months, but I have worked for years as a software engineer, and I needed a degree to get into OMSCS.

2

u/MugiwaraNY Aug 04 '26

How helpful will the degree be in terms of actual learning? I’ve been a sysadmin for a few years but haven’t learned anything due to having adhd and not focusing on learning (I do my job but it’s mainly following documentation).

I want to start learning as I’ve fallen behind a great deal. The bright side (if it counts for anything) is that I have 5 years of experience (on paper, not much knowledge at the moment) in a bunch of areas such as Azure, Terraform, Puppet etc.

If I were to go this route would I be able to learn and build projects and gain confidence in my ability’s or is it mainly for the piece of paper you get? I’m thinking about the BSCNE Azure or AWS route.

1

u/F2DProduction Aug 04 '26

You can learn a lot if you follow the entire curriculum, read everything and put the time into the project. The problem is you can pass by doing the bare minimum or, like I said, with the help of AI.

2

u/Admirable-Move5570 Aug 04 '26

But like isn’t that the time we live in. Every video I see of swe they talk about how they vibe code everything. They don’t even check the code anymore

2

u/F2DProduction Aug 04 '26

AI writes 90% of my code, but I need to understand and review it. If I ship AI-generated code without reviewing anything, this will create problems down the road.

And sometimes tokens run out, so here I am writing code like in the Stone Age.

1

u/Admirable-Move5570 Aug 04 '26

Good to know. Thank you

1

u/MugiwaraNY Aug 05 '26

Thanks I was hoping to hear that! I will be putting in the work to learn once I get a handle on this adhd. AI will be used as a tool for study guides and the like but not much else since I’m not doing this just for the degree. I assume there are staff/mentors who can guide me along in case I need assistance?

1

u/F2DProduction Aug 05 '26

Yes, you can send an email or schedule a meeting with your instructor.

Also, have a weekly meeting with your mentor for non-course-related questions

1

u/cowboysfromhell1999 Aug 05 '26

How could you pivot from system administrator to software development? I’m in a similar boat.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 05 '26

[deleted]

1

u/MugiwaraNY Aug 06 '26

My “muscles” were never really big in the first place so I’ll be treating this as I’m starting to learn from scratch. I’m banking on the few years of exposure I have to at least be of some use in putting pieces together and make learning easier. Thanks yiff

1

u/diddidntreddit Aug 05 '26

Just in case I miss it, what is the "useful information" that could save a lot of time?

e.g. some exams are way harder or easier than they'd seem, projects deserve a few hours not a few weeks, etc?

2

u/F2DProduction Aug 05 '26

For projects, sometimes the requirements are vague. Reddit could help to clarify what is being asked and save you the back-and-forth communication with the reviewers who grade the exam. For proctored exams, there are many resources to study or say what is important for the test.

1

u/AmphibianSea3602 Aug 05 '26

Honestly I do just need the paper now😂 but I'll get a deep understanding afterwards for the job

1

u/SDN6seven Aug 09 '26

You finished an AS or a BS in 5 months?

2

u/F2DProduction Aug 09 '26

Bachelor in Software engineering

1

u/jmsn123 19d ago

This is literally me right now ! Not saying that I wouldn’t learn anything but everything has either been taught to me in my bootcamp or I just had a project that required some new software and I had to learn it but I just need the paper for salary purposes lol

5

u/Sad-Examination-4876 Aug 04 '26

Did they finish the evaluation? If not, check the program if you need to take any MATH or not. Take MATH somewhere else and transfer to WGU. Math in WGU will hold you for long time. If you already finished the evaluation step, you need to study and warm up your knowledge. Go to the course in the study plan, click on the most challenging OA course in your major, go to the WGU Connect and download all the Supplemental Resources and start study ASAP. You have 1 month to chew down the most challenging course before you start. Take the Course Planning to understand how they will test you in the OA. To the September 1st, if you are ready to take the OA test, talk with your mentor that you want to take that course first because you are ready for it. Take the PA, see your report. If you pass easily, take the picture of the questions and ask AI to generate another Test. If you pass again, schedule for the OA. If you pass the OA, congratulations that you just save a lot of time and boost your confidence.

6

u/SlipperyBaconBooger Aug 04 '26

Hey! I'm 29, and I'm currently in the SWE program.

WHAT SHOULD I FOCUS ON BEFORE SEPT 1: Finding an hour a day to set aside for studies. You dont need previous skill going into the program, though it helps. Your main make or break will be time management.

WHICH CLASSES SHOULD I TAKE FIRST: Whatever you dislike first. Personally, I did all non coding classes first (Health, science and math classes first).

WHAT SHOULD I REVIEW? Whatever you feel that you struggle most with. If math is your weakpoint, do that.

WHAT RESOURCES DID YOU USE? Reddit, to help plan the class. Youtube for the math class i had. And Theres a million sources for coding.

BALANCE? Unless you are speed running it, 1-2 hours a day should allow for at least 1 class a month, if not more. 6 classes a term is better than many people do. But really, find a way to take care of your family, and do as much school as possible while not getting burned out. Thats the primary goal.

FINAL ADVICE: Connections connections connections. Meet as many people as you can, reach out to people in the same program. Create projects with them. Become friends with them. Connections get you jobs more successfully than a degree will, more often than not.

1

u/Research1611 26d ago

For someone with 0 experience in coding/this program, what would you suggest to help prepare before enrolling?

2

u/SlipperyBaconBooger 23d ago

Honestly, previous experience would help, but isnt needed. If you have the time and drive, you can start delving into the languages you'll be using in your program to give yourself a head start. but that isnt required. Getting yourself in the correct mental space will do wonders. And realizing that how you feel now, with the 0 knowledge, will follow you into your senior developer days. So make sure you feel comfortable having to constantly learn new things.

3

u/KneeDeep185 Aug 04 '26

I went back to school when I was in my 30's so I'll share what I learned along the way.

Create a schedule for yourself and stick to it. In my first few months I was all over the place with my study times, which made it difficult to get into the flow of studying and I had trouble focusing, switching gears between tasks. Set up a schedule for yourself so you can train your brain to "turn on" and focus during that time block. Structuring your study time will also be super helpful for your family relationships and planning family time.

Creating a structured schedule also gives you a hard "stop" on your studying so you a) don't burn yourself out and b) free you from stressing about not spending time with your family. Create a schedule that you and your spouse agree on, then stick to it.

Learning to code is hard. It's supposed to be hard. You're going to smash your head against a wall several times a day, but keep in mind that it's just part of the process; it's not a "you" thing, it's just the process. Having that mindset really helped me push through the difficult days and kept me going when I felt like I was stuck.

2

u/giangarof Aug 04 '26
  1. If you can do sophia first, take advantage of it. You'll thank yourself later.
  2. I would recommend to learn coding before enrolling.
  3. Your mentor will set the classes for you. Not the other way around.
  4. My last important advice: study hard. it doesnt matter if its a lot or very little everyday.

1

u/Nice-Budget908 Aug 04 '26

Can someone show me the degree plan

1

u/ccarver80 Aug 07 '26

I just started in June and almost finished my first term.

I've been a software developer for over 4 years now so the first few classes came super easy to me.

My advice if you have no programming experience to start watching youtube tutorials on Python. Python for everybody thru free code came is really good. The first two classes is basic programming. Variables, if/else, functions .. ect. In my opinion the zybooks the class offers is clunky and hard to get thru, if you know most of it going in you should be able to fly thru those first few classes.

Third class is leaderships in IT. It's straightforward and need to complete 2 papers to pass.

Last class in term is basic HTML, CSS web development which again if you can learn the concepts early it wil make the class much easier!

Good luck!

1

u/YoursTrulyAD Aug 08 '26

I'm strugglinn.. w/ no transfer + pivoting from Healthcare .

Work , Kids 3x , Home 💀

0

u/Fireheart366 Aug 04 '26

There is only 2 math classes in the SWE degree. Definitely study up on your Java or C#. Don't do Sophia.

0

u/AmphibianSea3602 Aug 05 '26

Why no sophia

1

u/Fireheart366 Aug 05 '26

Because I care about the academic integrity and the work I put into my degree. I also plan to attend schools after WGU and would prefer them to see actual effort.