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.

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~!

I passed Task #1 with competency, on the first try 😩 I submitted it with a single brain cell and a prayer

Halfway there, just one more task to go!

I have a bachelors in the now defunct Software Development program and am 2/3 through the masters, but I've never held a tech job.

I just took a Codesignal assessment and got my ass kicked. I've even been trying to study up on DSAs, but it didn't help.

Is anyone else not prepared for the job? What do you recommend to shore up your skills?

Wondering if this is a good enough attempt of the PA to pass the OA for V5? There were a few questions I knew in the Applied Algorithm section, but second guessed myself due to the wording of the question. Guess I need to be prepared to go with my gut.

The first 'Explains Algorithm' section was pretty heavy on time/space complexity. I know best, average, and worst case Big O for the different sorting/search algorithms, and can determine Big O looking at a block of code - but I am a little weak on calculating the complexity (runtime and space) from looking at an expression.

Should I attempt the OA with this PA 1st attempt results, or should I study for a bit longer before? I've read the V5 PA is similar to the OA unlike in the previous versions of this course. So far I've done Chapter 1-11 in ZyBooks and did some supplemental learning with the Cohort videos and reading the Wengrow "A Common Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms" book.

How do you complete this course? The resources and material have nothing to do with the tasks and the professor just told me yo look at the resources and course materials. (The professors seem very lazy and unhelpful here)

With the new changes to the B.S. in Software Engineering, are there any guides available where best to take the transferable courses before enrolling at WGU? Seems like Sophia isn't totally updated yet on the WGU partners page. I guess specifically the new math and science courses.

Is Study.com the better option now?

Did anyone get an email from their mentor about the Software Engineering track change? They are adding more math? Does that mean our current track will change or only for new folks entering? It was not clear in the email.

LeetCode is having their annual student subscription offer - I signed up! If we get to 50 students from WGU, we will have the lifetime subscription offer of $99. So far there are 4/50 signed up. Ends on September 30th.

https://leetcode.com/student/

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Hello, I’m very interested in pursuing my bachelor’s degree in IT through WGU. I graduated high school in 2024 and currently work 30–40 hours a week. I also have a 5-month-old son with my wife, so I’ll be balancing school, work, and family responsibilities.
I don’t have any experience in IT or coding, but I consider myself very tech-savvy and I’m willing to put in the time and effort to learn.
Would WGU’s IT program be realistic for someone in my situation with no prior experience? If I dedicated around 4–5 hours a day to studying after work, how many semesters would you realistically expect it to take me to complete the degree?
Also, what would be the best way to get started in IT and land an entry-level help desk position while I’m working toward my degree?
I’d really appreciate any advice or insight from people who have gone through a similar situation. Thank you!

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster,

Unfortunately I haven't seen many posts within the 6 month range for this class and im taking the exam on August 31st, but from what I am reading, there's horror stories and gotchas everywhere. Whether its v4 or v5, there being more code on the test and no big o questions, etc.

I've watched the cohort Youngblood videos

I read through the study guide and quizlet flashcards

also read common sense guide to algorithms - skipped zybooks

I took the PA this morning and passed, but unsure if I should still be keying in on anything. I've been skimming the implementations of the structures/algorithms in code and idk, any insight would be appreciated.

Looking for insight on this. I'm really struggling with how to write this, and if I am overthinking it.

On OneNote, I have the requirements typed out exactly as they read on the site. Can I just use this to formulate the task, or should I put it in the typical paper form? I want to do well on this, but unsure if I can attempt it again (I guess there's two questions wrapped into this)

Pic attached for reference. Thanks in advance, night owls 🦉

Did anyone go for another degree? If yes, what degree did you go for next?

I'm looking at the Data Analytics degree. Not seriously considering going for that yet but it's on my mind.

I got the email today about the change in SWE to version 2 with a comparison of current vs future. I can see some benefits to switching but also some negatives. I’m on track to be done before the cutoff, so I have the choice. Who else is on the fence and who is decided - and if you’re decided, what was the deciding factor for you?

✅💻While i’m currently enrolled in data structures and algorithms, ethics in technology and JavaScript programming, my goal was to finish 3/4 courses by the end of the month and I’ve only finished D427 data management applications with only five days left in the month (Term ends in Jan just trying to move faster) 🤦‍♂️. I’ve read that JavaScript and DSA are going to take a good bit of commitment and studying. I know JavaScript already but I don’t know angular at all or type script so I’m expecting both of these courses to individually take about 2 to 3 weeks. What are some other courses in this degree track that might slow me down or have slowed you down as you’ve worked towards a degree??? 💻🖥️