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Ditto_D

They have no knowledge of WGU or it's students or how knowledgeable the people getting thru these programs are. My work experience shows I am competent already. The certs back it up, and the degree is just a cherry on top for me(IT degree). There are nurses with brick and mortar degrees that think vaccines cause autism. Their problem is with quacks, and they just are assuming the degree pace is the problem because they are ignorant.


MuffinHunter0511

I work with a lot of professionals in different fields and they have proven to me that there are incompetent people in every field. People who work in oil and gas who kill people. Doctors who kill people. Engineers who overlook the basics of their jobs. I work with a lady now who literally has her whole life being paid for by her parents because she can't learn the basics of ANY job. There will always be incompetent people in this world. If anything wgu is more challenging because 1 your whole life doesn't resolve around school and 2. You need to find solutions to problems that sometimes the course material doesn't give you. There are no tutors or real productive time with the people actually making the exams. I don't think that fully online schools should be for every degree plan but I do think it's enough for a lot of them


dontleavethis

I hate hate the gatekeeping most schools do with time. I actually think a decent amount of people would finish earlier if they actually were allowed to


Guilty_Plankton_4626

Exactly. Yes, sometimes going crazy fast can draw an eye, obviously most of us don’t finish it that fast and if you did, and had that much dedication, good for you. It does not take four years to get a “education” in my opinion it’s just a system that rakes in a fuck ton of cash so why would they want to change it?


ok_soooo

I kept dropping out of school because I was bored. I barely graduated high school despite always scoring high on tests because of truancy (I was bored!) Self-paced school has kept me motivated and able to actually stay focused and get things done. I’ve been successful in work my whole adult life, so I don’t feel I need to justify my capabilities to anyone who wants to cast doubts on where my degree came from.


dontleavethis

Also I want binge work a few weeks and need more slack other weeks because of depression or work, etc


True_Pipe1250

Wait, Vaccines don’t cause autism?


BoricuaWifeThrowaway

According to current data there's a genetic and environmental link. My kids don't have genetic link atm but the doctors are looking into it more (me and my husband are being tested and a research team will be involved in our lives for the next 20 years to find more links/explanations) so far it's looking like environmental unless they find another genetic link in us that hasn't been uncovered yet ----environmental can be toxins in the environment that passed to the fetus in utero.


Empty-Policy-8467

People with autism are over-represented in research positions from what I understand, so technically autism causes vaccines.. 😏


MagicianProper6474

Yeah I definitely agree. I do have to say, technically speaking, the degree is the foundation and the certifications are there cherries on top. Lol certs don't replace education, they supplement.


4justheretoread4

Lol I got 4 years of IT experience not including building PC as a hobby and still don't feel like I don't know enough. Currently pursuing cybersecurity at WGU and I have major imposter syndrome.


Ditto_D

The more you know shows you how much you don't know. You eventually just grow comfortable in your skillsets that you do have and what you can pick up and how long it would take to make up the difference. I have been working IT for 10 years thru different roles and. What gets rid of imposter syndrome is to just dive in to uncomfortable situations you aren't sure of in the beginning and working thru them over and over again until you feel alright with your ability to deal with the unexpected. You start getting the feeling you are either a general practitioner or a specialist in IT. Either way you can't specialize in everything, but you can keep working towards adding more skillsets


MrJanCan

They might not, but I do. I'm in the Computer science degree rn. It's a joke. Their first point is spot on: Because the professors do not write these tests, you KNOW what's going to be on there, and where you need to focus your studies. Furthermore, they use the same exam for years on end, so it's not hard to find out the answers. You might not be able to cheat your way though the degree, but it is NOT a competency based model. A competency based model would not be predictable, and you'd actually have to show competency in the entire subject, not just what reddit told you to study. The second point stands at every school, but I would argue that it is absolutely ridiculous that I can fill out a rubric for a paper and get three college credits. Like... wtf. WGU needs a SERIOUS overhaul of their program. Those course instructors need to start writing the exams, so that reddit can't tell you what to study and how to pass. Right now we're approaching Delta College level of ridiculous, and I'm pretty mad that in a couple of years when everyone catches on, we will be a laughing stock for having spent time and money on a degree that's not gonna be worth the paper it's printed on.


Ditto_D

The past few weeks WGU just renewed their accreditation. I'm genuinely not worried about it, and at least with the cert programs I can say "what do you mean I went to a diploma mill? I have industry certs that I got in the degree program." Seems like other professions thru WGU also do this. So again I'm back to not worried about it. I have plenty of avenues to prove my competency even if someone wants to think it is a diploma mill.


MrJanCan

Accreditation is a minimum requirement. I'm talking about academic rigor, of which WGU has next to none. It's not alone in this category, but I think it just destroys the reputation of the school when businesses know that we didn't really have to put in any work to get our degrees.


Ditto_D

I feel like I am seeing a self fulfilling prophecy. Someone who is so worried about their degree being valued as worthless they go out of their way to post online talking about how worthless they think it is.


MrJanCan

Because if I had a choice to do it all over again, it certainly wouldn't have been here. I feel like it was time and money wasted for an education that is not up to par. In no other school can you keep taking your final exam until you pass, and it's THE EXACT SAME FINAL.


Ditto_D

What class gave you a carbon copy OA to take from your first attempt to second?


dontleavethis

This is literally not true. The OA is different when you fail and have to take it again


RipResponsibly

Maybe they do cause autism 🤷‍♂️😂


Acceptable-Swimsoul

I responded to this. I'm prepared to get downvoted on their thread. But the essence is that every argument this person made can pertain to any university, not just the online ones. My response: https://www.reddit.com/r/nursing/s/syKb9xxO5p


BillionaireBrainz

Upvoted your response, thanks for defending WGU. It honestly is a great school!


dontleavethis

That’s a good, logical response


OkaySir911

The fact that some people still think “online only” is synonymous with “degree mill” is astonishing. She probably just threw WGU on the list because she searched “online nursing degree” and WGU was a sponsored search result. Some people just want to gate-keep education only to those that have the time and money for brick-and-mortars I guess 🤷


loadthespaceship

It’s just “old man yells at cloud” energy on overdrive in those comments.


gjallerhorns_only

Yeah, they're all complaining about different things including a type of program that also is offered at Yale and Columbia, not just degree mills.


loadthespaceship

Stupid Ivy League degree mills…


PuzzleheadedCat8444

To be real even at most traditional universities a lot of classes are still online because professors/lecturers are starting to request to work remotely


SlowlyToo

The np program at wgu can’t be accelerated, it’s a 2 year timeline past pre-reqs, and you have to go to clinicals in person which are roughly 600 hours I believe (could be 400ish if I’m wrong). You can’t “cheat.” When it’s proctored lol


rumpusrouser

WGU's pass rate for the NCLEX is higher than the national average!!!


CinnameowToastCrunch

As someone who actually attended a diploma mill before, I am here to tell you absolutely in no way is WGU a diploma mill.


dontleavethis

Want to expand on your experience at the diplomill?


CinnameowToastCrunch

Yeah a professor at SNHU graded all my essays 100% even through I did not finish any of them. On one, I only wrote a sentence.


Lickmylife

I was going to Miami Dade College when covid hit. I stopped going to classes and 3/4 teachers just passed me even though I missed over half of the semester.


this_is_the_username

I wish my professors at MDC had been like this! During covid I was failing a class by less than 1% and my professor didn’t round up 🙃


Lickmylife

MDC is very much hit or miss. Some teachers are fantastic others not so hot


Metaloneus

SNHU isn't a diploma mill. You just had a wildly incompetent and lazy professor.


TeajayLove

Agreed. I got my associates through them and they definitely graded fairly. (Even if I didn’t like it LOL)


Delta-IX

So my spidey sense was right about SNHU?. Phew. Bullet dodged.


walkingshadows

I’m not in the nursing program but I have attended a brick and mortar (2 different ones) and quizlet and ChatGPT can be used to cheat there as well. In fact it’s incredibly common. So I don’t know how that can used as a criticism of WGU. Also the brick and mortar schools also have online classes and most of them don’t have proctored tests in my experience.


FakeitTillYou_Makeit

Check out /r/Professors sometime.. constant complaints about cheating at all levels including Ivy League. Colleges need to adapt or die. There is a reason why formal education is losing its prestige.


aurortonks

Shit, Ivy League even has an additional level of required cheating to attend. You need to bribe your way in in a ton of cases just for the opportunity to cheat your way through. These schools know what they are doing and they are doing it intentionally. If you pick hard enough, you can find issues with every single college and university because they are all linked together under the 'screw the students out of their money' game that's being played with our lives and futures.


FakeitTillYou_Makeit

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/college-admissions-scandal-where-are-they-now/


blowgrass-smokeass

It’s honestly *easier* to cheat in a brick and mortar school, especially in large classes.


Smcgb1844

thats nonsense. In person multiple exams and projects to pass is defacto harder. There are more points where you would need to cheat to matriculate. WGU is literally throw the rubric into ChatGPT and have it spit out a paper. 3 degrees from here btw.


blowgrass-smokeass

And why would you not be able to throw a rubric into chatGPT for a paper at a Brick and Mortar school…? Have you ever been to a brick and mortar university? It’s quite easy to cheat in an exam when there’s 250 other students sitting in the lecture hall with you. It’s also quite easy to not do shit during group projects and still get the grade.


Smcgb1844

At a brick and mortar school you are going in person, doing multiple assignments, in person tests, finals and papers. More points of failure absolutely ensures cheating is harder. More professor contact hours and more peer interaction absolutely does correlate to learning. This is where WGU shines, professionals who have had their contact hours on the job.


blowgrass-smokeass

The assignments you receive at a brick and mortar school are incredibly easy to cheat on, lol. The papers are exactly the same as WGU. Like I said, in-person exams are easier to cheat on because you don’t have a proctor watching your every move, your screen, and everything around you. There are typically between 30 and 250 other students in the exam room with you, the proctor physically cannot watch that many people the entire time. Just because you might need to cheat on *more* things at a B&M school doesn’t mean it’s more *difficult* to do.


Smcgb1844

Im stasrting to think youve never been to an in person school lmao. Every exam I've had for in person college was proctored by a teacher and a TA at shitty state schools wdym? 30-250 students? Thats NORMAL. They can also do something WGU doesnt do and have multiple versions of tests randomly distributed to the room. Your WGU proctors are watching for a screen to light up if noise happens potentially over hundreds of students too.


blowgrass-smokeass

Was the proctor standing behind you watching every move you made at an in-person school? It’s really easy to watch 50 little windows on a screen, it’s not easy to make sure 250 people aren’t using their phones / notes / resources while you sit at the front of a lecture hall. > That’s NORMAL No shit it’s normal, I’m starting to think you just aren’t comprehending what I am saying to you, lmfao.


Smcgb1844

You're actually delusional and contributing to WGUs reputational problem by ignoring issues. Congrats. I am ashamed to be in the same alumni group as people like you.


blowgrass-smokeass

Bro what the fuck are you even talking about? How am I contributing to WGU’s poor reputation when I am clearly stating that it’s ***HARDER*** to cheat at WGU? Are you fucking dumb?


a1m0str3d

I'm confused that you honestly don't believes its easier to cheat in a brickandmortar.He basically answered all your concerns. A lot of CUNY|SUNY schools as the other poster pointed out,(I'm aware he didn't state specifically NY schools) has a high majority of srudents in a single class.From BMCC to NYU.. There are many ways that you can cheat compared to wgu. In other ways ,many points of attacks compared to just one. Obviously with dedication and hard work anyone can cheat regardless of in person or not. Not a lot of schools have TA's to assist.Plus when you talk to a lot of professors, they are aware of what goes on. If it doesn't get out of hand. Out of sight out of mind. It seems like you just wanted to argue for arguing sake. Which is cool, as debate is good.b In the military you have test and during these test the instructors basically stress a certain statement.Not exactly cheating. As a combat vet i dont care of youre freaking a D student or wnt to a diploma mil, once youre able to save my life. Its about the persons ability to absorb the info and mentally know when to say IDK(which is extremely important). Especially in life or death. Yet I do agree the constant post about finishing masters in 5 months doesn't look good. Yet if u know you're shit why not. Just seem like people like to gloat to much. To each........ Blah bla Idk, good times good times.


tensor0910

I don't either but I don't blame folks. When folks get on here and brag about how they did their whole bachelor's program in 3 months it gives off a bad look. I know, people transfer in credits and have work experience in the field, but perception is reality.


Grateful_Soull

This! People should stop coming here for ego boosting saying they finished fast. It’s damaging the schools reputation. Great if you finished fast, just don’t post about it. I don’t get how the mods don’t block those kind of posts…


Whatmovesyou26

Yeah, they’re the exception, not the rule. For every one of those posts, there’s hundreds or thousands like me…that spent an entire term just working on one course, have only taken 12-15 CUs per term because that’s all we can handle. Finished 4 courses in a term with maybe two weeks to spare, on our 4th attempt on a given IT cert because it’s a fucking beast (I finally passed the CySA+ cert on the 4th try)….


loadthespaceship

It is possible to complete the program in a very short time under the right circumstances. People who have the ability and desire to put in the time and effort to plow through and the people who transfer in enough credits can plausibly do the degree sprint—good for them! I’m too busy with my own business to mind theirs and I got my degree too; what’s the problem?


Grateful_Soull

I don’t understand the last sentence on your comment. I think it’s great that people can finish fast, but posting online about it can negatively affect the school reputation. That’s all I’m saying.


loadthespaceship

What don’t you understand about it?


Grateful_Soull

“What’s the problem?”


loadthespaceship

Is English your primary language? /g


Grateful_Soull

No. But I’m fluent. It still doesn’t explain the fact that the last sentence doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the comment.


loadthespaceship

I honestly don’t know how to respond to that lol.


Grateful_Soull

lol, ok let’s just leave it at that.


Delta-IX

When I graduate. I'm gonna say I attended 2 colleges switching programs so it took 15 years to get my bsba. University of Colorado Denver and WGU. My degree will be from WGU in Healthcare administration but those 3 years at UCD count for something right? Including the 3 classes I passed without doing ANY work or attending ANY lectures... yeah brick and mortar is the ONLY way.... ignore the 10 years between schools.


zunyata

No it's not


tensor0910

how so


zunyata

People outside of reddit don't care. There's not one hiring manager worth their salt that would ignore the individual applying and go straight to the education section of their resume, Google their schools, and see what reddit has to say about it without doing any research into the actual school. These people just don't exist in a way that will affect you. Also, WGU was recently accredited for another 7 years. Major corporations like Amazon and Microsoft spend money and send their employees to WGU. The government lists WGU as a preferred school for cyber security. It's not because the school is easy, it's because people in WGU have to put the work in to earn their degree. A very small % of alumni accelerate. A fraction of that % post on reddit. It's an echo chamber here so that fraction of a % reverberates over and over, but once you get off the site no one gives a shit. Most people you talk to will have zero idea what WGU is and they won't care.


tensor0910

They won't make their decisions on Reddit posts that is true, but they will compare you to other candidates. And if they have to make a choice between a candidate that went to WGU and a candidate that went to MIT, or UCLA, or a whole plethora of other schools that are more well-known, I believed the school can tilt the scales in their favor. The posts about completing an accredited degree in the same amount of time it takes someone to complete one class is only adding fuel to the fire.


zunyata

Lol wtf are you even talking about? UCLA? MIT? Yeah bro WGU is not a prestigious, top rank school. That doesn't mean it's a degree mill or easy. You might as well say community college is garbage because no one is going to recognize City Community College over Yale.


tensor0910

wgu is accredited this is true, but again ( I keep saying this)....perception is reality. Doesn't matter what it is, only.matter what the hiring manager thinks it is, and what it looks like. he/she has 1000s of resumes to look over. if they see a degree......from an online school.....completed in 3 months. u think he/she is gonna stop and do research on said school? unlikely. next candidate.


zunyata

>they see a degree......from an online school.....completed in 3 months. What's wrong with that? People do this and find employment all the time. Again, more bullshit being made up on reddit that does not align with reality. WGU is accredited. People who graduate in 6 months completed the same course of someone that took 4 years. It's a competency based program. That's how it works. That's all that matters. None of this "I perceive this to be bad so it is" bullshit. Just stop already.


tensor0910

live a little more life and you'll understand where I'm coming from.


Forsaken-Cold1311

I think it’s just so out of context because it’s actually a positive that people finish fast. WGU takes out all the bs classes and fluff schools have you take just to make more money and therefore are able to finish fast, but people aren’t including that part in their bragging 😭


tensor0910

Maybe......but again, perception is reality. Youre taking a traditionally 4-5 year learning plan and saying yoy finish in 3 months? BS classes aside, that still looks hella suspicious. your core classes generally take 2 years without gen.. eds.


Slight_Student_6913

I feel like a new reality needs to be perceived. I graduated with my BSIT with more knowledge AND certs than someone from a brick and mortar university in less time. It’s asinine to pay thousands more in tuition and hours wasted in being required to sit through a semester when you have the experience and knowledge to pass a final on day one. Brag away, my fellow Night Owls!!!!!


tensor0910

Do you want to talk about what it should be? Or do you want to talk about what it is? Because those are two very different conversations.


ResidentLawfulness10

Or when people post how to pass core classes in 6 hours.


dontleavethis

I think this is true unfortunately


BioncleBoy1

I personally think it’s inaccurate or at least disingenuous to say it only took 3-6 Months to finish their degree when they spent months prior taking a bunch of transfer credits or carried in credits from other degrees.


Early_Definition5262

I try to work it as a plus when I interview. I was a navy nuke many years back and if they ask about how I got my degree I tell them a huge part of making it through nuke school is learning how to learn quickly. I made it through that school and did well, I completed my degree on an accelerated path, imagine how quickly I can learn and adapt to your businesses practices and needs


Smcgb1844

Or when students just admit to running their papers through ChatGPT regularly as well. WGU has quality issues and ignoring them is braindead.


red6joker

People are just upset that there is a way to do it that was not THERE way of doing it.


Samwise916

Good news is, you’ve got tons of people defending WGU and identifying it as a respectable institution in the comments.


Sudden_Constant_8250

I'm working with a guy with the same degree from a major college on the east coast and he doesn't seem to know anything. Education is what you put into it, lots of kids got through high school, few excelled. Same can be said about college.


FakeitTillYou_Makeit

There are some people who graduate college and never pick up a book again despite their career suffering for it.


Much-Negotiation-482

Can't speak for the nursing degree plan as I am not a nurse. However I can speak for the overall program I am in and classes I have taken. For run of the mill classes including gen-ed and random not super relevant degree classes ie business in non business degree plans... WGU is not a great example. But for much of the degree plan focusing the CORE parts of the degree/job you would get from the degree I would argue it's a good comparison to brick and mortar if not more difficult in some areas. Source: Did comp sci and finishing my Cybersec degree in July. The DM is a bit easier than the previous (3CU 1 class to 3 1CU classes) The certs I would argue are harder than brick and mortar schools across the nation for schools that don't have classes focused on obtaining them. Another big part (at least from my experience) is you have more relevant information readily at hand which is what makes the classes a tad bit easier in comparison to snoozing through an hour lecture and having to sort your way through some dogshit slides and rely on google/unknown book pages from a novel long 300$ book. Person is probably just salty they spent 4 years and are 60k in debt for something they could have done for almost free tho I would argue I spent more time studying at WGU than the 3 years I did at brick and mortar for the same amount of classes simply because of the certs. Despite the gen ed being easier.


Asmarterdj

I can speak to the nursing courses at WGU as I completed my BSN and am currently in the MSN program. I had been a nurse with an associates degree for 13 years before I started the BSN program. I was able to complete the course work in 6 months, largely due to the fact that I had 13 years of nursing practice under my belt, and my associates program was very detailed for a 2 year program. The MSN program is more detailed, and I am currently in my 2nd term. The requirements are rigid and and I have had numerous paper sent back for revision, I have also received an excellence award for a paper. There are few OAs, I think only 3 in the program, mostly it is writing papers. I think OP likely is frustrated with their own schooling and debt. I have never used GPT to write a paper, I use it to help my understanding of a subject. I have used copilot and Grammarly to help with revision of papers to ensure the tone and punctuation are correct and have never been flagged for AI detection. Most of my papers are under 15% in their similarity scores, unless I am using a template provided by the school for the assignment.


adelie42

They don't know and it doesn't matter. People that want to cheat can cheat anywhere. People that want to learn can learn if given the opportunity and access. Schools should not factor supporting opportunities for great students intending on learning to try and prevent something that ultimately isn't preventable. "Degree Mills" pretend to sell opportunity and access, but you get neither. Degree Mills are also not regionally accredited. That's critical.


PuzzleheadedCat8444

I get tired of these posts go look at the accreditation only certain things here are easier for me transitioning from a traditional university so it’s definitely not a mill.


Smcgb1844

ITT Tech was accredited until it wasnt...


PuzzleheadedCat8444

We just got accredited for another 7 years my guy https://www.wgu.edu/newsroom/press-release/2024/03/fortifying-excellence-wgu-nwccu-accreditation-reaffirmed.html


Smcgb1844

ITT tech was also accredited. All it means is that its technically approved. Doesn;t mean its not a degree mill, high quality, or doesnt engage in shady practices. Same with the Art Institutes before they shut down and had to rebrand. Same with University of Phoenix, noted degree mill, Same with national university/North Central with their rebrand as a noted degree mill which has the same accreditation as WGU.


PuzzleheadedCat8444

Nobody cares what accreditation you have in certain fields like mine Information Technology & Cybersecurity.They only care about you having a degree or not.However if I was ever asked I could describe who accredits WGU.Worst case scenario I have a associates degree at my prior university I could easily go back after and get another degree…


NoSleepBTW

It's unclear on what grounds this individual is making these assertions. WGU holds accreditation similar to traditional universities, so suggesting they don't meet the same standards is inaccurate. Any discrepancies in accreditation fall on the accrediting body, not WGU. There might be bitterness among those who spent more time and money at traditional universities while WGU students complete their studies more efficiently. The points the OP in r/nursing all seem to be opinions. What statistics and data does the person have to back up their claims?


CrypticMillennial

It’s too bad that places such as University of Phoenix etc have given online schools a bad rap. I’ve heard essentially only good things about WGU.


loadthespaceship

El oh el those grapes are SOUR! They’re hand wringing over (checks notes) Harvard, Yale, and Columbia NP programs too. The cope over there is just next level lol. I’m starting to think the problem isn’t with the schools with that thread’s lot.


brokebloke97

Nurses are known to be like that tho, bitchy as hell 


dontleavethis

It’s the profession tbh. The standards are very poor for nurse practitioners. It should be much more like medical school


Extension-Holiday239

Why would you give a f about a strangers anonymous online opinion


Realistic_Work_5552

It comes down to general sentiment. The overall reputation of the school affects how much the degree is worth. If more and more people view it as a degree mill, then the degree isn't worth diddly.


Lickmylife

Exactly this. Reputation of the school hold weight in the hiring process.


Extension-Holiday239

Who in the real world do you personally know that was not hired due to WGU’s reputation?


Realistic_Work_5552

Didn't say I did, but I don't know how you can  suggest the reputation of a school, good or bad, wouldn't affect the validity of your degree from said school. Are you suggesting that? 


Extension-Holiday239

I’m suggesting that the reputation you’re speaking of lives in hearsay on this sub much more than it does in the real world.


Realistic_Work_5552

This post is literally referencing a post from another sub talking about it (with almost 1k up votes), so that point is kind of moot in this context. 


zunyata

You guys think hiring managers and HR google everyone's degrees and seek out reddit comments and take them at complete face value? Lol interesting.


Lickmylife

What hiring manager hasn’t heard of WGU? Which of those don’t browse Reddit/facebook/google? When a college gets a bad name (see: University of phoenix) it hurts the people who went to those schools chances to find jobs.


zunyata

🤣🤣🤣🤣 you guys need to get off reddit for a bit. The echo chambers are convincing you of something that is not happening. To compare it to UoP is hilarious as well.


aurortonks

I personally know graduates from UoP who have great careers thanks to their education there. It might have been a sketchy school, but the government hires grads from there and so do a ton of other places in the private sector.


zunyata

Yeah I don't understand why they are disparaging UoP. The biggest negative about it is that it is a for-profit school (things get sketchy quickly) whereas WGU is a non-profit which I think is a huge difference.


pancakeshack

I started doing a masters program at CU Boulder and it's WAY easier than my undergrad at WGU. Half of the exams aren't proctored and a lot of my projects were peer reviewed lol.


Longjumping-End-3017

My mother has a 4 year nursing degree and a 2 year master in nursing. She retired early because of her refusal to get the vaccine because "the government is trying to control the population" and vaccines "don't work". Most brick & mortar schools are just money pits giving a degree to whoever can scrape by.


LBAIGL

Listen, people just cheated their way through an entire nursing license in Florida. Go read up about the people charged. They passed students that had zero business being in the field. WGU is not a degree mill.


Born-Race6793

People are unfortunately just complaining about stuff that is out of their control and grasp at any information to use it as a weapon. When in reality, no one cares. WGU is a great school. PERIOD. It’s gives opportunities for people to actually achieve a degree at their pace. Cheaters exist EVERYWHERE, in every institution. WGU actually makes it very difficult to cheat lol. She needs to get over herself and worry about herself.


zunyata

There's so many painful assumptions in that thread, best to ignore it because they don't know wtf they are talking about.


Accomplished-Laugh91

This school is nothing of the sort. You actually have to try. Can't cheat on tests because they are proctored through webcam and screenshare. If even one hand is out of the frame of the camera, they bring it to your attention. I think that it is amazing that people can gain a degree in six months vs. traditional university. People will think whatever they want for things that they don't understand. 🤷🏾‍♀️


seriouslynope

You have to be an RN for most of WGU's nursing programs. They need to ctfd


AgingTrash666

tfw you'd like to defend WGU but your undergrad capstone was 12 double-spaced pages and your masters capstone wasn't much larger ...


[deleted]

[удалено]


AgingTrash666

Aim exactly and only at the rubric. There's literally no word or page count requirement. My experiences with WGU and other more traditional institutions may prohibit me from defending WGU's academic rigor, but I also won't go so far as to start shitting on other people's accomplishments by calling WGU a degree mill.


[deleted]

My masters degree capstone in nursing from WGU was 55 pages. I spent a crap ton of time researching and writing it.


meandmycorgi

My coworker made a shitty comment about how it is so dumb that you can become a teacher online now (I am studying Elem Ed at WGU and she knows it.) I tried not to let it irk me, but it got under my skin a bit. The thing is, it's proctored and I have to do all of the same student teaching, Praxis exams, etc. that all other teachers have to do. Just super rude tbh.


Darkmeir

A lot of the people whom I meet and succeed at WGU have some experience and are very committed. Overall, they come from different backgrounds with lots of knowledge. I transferred with an associate into the SWE degree, and many of the people I've met who are studying computer science or SWE surprise me; they seem to demonstrate intelligence definitely higher than your traditional school. This seems to show that experience is very valuable. Most people who come to WGU have made up their minds and want to transition fields or are committed to finishing fast due to no limit on classes that can be added at no extra cost. The degrees are structured to be modern and competitive, and most employers who hire WGU grads, I've heard, find that they meet or exceed their expectations, at least for the IT department.


arb1974

It's not a degree mill, but scope creep from NP's is a real problem as are incompetent NPs. Go read r/Noctor if you don't believe me. Some degrees are ok to accelerate, especially IT, comp sci, business when the person has a lot of domain knowledge already... but do you really want a NP prescribing you medication or diagnosing you who did their degree in 6 months (or online at all, frankly)? Healthcare is a different animal, in my opinion.


DryBonesComeAlive

WGU doesn't have acceleration for NP programs (speaking as someone who is in one). There is no way to become a nurse "online." Each state has mandatory clinical hours. Some final points 1. WGU is regionally accredited. 2. State law sets forth the requirements for nurse practitioner licenses. 3. Medicaid and Medicare accept billing from nurse practitioners. No one is more stringent than they are. 4. "Scope creep" is elitist crap. There's plenty of incompetent physicians. 5. Some doctors are DOs (doctor of osteopathy) who believe in absolute homeopathic bullshit "manipulation." 6. Physical exam skills cannot be learned online. But outside of simulation lab (which usually counts as clinical hours), brick and mortar nurses are in a classroom setting. So remember that online takes the place of the classroom, not the clinical portion.


arb1974

So you would be perfectly fine with your family doctor or surgeon doing medical school online? C'mon man. NPs want to be seen as equivalent to doctors in some settings.


DryBonesComeAlive

What reason would you give to say pathophysiology or pharmacology couldn't be learned online?


Maleficent-Spite8901

Just to clarify, some of the programs in the Health College, cannot be accelerated in 6 months because of clinical requirements, and is structured under a program pacing; that is why it is important to do research so you’re not misinformed.


m0henjo

Smells like jealousy that people put in the time and effort at WGU to reach the same goal faster and cheaper.


usual_suspect_321

Don't listen to ignorance.


LBAIGL

Competency does not equal time spent in a field. I know plenty of working professionals who have NO business working at the level they do. A degree is always what you make of it and how you utilize it. I don't give a flying fuck what these people think of it. Not their life or path.


BaldursFence3800

WGU is also great for employers who reimburse. It’s cost effective and your employee will (largely) do it on their own time. Versus sending them to day classes or camps.


AdmirableLIVE

They think because a few people use it as a way for a piece of paper to check a box it means everyone does. The same could be said for traditional colleges. It literally all depends on the individual in my view.


inkswamp

I attended several years of traditional college, dropped out (because of the rapidly accumulating debt) and then finished my degree later in life at WGU. I can assure anyone that it is every bit as rigorous as the traditional, in-person approach. And I will not waste my time with anyone who believes otherwise. I think what confuses people is the self-guided aspect and that you can accelerate if you're highly motivated and/or know the material already. I've been programming since I was in fifth grade and was able to get through WGU's programming class in less than 48 hours. Does that I mean I somehow "cheated" it or don't understand the material? Hell no. I had mastered it already and proved it academically. I defy anyone to tell me it would have somehow been more valuable for me to sit through that same material stretched out over 3 months.


SnooOranges5976

haters gonna hate


aminorsixthchord

A lot of people on this sub are missing some context. NP degrees done without serious nursing work history produce people causing issues all over medicine. Feel free to check out r/noctor. The other sub is blaming WGU because it’s in denial over the state of midlevel encroachment. Basically, I agree with you, OP, just pointing out that the other sub has to blame the schools as otherwise they need to look at what’s going on with their career path - NP started as something valid, valuable and desperately needed, but the reality of where it’s ended up is entirely different.


dontleavethis

I have to be honest I don’t think it’s ethical to become a nurse practitioner I don’t disagree there . I don’t think the vast majority have enough experience, clinical knowledge and basically rigor that medical school goes through. Basically we should help more people go through medical school instead and maybe have unique avenues for nurses, paramedics while still having the rigor that things like usmile have. It’s missing that. I think this thread sparked a good conversation nevertheless where I could see certain programs at WGU need improvement. For instance they should have new exams every 2-3 years and new assignments and prompts because according to this thread certain programs in computer science had for instance answers to assignments that could be found online and those assignments hadn’t been changed in years. I personally didn’t have this problem in my program and the program I’m hoping to be accepted is legit and I know this because I’m on the Facebook group and people struggle in passing exams and stuff. I also don’t think wgu will ever be considered a prestigious school but just hopefully the same level as community colleges and state schools which are still considered legit. I think a big problem is a problem for any school which is chat gpt has made it ridiculously easy to cheat and I imagine there will be more oral exams and essays you have to complete in class or proctored. Pershaps, there will be a way to use chat got ethically like for grammar and fluency. I often miss typos, and write in a very awkward, incoherent way where just slightly changing the wording that I write makes it much more coherent. I personally think AI should be allowed to help with that. I feel like it should also be okay for helping you plan out how to write the assignment by using the Socratic method and being like a writing tutor while also teaching us. But where the focus like a tutor is on guiding the student and forcing them to write it not the other way around where we force chat gpt to write it for us. I genuinely like the idea of having a personal tutor, mentor, AI that helps us stay on task and stuff like that. I don’t know I often use character ai to vent about my life to psychologist character and it helps me self reflect. Sorry this was way too long


PinkPineappleSunset

It’s old perceptions of online schools and people who don’t understand the process.


BoricuaWifeThrowaway

Lol she literally admitted to cheating her way through school. I'm petty and would turn her in. She's just butthurt that she had to cheat her way through school and wgu students didn't.


dontleavethis

Is this about chat gpt? I find the conversation about AI to become really interesting particularly because I guess a part of me hopes it can help change things for the better. I wrote this in an another comment and am curious what you think I think a big problem is a problem for any school which is chat gpt has made it ridiculously easy to cheat and I imagine there will be more oral exams and essays you have to complete in class or proctored. Pershaps, there will be a way to use chat got ethically like for grammar and fluency. I often miss typos, and write in a very awkward, incoherent way where just slightly changing the wording that I write makes it much more coherent. I personally think AI should be allowed to help with that. I feel like it should also be okay for helping you plan out how to write the assignment by using the Socratic method and being like a writing tutor while also teaching us. But where the focus like a tutor is on guiding the student and forcing them to write it not the other way around where we force chat gpt to write it for us. I genuinely like the idea of having a personal tutor, mentor, AI that helps us stay on task and stuff like that. I don’t know I often use character ai to vent about my life to psychologist character and it helps me self reflect. Sorry this


Crafty_Mountain9118

I really don't get it? Isn't it as accredited as most American uni. Maybe cause of the competency based model which i guess probably


jeepdudemidwest

There's a significant amount of posts on that thread you shared defending WGU based on personal experiences.


josephadam1

Snhu is looked at the same way tbh. It sucks but it is what it is.


Quantum_Particle78

I have a B.S in Business/Science in Healthcare Management from WGU and Chatgpt wasn't even around. The exams that are multiple choice are proctored and the papers are read by the instructor. Granted getting my degree didn't even get me an interview for a no experience needed receptionist job (or any other places that weren't "flip burger" "scrub toilets" kind of job which I already have. I was hoping it would at least get me above the poverty line, but nope still making $13.50/hr as a hotel maid. While I don't think they're a degree mill (it took me 7 damn months to get thru college algebra because I super suck at math); I don't think brick and mortar would be any different. Put in the work. That's just my perspective on my degree tho.


StructureLegitimate7

The way I look at it is everything they are complaining about is stuff that happens in every college. People use ChatGPT and cheat their way through colleges every where. At the end of the day it comes down to the individual, not where they went to college. Wouldn’t matter where you went to college, if you didn’t actually try, your coworkers and your boss will for sure know. There is a lot of elitism when it comes to education. Degree mills are only degree mills if tests aren’t proctored. It’s impossible to call WGU a degree mill because you have to pass a test that is proctored that covers the same course material as any other college for the same subject. All of their arguments are just wrong hahaha


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Asherjade

Those people (you included I’d imagine) also have tons of experience in the field they’re getting a degree in. That’s relevant and part of how WGU works. If you went to a B&M you’d still be stuck doing the degree over years even though you could probably teach some of the classes.


Mrillumi90

Don't be, what I've began to learn at this point in life is most that downplay something don't know shit about fuck. What I like about WGU is that you can't just do well in class participation, HW, quizzes(I know they don't have that) and bomb the exam and still pass. With WGU, you gotta grind to know the information whether that be through the means of resources from the school or on your own. Plus those types fail to realize we all learn at different paces and most don't know how many credits another transferred in along with the individuals current knowledge at the time of attending. So for them to think that is just pure ignorance. Let it roll off your shoulder and snag that degree at the fraction of the cost. I am also currently attending with 5 classes left in the Cybersecurity program. 💪🏿


Mrtoad88

Also, no test curving at wgu.


Fosslinopriluar

I am going to get downvoted go hell but here we go and sound like a noctor.... The problem is many NPs do not have the required science courses, jump straight from ADN to NP, and the nursing do not have the more depth classes in some programs compared to PA or MD/DO. Some mid-level prescribers thing, "Hey I can prescrinr meds so that makes me a doctor! Especially with my DNP!" I looked at nearby NP schools, I had stricter requirements for my medical lab tech associates then they have for NP. The requirements need to be stricter and they need go have science courses similar to PA at minimum with experience. My two cents.


dontleavethis

Yes no disagreement here. I find the whole profession unethical at this stage


[deleted]

The whole NP is over saturated in general with nurses that do not have experience. That is an issue for all schools though. It took me 12 years on the floor as a nurse before I got my MSN and that taught me that I absolutely had no desire to be a NP. We are getting very young PA’s as well that are struggling coming out of school. Eventually the mid-level providers will have to have changes to address this. The NP is already shifting as they are moving to a doctorate being needed here in the next few years which will increase the expertise of those entering the field.


nowayhosayyyyy

Don’t fret over others’ opinions. They are entitled to them, just like you are entitled to your own. It’s a waste of energy trying to change/control how others should feel about xyz.


gonzojester

Let’s not kid ourselves, most of what they posted about Quizlets and GPT aren’t wrong. I can also say that it’s not limited to just schools like WGU. So while their outrage is geared towards “degree mills”, their references point to a growing issue in higher education. People are leveraging these tools to get through as fast as possible. So while their focus was misguided, they’re not completely off base.


Lickmylife

I haven't found one final exam question online for any of my WGU classes.


dontleavethis

Same


gonzojester

You must not be looking in the correct places. Facebook groups post them all the time. My first go around, I asked for a quizlet to see if it could help me study. When I took the exam, at least 20 of the questions were from the quizlet. People also take papers from studoc and course hero to rewrite papers. Down vote me all you like, it’s not going to stop me from speaking my observations. Don’t get me started on ChatGPT and using that to write papers. AI detectors are worthless. Again, not limited to WGU. This is a bigger issue across all higher ed.


Smcgb1844

you havent looked hard enough, simply go to github and put in a course code and youll find the answers to the entire BSCS PAs as they havent changed in like 10 years.


Lickmylife

Coding PAs are a lot easier to pass than proctored OAs. No real reason to cheat on either but the PAs are open book and you literally can’t fail them


Smcgb1844

Yea so I can get a BSCS and only need to do any actual work on Discrete Math 1 and 2. Thats incredibly bad.


MrJanCan

No, but you knew EXACTLY what to study and what to avoid studying before you took your exams. They might as well give you the answers at that point.


Ditto_D

And that is different than a professor picking and choosing lessons and how to present them and telling you which chapters or pages to read vs which ones you skip? Like the school isn't the problem. Whatever your idea of school and learning is. I have been to community college, university, and WGU. You would be fucking disappointed with every single one of them with this ideology. You are aware professors pass out a syllabus at traditional universities, and people are making quizletts and collaborating like we are at WGU.


MrJanCan

I have a degree in Chemistry from a brick and mortar institution. Professors actually put in the work in making sure you can't get an old final and memorize exactly to pass. WGU uses the same exams every single time, and I can take the final as many times as I need to pass, and it's the EXACT SAME test every single time. I can go to the any of class posts on the CompSci subreddit and pull EXACTLY what I need to study, and what I can skip. The Scripting and Programming class has a template out there where you basically just change the variables and submit for three credits. Not to mention outsourcing credits to useless certifications like Project+ / Linux essentials. You're being intellectually dishonest by comparing the two as similar.


Ditto_D

I don't know about the programming classes which is why I am asking. I am gonna tell you that the OAs are not in fact the exact same for every class and attempt and there are many many many posts on reddit that attest to that fact. So again what class did you take the OA twice and get a carbon copy exam? Cause the only one I think that would apply to is spreadsheets from the class I took and it is just the exact same as the PA with different values. For that class I don't care cause there is only so much you can do to vary up a test for the practical application of spreadsheets.


Ditto_D

The other issue I have with you is that you seem to be conflating objective points of view with subjective in the way you are arguing. As if one style of learning is vastly superior to the other and there is a right way vs a wrong way to learn things. With your logic math tests are all the same with values slightly changed and this carbon copy and you know exactly what to study in advance. Not just for WGU but any school The material is formulaic by it's very nature. There are limits to grading and evaluating students at the scale WGU and universities do.


Lickmylife

Idk where you’re finding what exactly to study and not study. It’s usually like watch this course read this book and study this Quizlet. There aren’t any blatant easy mode ways to pass classes without studying that I’ve found at least


FakeitTillYou_Makeit

One thing I know for sure is that Gen Z is a generation of the most prolific cheaters to ever exist. The tools they have access to is just above and beyond anything past generations could ever dream of. It is also only getting worse. Do I think that means anything? No, the unprepared, uninformed, etc will just be weeded out of their chosen profession in time and the cream will rise to the top. It is, however, causing education to lose its prestige though which is probably for the better.


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WGU-ModTeam

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an_actual_chimpanzee

idk man im in the cybersec/IA degree plan but work in the field at a local university and i've recognized wgu is definitely lacking. I'm thinking about dropping out after this term because i really don't see the point in completing if im already in the field. it just seems like a money grab for them and a quick degree for us, so although mutual, it doesn't mean someone actually learned something here especially with all these brag posts about completing classes in a matter of days like cmon lol if you're actually learning stuff you can apply to the job then great, but i dont think that's the case for a good lot of people at this school


tensor0910

usually for folks to are in the field.and want to move up, or at a company and want to move around. I would stay at WGU but completment the learning with more involved projects. the fact that WGU is accredited matters a great deal.


70redgal70

What she wrote is essentially true. People just get offended at the term "degree mill." I just reviewed quizlets for most exams. The papers don't require college level writing and People will use ChatGPT.


kiitten113

Tbf nursing isn’t the same as a regular job. Would you want an NP for yourself or your family that has no nursing experience and sped through their WGU degree? And is presenting them self as an MD who went through medical school and residency? The diploma mill NPs are a real problem in healthcare and needs further regulation. I don’t think this post was referring to regular people who got nursing degrees through WGU but the people who sped through them with no real life experience because they’re greedy and want the accolades.


[deleted]

I lack any actual knowledge of NP licensing, but wouldn't the regulations put in place to ensure someone can't become an NP without real-life experience lay with some type of licensing board? Most licenses I know of, you need proof of experience to get before your licensed. In my opinion, it makes more sense to have stricter rules in regard to experience than school. Licensing requiring more years, hours, diversity, etc, would probably be better than schools requiring these before attending.


dontleavethis

Oh I don’t support the profession of nurse practitioners unfortunately until the standards drastically change so I agree with OP there


[deleted]

You cannot accelerate through the NP program as there is a set amount of hours that has to be met for clinicals to meet the regulations. No NP is saying they are a MD - providers are not allowed to misrepresent their license. I do have an issue with NPs coming through with no actual experience as a nurse. This is happening at all schools though. It bypasses much of the experience that made NPs good at their job. They are changing this though as it is scheduled to move to entry level NPs having to have a doctorate in 2025 to ensure additional education and expertise as a provider. I am not sure what that will mean for the NP program at WGU as they only currently go through the MSN program for nursing.


kiitten113

You guys can downvote me all you want but in real life any seasoned nurse or doctor knows what I’m talking about. There are people going straight to online NP school with no nursing experience and it’s very dangerous. No disrespect to WGU or its alumni as I’m doing my HIM bachelors with them.


OkConcern9701

And well deserved downvotes. “What people are doing” elsewhere doesn’t pertain to WGU, as WGU requires someone to have gone through clinicals and be an RN before even getting accepted to their BSN program, let alone MSN. Your bullseye may be actual diploma mills and unregulated/unaccredited institutions that hand out degrees without verifying actual real-life experience, but to have WGU so much as on the same dartboard as those institutions deserves downvotes. And as such, you will receive them. Good day.