Western Governors University has an attractive education model for those of us who do not want to be buried under a mountain of student loan debt. Everyone that looks at Western Governors University’s competency based learning model can’t help but ask: Is finishing a Bachelors degree possible in a single 6-month term? Well, it depends.

My Experience at WGU

In 2016 I graduated with an Associates degree from a local community college. Rather than going back to school for my degree in computer science, I taught myself to program and opted to get Information Technology certifications instead. After 4 years in IT I decided I wanted to go back and finish out my degree. I found WGU, did my research and ended up graduating just 5 months after enrolling in my degree. I started with 33% of the degree satisfied by transfer credits from my AA, IT certifications and Sophia learning.

In my time at WGU I averaged 1 week per class with my longest class (Discrete Mathematics I)taking 4 weeks. At the same time, during my 5 enrolled months I sold my house, moved across the state and started a new job. There was a 25-day period where I was searching for a job (during the move) but I otherwise was working 40–45 hours per week. Every free moment I had was dedicated to working on school.

I hope that by sharing my experience I can help clear up some confusion and help prospective students set realistic expectations. Completing this degree in 6 months is a large commitment and might not be for everyone. If you are dedicated to putting in the work, the 6 month Bachelors degree is very attainable.

While my experience was focused on IT and Computer Science, these tips should help you no matter what degree you are going for.

#1 – Do your Research

If you are reading posts like this you are on the right track. Go out and research everything you can about how the school works. Print out the course descriptions and read them, google the course names and read what people have to say.

Watch videos where people share their experiences. Doing this helped me understand the flow of classes and mentally prepare for the grind that was ahead of me.

Doing this research made me nervous and cut down my confidence. I began to think that this goal would not be possible and started to think that I was being delusional. Don’t fall into this trap. If you are dedicated, learn quickly and do your due diligence you can absolutely complete the degree in one term.

#2 – Create a Pregame Plan

WGU has transfer credit partners and provides tables of all the classes through third parties that they guarantee will be accepted as a transfer credit. Look at this list, sign up for Sophia Learning for $100 a month and complete as many classes as you can.

WGU Transfer Partners:
https://partners.wgu.edu/home

Sophia Learning feels a lot like WGU, the main difference is that tests at WGU are proctored and require you to be on camera. See how many Sophia Learning classes you can complete in a single month.

Computer Science Specific Info:

I highly suggest you transfer in Calculus I at the very minimum.

At time of writing Sophia Learning can satisfy 12 out of the required 37 classes. That translates to 37 out of the required 117 credits. That means you can satisfy 30% of the degree before you even begin, even with no previous college degree! Obviously this will take you some time, and it stretches out that “6 months” goal, but the real win here is for your wallet. Both WGU and Sophia Learning are competency based and allow you to pay a fixed fee where you can complete as many classes as you want. Sophia Learning is $99/month while WGU is closer to $670/month. Even if it took you 6 months to complete these classes you would still have paid less money than if you were enrolled in WGU for a single month.

Once you have your transfer credits worked out it’s time to do the less satisfying work. Study for the IT Certifications that are included in the degree. Both of them have publicly available guidelines for much of what you need to know. Study as if you are about to take the test, this will make the content familiar to you once you are actually ready. At time of writing there are two classes that require a certification exam:

• Business of IT – Applications – ITILv4 Foundations
• Linux Foundations – LPI Linux Essentials

You can transfer in as many times as you want but as soon as you commit to the degree you are on the hook for the total cost of the term, and you are no longer eligible to transfer credits in.

#3 – Cut out Non-Essential Activities

Completing a Bachelors degree in 6 months is difficult. You need to be dedicated and set aside as much time as possible. Tell your friends and family that you will be very busy for the next 6 months. If you have time-consuming plans coming up, consider delaying enrollment until you are free.

Selling your house, moving across the state and starting a new job are all examples of things that you should NOT do in the middle of your degree.

I personally greatly enjoy summer activities and typically hibernate inside throughout the winter. This meant that for me, starting in November was perfect timing for me. If you enjoy a certain time of year more than others, you should plan your enrollment timing accordingly.

#4 – Ignore the Doubts

Throughout the process my confidence would rapidly bounce between “I don’t fail tests” to “I am never going to finish this class”. I was constantly influenced by the way that people reacted when I told them my plan. Additionally, every time I started a new class my confidence crashed because there was always so much to take in and learn. The rapid context switching can be exhausting and debilitating.

I was working on Discrete Mathematics I and I met with a course instructor to go over a couple topics that I wasn’t picking up fast enough. At this point I had been in the class for around 3 weeks and my morale was approaching a record low. I thought that there was no way I was going to finish the degree in time because of this class.

During my meeting with my instructor he said “I want you to set realistic expectations for this class, most students take 8–10 weeks to complete it. You should not assume that you can move at the same pace as your other classes.” That message really infected my mind for a few days. I ultimately took and absolutely crushed the test a week later. Do not listen to anyone who tells you something is not possible, even when the person is in a position of authority, tenure or respect.

#5 – Foster a Relationship with Your Mentor

My relationship with my mentor was my greatest tool in this journey. My mentor constantly offered me words of encouragement and boosted my confidence far higher than I could have alone. Every time I felt like I wasn’t going to make it she nudged me along and ultimately got me to the finish line.

Nobody is going to do the work for you and nobody is going to hold your hand along the way. Your mentor’s job is to ensure that you graduate and you are making progress towards your goals. Be honest with them, open up to them and trust the words of advice that they provide to you.

Your mentor is also your key to accelerating through content. Your mentor has to unlock each class for you and queue them up. My mentor was incredible and would frequently unlock classes for me on Sunday, knowing that I would grind through work on the weekends. Be vocal about your goals and ensure your mentor always knows when you intend on taking your next test or turning in your class.

Your mentor hears feedback from all students regarding classes and has a plethora of knowledge regarding what has held students back and what has helped them. Ask them as many questions as possible and take the time to internalize what they say. Do not get discouraged when they tell you students struggle with certain classes, just prepare yourself and push through.

I genuinely enjoyed checking in with my mentor and always loved to hear what she had to say. Since I put effort into our relationship, I cared about what she thought and I did not want to let her down. When I was feeling like I didn’t want to study, in the back of my mind I was thinking “I’d love to see how my mentor reacts if I finished this class today.”

#6 – Use Your Study Time Efficiently

When you get dropped into a new class it can be a bit of a whirlwind, especially when trying to accelerate. There is a ton of information, and it is difficult to know where to start.

• Step 1: Use the course planning tool to get an idea of what’s to come. This is a great tool because you can actually use it before you are officially enrolled in a class. This can help you get an idea for which class you want to tackle next and can give you study ideas for when you are waiting on your next class to be unlocked.
• Step 2: Assess your current knowledge. If you feel as though the course planning tool was easy, jump straight into taking the practice assessment (Step 5). If not, take some time to just google concepts that the questions were quizzing you on. Do not just google the questions, think about what skills you are missing.
• Step 3: Read the auxiliary materials. Course search, Course Tips and Course Chatter are incredible tools that will allow you to get a very good idea of what you need to know, what students are struggling with and where you can go to seek out more resources. Additionally, your course instructors will send you a “Welcome email” that contains tips and often times has additional resources. By the end of this step you should have a list of important chapters to read.
• Step 4: Skim the course content. Take at most 2 hours and skim every single (required) chapter of the book. If you begin to feel overwhelmed with a topic, jot it down and move on. By the end of this you should have a high level understanding of what you know and what you have left to learn.
• Step 5: Take the Practice Assessment. Take the assessment in the same room where you will be taking the test. Put a camera on you and do not look anything up. If you get exemplary or mid-high on competent, schedule the real test for the same day. If you do worse than mid competent, dig into the review and re-read all the relevant sections, this time slow down a bit.

Don’t be afraid to take your time on stuff that needs more time. The math classes are hard and are going to take longer than Intro to IT. Don’t get discouraged, take breaks and push hard.

#7 – Just Take the Test

Determining how much you need to study before taking a test or turning in an assignment is one of the more difficult things to balance when accelerating at WGU. WGU allows you to take a test up to a maximum of 4 times. Each time you fail, you will need to meet with a course instructor to go over a study plan. Often times they will assign you mandatory homework before they will reopen the test for you.

I did not fail any of my tests as I have a habit of over preparing. I believe that this habit cost me a lot of time. If you wait until you feel 100% certain that you are going to pass then you will end up never taking any tests. Once you have a decent grasp of the subject material and did okay on the practice, especially if you are 2–3 days in, just take the test.

In my opinion, attempting the first try early only stands to buy you time. If you pass, great! Time to move on. If you fail, you will be handed a study plan by your course instructor which can serve as a map to the finish line. Also, if you fail you probably need to study more anyway and that extra guidance can be a great boon as sometimes if can feel like you are flailing through content blindly.

Wrapping Up

Completing a Bachelor Degree in 6 months wont be easy. You are going to have to be dedicated and ready to fill all of your free time with studying. That said, it is a rewarding experience that will save you an incredible amount of time and money on your pursuit for a degree. Take the time to plan ahead, take it seriously and don’t give up. If you push hard enough you can make it happen. Good luck!