tired of all the online schools lieing to me

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

cyr0n_k0r

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Mar 30, 2001
Messages
5,360
I have tried to attend

ASU Online
WGU
Capella

and I have quit every single one within the first week because I have found that I continue to be lied to at every turn by every single one of these online schools. I have researched and talked to the following about degree programs.

Devry
ASU Online
NAU Online
Capella
Kaplan
WGU
CTU
SNHU
UoP

And every single one of them I've caught in a lie before actually attending, or their program is not what I'm looking for.

I have 3 very simple and basic requirements that none of the enrollment people I talk to seem to comprehend.

I want to work by myself and my own pace without having to post stupid nonsense discussion posts that have nothing to do with anything and are busy work plain and simple.
I want to work fast, and get the damn classes over with as quickly as possible.
My existing certifications (ccnp, mcitp:ea, and a half dozen others) need to apply for credits or waive course requirements.

I'm not interested in "discussion" posts and reply to other peoples discussion posts and all that nonsense. I want to get in, get the assignments done, and get out.

The degree program I'm after is IT, networking. Not computer science, not programming, not databases... networking.
Does anyone have any suggestions on a school that doesn't make you jump through 5000 hoops just to get your assignments done? (It would be great if after you enroll and pay them they actually still answer their phones too)
 
I don't have a direct answer here, but I'm curious as to what you are aiming to get from a school? Just a piece of paper saying you have a degree? With the certs you have, what does a degree bring to the table for you on a resume?
 
McTurkey said:
I don't have a direct answer here, but I'm curious as to what you are aiming to get from a school? Just a piece of paper saying you have a degree? With the certs you have, what does a degree bring to the table for you on a resume?
Click to expand...
I don't want to have this thread turn into a debate about the virtues of experience vs certs vs degrees so I'm not going to answer your questions.
Please don't take offense, I really really want to. But for the purpose of this thread it wouldn't be on topic.
 
A degree really isn't a certification program, I'm not sure if you're ever going to find one that meets your requirements exactly. There is a lot of extra stuff involved in a degree compared to certs, and that's certainly working in groups, discussions, and set time-frames.

Maybe someone knows more than I, but I've personally never heard of a school that fits the bill for this.
 
WGU is what you want.
I am in WGU right now and have 2 classes left, capstone and technical writing. I haven ever once needed to post to any discussion boards, or needed to participate in any group projects. I have always been able to work at my own pace and have done so consistently. They have a minimum of 12 CU's needed for each term (6 months) I have received credit for all my prior certs( A+ Net+ Sec+ MCDST MCITP: edst) to name a few. I recently obtained MCITP: EA now known as MCSA once again. I have been able to work through 22CU's on the high end and 6 on the low end(slacked this term).
Not sure what else to say at this point. WGU seems to fit your requirements nicely, take a look over at techexams.net there are several posts about WGU. One student was able to complete his degree program in one term (6months)
So give it a new look. Not trying to sell WGU but I feel that this is the best bang for your buck tech school with no nonsense for folks looking to get in and get out and get done with it.
Feel free to ask me an questions.

Edit: Almost forgot...
The first class with WGU was silly and rather stupid. I believe it was education without boundaries....Sort of a intro into how learning at WGU takes place and an intro to the WGU culture. Once this is completed everything fals into place very easily.
 
I tried WGU but my big beef with them is that they charge a set amount per term. If you take 1 class or 5 its the same price. Considering (at the time I enrolled at WGU) I was only able to take 1 class per term it was a complete and utter waste of money.
 
If you want a degree/certificate worth more than the paper it is printed on, you need to do the course work proscribed by an accredited school. The schools may need to structure their courses to meet accreditation standards. Some schools allow custom courses of study/degrees, but may still require some 'filler'.
I think you may want a certificate rather than a degree- basically a tech school rather than a college. Networking is in the Computer Sciences course of study, so in a college I'm not sure you can divorce the two. In a Tech School, you can go for a strictly networking certificate.
 
RocketTech said:
If you want a degree/certificate worth more than the paper it is printed on, you need to do the course work proscribed by an accredited school. The schools may need to structure their courses to meet accreditation standards. Some schools allow custom courses of study/degrees, but may still require some 'filler'.
I think you may want a certificate rather than a degree- basically a tech school rather than a college. Networking is in the Computer Sciences course of study, so in a college I'm not sure you can divorce the two. In a Tech School, you can go for a strictly networking certificate.
Click to expand...
I already have all the certifications I need. Or if I need more I can go and get them relatively easily. I'm currently working on my CCDP since I just finished my CCNP about 6 months ago.
I already have an AA from a community college for general studies.
I'm not interested in "filler". That is why I get frustrated with all these institutions that try and pawn off "filler" as education.
 
You don't really want a degree from any of those schools, do you? Again, a 'networking degree' is pretty pointless if you have certs - get more certs!

Just get a Associates in computer programming or information systems from your local community college, it will at least be worth something.
 
To the best of my knowledge you won't find a Bachelor of Science Degree in "Networking". The best you could hope for is one of these:

1) B.S. in Computer Information Systems
2) Certificate of Completion - Networking

If you already have an Associates Degree in a computer-related field you've pretty much achieved the best you can hope for from an accredited institution.

McTurkey asked the right question, what is it you're really looking for? You mentioned a bunch of fluff about wanting a degree in networking, but those don't exist. You mentioned some nonsense requirements about "working at your own pace" and "having education from outside of an education institution count towards your studies at that institution" as well. Nowhere have you listed what your ultimate goal is, so nobody can point you in the correct direction.

You aren't providing anyone the ability to help you due to the stringent (and unacceptable) requirements you've provided. Either be more flexible with your requirements or discuss what your ultimate goal is (B.S. degree? Networking certification from an accredited university? Something else?)

cyr0n_k0r said:
I already have all the certifications I need. Or if I need more I can go and get them relatively easily. I'm currently working on my CCDP since I just finished my CCNP about 6 months ago.
I already have an AA from a community college for general studies.
I'm not interested in "filler". That is why I get frustrated with all these institutions that try and pawn off "filler" as education.
Click to expand...

The "filler" is what differentiates higher education from the rest. It shows you're multi-disciplined and are capable of critical thinking, both in the arts and the sciences. How many people do you see walking around with "Master of Science in Plumbing" degrees? Know a lot of highly-educated welders? Network lackeys are grunts--if you want a degree from a college/university you have to put the work in to prove you're deserving of the paper you receive at the end.
 
robvas said:
You don't really want a degree from any of those schools, do you? Again, a 'networking degree' is pretty pointless if you have certs - get more certs!

Just get a Associates in computer programming or information systems from your local community college, it will at least be worth something.
Click to expand...

This. I'll also just add that most online "universities" are an outright scam for what you get.
 
Tytalus said:
McTurkey asked the right question, what is it you're really looking for? You mentioned a bunch of fluff about wanting a degree in networking, but those don't exist. You mentioned some nonsense requirements about "working at your own pace" and "having education from outside of an education institution count towards your studies at that institution" as well. Nowhere have you listed what your ultimate goal is, so nobody can point you in the correct direction.

You aren't providing anyone the ability to help you due to the stringent (and unacceptable) requirements you've provided. Either be more flexible with your requirements or discuss what your ultimate goal is (B.S. degree? Networking certification from an accredited university? Something else?)
Click to expand...
Actually, I've provided more than enough information.
I've established I'm not interested in doing BS work that requires me to interact with other learners that don't know what they are talking about. If an instructor wants to pose questions to me and have me answer them that is fine, but I'm not going to learn something from another student that also doesn't know the material.
I've established that I'm only interested in working at my own pace. Which means I do not want programs that operate in 10 week long or semester long set time frames. Where you can only start working on the assignments from week 3 when you are actually in week 3. Never-mind that you finished the work from weeks 1 and 2 within 3 days. So now you've got to sit there and do nothing for 2.5 weeks waiting for the work to become available.
I've established that I am not interested in programming or databases. If an institution wants to call the degree program "computer information systems" that's fine, but I'm not looking for CIS degrees where 80% of the course work is about javascript and perl.

I would have thought it was obvious that I was interested in a BS degree, but since that point is lost on you let me explicitly state that I am interested in a BS degree.

Skripka said:
This. I'll also just add that most "universities" are an outright scam for what you get.
Click to expand...
Fixed. :D

@ND40oz, I'll check out UMUC and talk to some of their people. Thanks.
@shybou I'll call up WGU and talk to them again. The amount of time I have available is a little different than what it was 1.5 years ago when I first tried enrolling at WGU so maybe it might be a better fit this time around.

Tytalus said:
The "filler" is what differentiates higher education from the rest. It shows you're multi-disciplined and are capable of critical thinking, both in the arts and the sciences. How many people do you see walking around with "Master of Science in Plumbing" degrees? Know a lot of highly-educated welders? Network lackeys are grunts--if you want a degree from a college/university you have to put the work in to prove you're deserving of the paper you receive at the end.
Click to expand...
If this offtopic garbage is all you have to contribute please leave the thread. As I mentioned I am not interested in having this turn into degrees vs experience vs certs.
 
cyr0n_k0r said:
I would have thought it was obvious that I was interested in a BS degree, but since that point is lost on you let me explicitly state that I am interested in a BS degree.
Click to expand...

It was not obvious, hence why people are recommending various programs ala throwing darts at a dart board. You said, "I want a degree in networking" but provided no guidance if a certification is acceptable, or if you want the place you attend to be accredited, or if you even care if the paper's worth anything at the end of the day.

cyr0n_k0r said:
If this offtopic garbage is all you have to contribute please leave the thread. As I mentioned I am not interested in having this turn into degrees vs experience vs certs.
Click to expand...

You can claim someone telling you why higher education has the requirements that it does is "off-topic", but I'll continue to say it's relevant to your discussion. What you are asking for is an accredited degree from a college/university that doesn't require you to fulfill the requirements that make them accredited. If any university will hand you a "Bachelors Degree in Networking" or a "Bachelors Degree in IT" but not require you to prove you can critically think then the paper won't be worth anything. This isn't "garbage" this is how the real world works, and it is worth me pointing this out since you seem to want to take the "put your head in the sand and scream LALALALALA" approach to understanding the scholastic process at the college/university level.

If you don't want to debate degree vs. experience vs. certs that's fine, that doesn't make my comment any less relevant to understanding why you can't find what you seek.

-----

Perhaps an example may help you understand why you aren't finding what you want? Take this example:

You: "I want a car with no left turn signal. I think they're ugly and useless and I won't hear any discussion regarding it, I just want to know where I can find a car with no left turn signal."

Me: "Left turn signals are required before a car can be sold, no car dealership can sell a car without a left turn signal and be taken as a serious car dealership."

You: "Please don't post this garbage. If you can't tell me where I can find a car with no left turn signal please leave the thread."

You are asking for something that doesn't exist (to the best of my knowledge), so I'm telling you it doesn't exist and you're calling my response garbage. Please don't be so rude as to exclude my response simply because it doesn't fall within the narrowly-defined parameters you've established, even when I'm trying to point out that those parameters aren't likely to be met. I'm spending some of my time trying to explain why you can't find what you seek and you're telling me to go away and calling my response garbage.
 
Tytalus has the right of it. The reason most schools have the requirement to work in a group is to develop social skills- working with others, working as part of a team, learning by transforming knowledge into application, etc.
No one is stopping you from self-study. If you want the degree, you have to fulfill the requirements.
Colleges and universites are accredited because they teach what you may not know you need to be taught.
Instead of picking a school that has the course of study you want, how about picking a school that produces the people with jobs you want?
 
Tytalus said:
What you are asking for is an accredited degree from a college/university that doesn't require you to fulfill the requirements that make them accredited.
Click to expand...
That's not what I'm asking for at all. After 3 posts you still don't get it so no point in continuing to argue with you.

Tytalus said:
If any university will hand you a "Bachelors Degree in Networking" or a "Bachelors Degree in IT" but not require you to prove you can critically think then the paper won't be worth anything.
Click to expand...
I don't need to prove I can critically think. My career and job title prove it for me.

Tytalus said:
You: "I want a car with no left turn signal. I think they're ugly and useless and I won't hear any discussion regarding it, I just want to know where I can find a car with no left turn signal."

Me: "Left turn signals are required before a car can be sold, no car dealership can sell a car without a left turn signal and be taken as a serious car dealership."
Click to expand...
:rolleyes::rolleyes: If that is seriously how you see this thread and I've already asked you to leave because you can't seem to keep your mouth shut if you have nothing to actually contribute I'm going to close the thread.

Tytalus said:
You are asking for something that doesn't exist (to the best of my knowledge)
Click to expand...
So shut your mouth and keep your opinions to yourself. If you don't know of any place then don't post.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top