So as I mentioned in my last post, I decided to get my masters in Learning and Technology from Western Governors University but there was a long process of making this decision.
When I finally decided to get my masters I knew I wanted an online program for a few reasons. First was that it was 2020 and we were in the middle of a pandemic. Plain and simple it wasn’t safe. Additionally, I figured if I was getting a masters in technology I might as well look into programs that understood technology well enough to teach it online.
As I started my research I realized quickly that even within online there were different options. Some schools required you to attend virtual classes and move through the coursework on a strict schedule. I quickly realized that although this setup worked well when I was an undergraduate student, it wouldn’t work for my current lifestyle. Between teaching virtually during the day and coaching soccer in the evenings, I couldn’t commit to virtual classes or set deadlines. I knew there were some weeks where I would need to focus on grading or commit an entire weekend to soccer thanks to tournaments. In the end, I also wasn’t a fan of the amount money I would have to commit to a 12/18/24 month program.
From these realizations I discovered that there was another type of online masters program, competency based. From one of my Facebook education pages, I learned about WGU. They are set up with six month terms. You pay a flat rate for the six months. There are no deadlines for assignments; outside of completing so many courses each term. The best part was that if you finished the minimum number of courses you could accelerate by adding more. The Learning and Technology masters best fit my goals and said that most people finished it within 18 months. After talking to my entrance counselor he assured me that those numbers were based on pre pandemic completion rates. He said that most people were completing it within 6-12 months. At $3,385 a term, even if it took me an entire year, it was still the most affordable option with the most flexibility.
I started my program in September of 2020 and officially passed my last assignment in January of 2021, exactly one month early of my first term deadline. I worked really hard over the last five months. There were many early mornings, late nights and long weekends but there were also periods of break. I took a few days off in October to go camping and took an entire week off at Thanksgiving and Christmas to be with my family. During this time I also virtually taught 130 middle schoolers, coached two soccer teams and started a small business. I took advantage of not having to commute 30 minutes to and from work each day and put that time right into my work. My background in technology and science, as well as always being a strong writer, really helped me accelerate through the program. I made sure I used the resources the university provided me and the WGU community on facebook to fully understand assignments before submitting them.
One of the best things about WGU was that if your submission wasn’t good enough to pass, the evaluators gave you really clear feedback about what portions of the assignment. you needed to improve. From there if you needed additional guidance you could reach out to your course instructor to get help by email or phone calls.
As soon as you submitted a “task” you were able to start working on your next one. My mentor was great about opening up my next class while we waited for evaluation. It took them about 48-72 hours to complete most evaluations and you could make multiple attempts at submission. One time I had to submit four times because my word was messing up the formatting/spelling/grammar without warning. Should have been easy enough to fix but when it is a 30+ page paper, it’s a slightly different story.
WGU has made it possible for me to get a much needed raise and also provided me with a potential path into becoming an instructional coach or technology coach down the line if I want. At this point I am just waiting for my graduation application to be approved and then it’s time to celebrate.
Want to see some of my submitted assignments? Check out the My Masters tab at the top to see most of my coursework. Have questions? Add a comment below.
It’s never too early or too late to get your masters!