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The official guide to courses by Straighterline, Study, et al: We want YOUR input!
Provider: Sophia.org
Course: College Readiness (3 Credits)
Score: 99% (pending the outcome of my Touchstone - I'll try to remember to update this)
Course content: This course is presented only in a PDF/text form.  There are no other materials that are needed, just the text provided by Sophia.  There are 3 units in total, each with a few challenge quizzes (5-10 questions) followed by a milestone test (15-25 questions) on the material covered in that unit.  The class then has a "touchstone" writing assignment that must be submitted and a final exam (25 questions).  
Final exam format: The class has a final "touchstone" (writing assignment) which must be completed, as well as a 25 question multiple choice milestone or final exam.  
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The information provided in the course was consistent with what was on the exam.  There are some instances in which I find Sophia can be a little pedantic, but overall, the challenges and milestones were fairly consistent with what was on the final exam and what was presented in the course as well.  
Time taken on course: 2 hours, 52 minutes
Familiarity with subject before course: I was familiar with most of the concepts that were included in the course reading material, but there was some worthwhile information there as a returning college student who did pretty poorly his first time around, 15 years ago.  I was being diligent about reading and participating fully, but I could've probably just cruised through the course without any reading and gotten a B.  
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that you can have two active classes at a time on Sophia.  While you're waiting for your Touchstone assignment to be graded, this class will be taking up one of your active class "slots", meaning that one of your slots will be "stuck" on this class until that Touchstone is graded and returned to you. Plan accordingly!
1-10 Difficulty level: 2

Provider: Sophia.org
Course: The Essentials of Managing Conflict (1 credit) (1st class in wiki's suggested course order toward Project Management)
Score:  99%
Course content: This course is presented either in a PDF/text form or in a video lecture.  All materials needed are provided by Sophia.  The course consists of 1 unit, with 3 "challenge" quizzes of 7-8 questions and a final "Milestone" exam of 22 questions.  
Final exam format: The final exam is a 22 question multiple choice test.  
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The quizzes and tests were fairly consistent with the material presented in each of the units and in the class as a whole.  I didn't feel like there were any issues in this regard.  
Time taken on course: 3 hours, 03 minutes
Familiarity with subject before course: While I've dealt with conflict resolution in the workplace previously, this class was largely about identifying types of conflict resolution and applying a paradigm of "phases of conflict" that I wouldn't have known without going into the class materials.  Unless you have a lot of academic background in the area, you probably would need to actually read the class material in order to be familiar with the concepts and verbiage as it is going to be presented on the challenge quizzes and final exam.  
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: Read the course material.  It will basically cover a large chunk of what you're going to do in the second class in this track anyways (Conflict Resolution).
1-10 Difficulty level: 3

Provider: Sophia.org
Course: Conflict Resolution (3 credits) (2nd class in wiki's suggested course order toward Project Management)
Score: 94%
Course content:  This course is presented either in a PDF/text form or in a video lecture.  All materials needed are provided by Sophia.  The course consists of 6 units, with 2-3 "challenge" quizzes per unit of 9-10 questions, as well as a Milestone test on each unit of 20-25 questions.  The class finishes with a final Milestone exam of 25 questions.  
Final exam format: The final Milestone exam is 25 multiple choice questions.  
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The tests were generally consistent with the information presented in the course and challenge quizzes, though there were a handful of examples where I felt like it was expecting me to draw a conclusion that wasn't made completely clear in the original text.  Additionally, there were a handful of times where I felt like the test or challenge questions were a bit overly pedantic, but it wasn't too big of a deal.  
Time taken on course: 14 hours, 36 minutes, over about 3 days
Familiarity with subject before course: There was a sizeable chunk of the class that I had just completed in the "Essentials of Managing Conflict" class previously, which let me skip through some early parts of this class.  Otherwise, while there were a lot of concepts that I was familiar with, I didn't know some of the nomenclature or terminology that the class was using or testing on, so I had to go through the text and take notes on these sorts of things so that I could apply that knowledge.  
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: I didn't find this class to be particularly difficult, but I did find it to be a grind.  There is some good information there, but because the challenges are not generally focused on a small portion of the unit and instead cover a large part of it, it generally forces you to read the entire 80-100 page text, and then do three challenges, a practice milestone (if you choose), and an actual milestone test.  It would've been much better if it were broken up differently, but as it is, it ends up being very grindy.  
1-10 Difficulty level: 6

Provider: Sophia.org
Course: Developing Effective Teams (1 credit) (3rd class in wiki's suggested course order toward Project Management)
Score: 96%
Course content: This course is presented either in a PDF/text form or in a video lecture.  All materials needed are provided by Sophia.  The course consists of 1 unit, with 3 "challenge" quizzes of 5-6 questions and a final "Milestone" exam of 17 questions.  
Final exam format: The final Milestone exam was 17 multiple choice questions.  
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The material covered in the challenge quizzes and Milestone exam was consistent with the information presented in the course.  
Time taken on course: 2 hours, 16 minutes
Familiarity with subject before course: There were elements of the class that I was prepared for from taking the previous two classes in this track, but there was more of it that I was familiar with from leadership and supervisory classes that I've taken in my professional life.  Nonetheless, I did still go through all of the course material because I find it interesting and welcomed the refresher.  Had I not done so, I think I would've earned at least a B.  
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: Read the course.  Not because it's difficult or because there are pitfalls but because its short and contains worthwhile information that is valuable to almost anyone in the working world.  
1-10 Difficulty level: 2
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Provider: Straighterline
Course: Introduction to Programming in C++
Score: 85%
Course content: 4 quizzes, a midterm, 8 programming assignments, and a proctored final
Final exam format: 3 or 4 programming questions, the rest are multiple choice; 50 questions total  
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: I felt the final exam had different, more difficult questions than what I saw on the quizzes and midterm, but the content is still the same; just review the materials and make sure to know it well.  
Familiarity with subject before course: I have no programming experience whatsoever. Total newbie. 
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: There is a very helpful forum where you can submit questions, plus you can send your code to a certain email where someone can help you review it if you're stuck. That was a lifesaver for me! You will need to download a coding program; I used Xcode since I'm using a Mac. 
1-10 Difficulty level: 10. Since I have no experience with programming, I found this course to be extremely difficult and I struggled quite a bit. For someone who has programming knowledge, this may be easier for you. You definitely can't breeze through it!

Provider: Study.com
Course: Computer Science 302: Systems Analysis & Design
Score: 81%
Course content: 72 quizzes (one after each lesson), 1 paper (2000-word minimum), and a proctored final
Final exam format: 70 questions, multiple choice
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: In previous Study.com classes, the final exam questions were almost exactly the same as the quiz and practice questions. This was not the case with this course. The content is the same but I saw a lot of questions I had never seen before. Just make sure to know the material well.
Familiarity with subject before course: I was slightly familiar with some of the concepts and had already completed some of the quizzes thanks to previous courses. 
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: The paper seemed scary at first, but once I actually got in there and wrote it out, it wasn't too bad. As of 1/22/2021, they removed a few lessons and added some new ones. 
1-10 Difficulty level: 3. Overall not a bad class. The information is pretty straightforward. I completed it in 2 weeks.
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(01-22-2021, 05:22 PM)studyandpass5 Wrote: Provider: Straighterline
Course: Introduction to Programming in C++
Score: 85%
Course content: 4 quizzes, a midterm, 8 programming assignments, and a proctored final
Final exam format: 3 or 4 programming questions, the rest are multiple choice; 50 questions total  
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: I felt the final exam had different, more difficult questions than what I saw on the quizzes and midterm, but the content is still the same; just review the materials and make sure to know it well.  
Familiarity with subject before course: I have no programming experience whatsoever. Total newbie. 
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: There is a very helpful forum where you can submit questions, plus you can send your code to a certain email where someone can help you review it if you're stuck. That was a lifesaver for me! You will need to download a coding program; I used Xcode since I'm using a Mac. 
1-10 Difficulty level: 10. Since I have no experience with programming, I found this course to be extremely difficult and I struggled quite a bit. For someone who has programming knowledge, this may be easier for you. You definitely can't breeze through it!


How did the assignments work? Are they auto-graded? Can you submit assignments multiple times until you pass? Thanks for the review!
WGU BSIT Complete January 2022
(77CU transferred in)(44/44CU ) 

RA(non WGU)(57cr)
JST/TESU Eval of NAVY Training(85/99cr)
The Institutes, TEEX, NFA(9cr): Ethics, Cyber 101/201/301, Safety
Sophia(60cr): 23 classes
Study.com(31cr): Eng105, Fin102, His108, LibSci101, Math104, Stat101, CS107, CS303, BUS107
CLEP(9cr): Intro Sociology 63 Intro Psych 61 US GOV 71
OD(12cr): Robotics, Cyber, Programming, Microecon
CSM(3cr)
Various IT/Cybersecurity Certifications from: CompTIA, Google, Microsoft, AWS, GIAC, LPI, IBM
CS Fund. MicroBachelor(3cr)
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(01-27-2021, 12:34 PM)MNomadic Wrote:
(01-22-2021, 05:22 PM)studyandpass5 Wrote: Provider: Straighterline
Course: Introduction to Programming in C++
Score: 85%
Course content: 4 quizzes, a midterm, 8 programming assignments, and a proctored final
Final exam format: 3 or 4 programming questions, the rest are multiple choice; 50 questions total  
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: I felt the final exam had different, more difficult questions than what I saw on the quizzes and midterm, but the content is still the same; just review the materials and make sure to know it well.  
Familiarity with subject before course: I have no programming experience whatsoever. Total newbie. 
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: There is a very helpful forum where you can submit questions, plus you can send your code to a certain email where someone can help you review it if you're stuck. That was a lifesaver for me! You will need to download a coding program; I used Xcode since I'm using a Mac. 
1-10 Difficulty level: 10. Since I have no experience with programming, I found this course to be extremely difficult and I struggled quite a bit. For someone who has programming knowledge, this may be easier for you. You definitely can't breeze through it!


How did the assignments work? Are they auto-graded? Can you submit assignments multiple times until you pass? Thanks for the review!

SL provides the starter code for you and then they give you a list of things that you need to do to complete the assignment (ex: change line 20 to reflect xyz). The assignments are not auto-graded; you submit the .cpp file and it will be graded within a couple of days (or sooner). I don't think you can submit assignments multiple times, but if you get stuck just email them! I worked a lot with Alex and he was so incredibly helpful!
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(01-29-2021, 02:20 PM)studyandpass5 Wrote:
(01-27-2021, 12:34 PM)MNomadic Wrote:
(01-22-2021, 05:22 PM)studyandpass5 Wrote:


How did the assignments work? Are they auto-graded? Can you submit assignments multiple times until you pass? Thanks for the review!

SL provides the starter code for you and then they give you a list of things that you need to do to complete the assignment (ex: change line 20 to reflect xyz). The assignments are not auto-graded; you submit the .cpp file and it will be graded within a couple of days (or sooner). I don't think you can submit assignments multiple times, but if you get stuck just email them! I worked a lot with Alex and he was so incredibly helpful!

Thanks, good to know!
WGU BSIT Complete January 2022
(77CU transferred in)(44/44CU ) 

RA(non WGU)(57cr)
JST/TESU Eval of NAVY Training(85/99cr)
The Institutes, TEEX, NFA(9cr): Ethics, Cyber 101/201/301, Safety
Sophia(60cr): 23 classes
Study.com(31cr): Eng105, Fin102, His108, LibSci101, Math104, Stat101, CS107, CS303, BUS107
CLEP(9cr): Intro Sociology 63 Intro Psych 61 US GOV 71
OD(12cr): Robotics, Cyber, Programming, Microecon
CSM(3cr)
Various IT/Cybersecurity Certifications from: CompTIA, Google, Microsoft, AWS, GIAC, LPI, IBM
CS Fund. MicroBachelor(3cr)
Reply
Provider: Study.com
Course: Business 308: Globalization & International Management
Course content: 118 quizzes (one after each lesson), 2 papers (1500-2000-word minimum), and a proctored final
Final exam format: 100 questions, multiple choice
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The final exam questions were extremely similar to the quizzes and practice tests. I actually found it to be super easy! 
Familiarity with subject before course: I was slightly familiar with some of the concepts and had already completed some of the quizzes thanks to previous courses. 
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: The only thing for me was that there is so much information! It got a bit long to read through all the lessons.
1-10 Difficulty level: 2-3. Overall not a bad class. The information is pretty straightforward.
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(01-05-2021, 08:31 PM)daunrene Wrote: Just an FYI. I wanted to let everyone know that Study.com's Systems Analysis and Design and Database courses (both UL for their BSBA CIS) is no longer available for transfer after January 31. 2021
I am a current TESU student concentrating in BSBA CIS with 8 courses left.
Current TESU student here too. Thinking of switching from BA CS to BSBA CIS. 83credits done. Intend to complete the remainder at SDC.Thanks for letting me know. Any other tips.
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Provider: Sophia.org
Course: Project Management (3 Credits)
Score: 91%
Course content: This course is presented either in a video lecture or a PDF/text form. I used the text version. There are no other materials that are needed, just the text provided by Sophia. There are 4 units in total, each with 2 challenge quizzes (6-9 questions) followed by a milestone test (21-25 questions) on the material covered in that unit. The class then has a milestone final exam (25 questions).
Final exam format: The class has a final 25 question multiple choice milestone or final exam.
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The information provided in the course was consistent with what was on the exam. Overall, the challenges and milestones were fairly consistent with what was on the final exam and what was presented in the course as well. I did run into some issues with the questions not providing necessary context or simply being somewhat arbitrary, especially in the Unit 4 & Final Exam milestones. For example, the test would ask "Bob leaves the company, and must be replaced with a junior programmer. Is this an example of a low-, medium-, or high-probability risk?" If Bob was there for 20 years, it's probably a pretty low risk, but if Bob was just hired 6 months ago, it might be a high risk, and then the test would tell you that it was a medium risk all along. Those sorts of things were really frustrating, and like I said, I think it probably cost me a couple percentage points, but I still easily passed.
Time taken on course: 11 hours, 22 minutes over 3 days
Familiarity with subject before course: I was tangentially familiar with some of the course material, as it's something that I've had an interest in and I've done some elements of the class professionally when being involved as a team member on certain projects.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: Like I said, there's some elements of this class that were really annoying and seemed arbitrary or like you simply lacked the context to make an informed choice on an answer. That doesn't change the fact that there is still worthwhile information in there, though, and the class overall was solid.
1-10 Difficulty level: 6
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Provider: Sophia.org
Course: Introduction to Business (3 Credits)
Score: 93%
Course content: This course is presented either in a video lecture or a PDF/text form. I used the text version. There are no other materials that are needed, just the text provided by Sophia. There are 4 units in total, with 3, 3, 4, and 2 challenge quizzes (4 - 10 questions) followed by a milestone test (19 - 24 questions) on the material covered in that unit. The class then has a milestone final exam (25 questions).
Final exam format: The class has a final 25 question multiple choice milestone or final exam.
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The information provided in the course was consistent with what was on the exam. The challenges along the way were consistent with what was in the units, and the milestones for each unit were pretty consistent with the challenges from the unit. As always, there are a couple questions where you really have to read carefully (and don't be afraid to check your answers in the course text, as the milestones give plenty of time and are open book), but nothing particularly egregious.
Time taken on course: 23 hours 40 minutes over 6 days
Familiarity with subject before course: I had some passing familiarity with a lot of the concepts involved, but nothing particularly in depth or that would make me feel like I could've gone in and just skipped the reading material. Had I tried to do so, I would not have passed the class.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: As mentioned, I had some familiarity with the concepts but not any serious knowledge. I actually found the class pretty interesting and much less of a grind that some of the other classes I've taken on Sophia thus far. There were elements where I felt like the class didn't hammer hard enough on antiquated views of businesses and social responsibility, but I suppose that might be editorializing that would be inappropriate for the class, though I would've preferred to see it there.
1-10 Difficulty level: 5
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Provider: Sophia.org
Course: Foundations of College Algebra (0 credits, prep course)
Score: 100%
Course content: This course is presented either in a video lecture or a PDF/text form.  I used the text version.  There are no other materials that are needed, just the text provided by Sophia.  You could use a calculator, and if you do, a TI-30 or TI-36 is perfectly adequate, you don't need a $100+ graphic calculator.  There are 2 units in total, each with 3 challenge quizzes (5 - 9 questions) followed by a milestone test (21 questions) on the material covered in that unit.  The class then has a milestone final exam (25 questions).  
Final exam format: The class has a final 25 question multiple choice milestone or final exam.  
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The challenges were consistently relevant to the lessons themselves, and the exams were consistent with the challenges as well.  I think across all three milestones, there was only one question where I was like "oh, that's a little different", and even that was fairly simple.  
Time taken on course: 4 hours, 35 minutes over 1 day - I ordinarily do the practice milestones, but I didn't even bother on this course to finish it faster. 
Familiarity with subject before course: In high school (about 17 years ago) I made it up to pre-calc, and math was something that I did okay with, though it never came naturally to me.  Since then, I've really not dealt with algebra much, so I was concerned about taking College Algebra and decided to knock this class out first just as a quick refresher.  I'm glad I did, because it certainly helped jog my memory.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: I was honestly super impressed with this course.  As mentioned, I was worried about going into College Algebra and took this as a very quick refresher, and it was quite effective.  The lesson really breaks things down into basic steps and rather than presenting a single type of problem and saying "here's 3 ways to solve it", they'll do a full separate lesson on each of those three concepts.  Even when you're answering the challenges or exam questions, it does a really good job of showing you why the answer is right or wrong.  And honestly, it was refreshing to take a test on Sophia where I would figure out the answer and know for sure that it was correct, instead of looking at two answers and saying "they're both correct and I lack the context to determine if one is more correct" which has been a mild frustration in several of my previous Sophia classes.  
1-10 Difficulty level: 3
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