01-03-2019, 10:45 PM
Provider: Saylor.org
Course: CS302: Software Engineering
Course content: One main textbook, various links to articles, publications, and videos with additional information. There is a lot of material.
Final exam format: 50 multiple choice questions
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The practice final is similar, to the point that some questions are the same. The end of unit quizzes are not useful to prepare for the final at all since they're mostly essay prompts.
Time taken on course: 6 weeks. I took the direct credit final 3 times. I studied all the material the first time through and spent 3 times as long as I normally spend on courses (3 weeks 5 hours a day plus more on weekends). I failed, took it again 2 weeks later and failed again, finally passed this time after some more review.
Familiarity with subject before course: This is my last CS course for my degree, so I've already taken all the other programming courses. There was some crossover from Study.com system analysis and design, but this course covers a lot more.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: This was the hardest course I've taken, and not really in a good way. It's hard because the content is dated and feels very disorganized since there's so much material from different sources. Some of the material will explain or define things differently than other parts of the material, which really makes it confusing. The questions on the final exam were completely baffling. Some seemed to have no correct answers even when I was searching through all the course material while reviewing. Others had multiple correct answers. I posted some more about that here: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid276964.
There are some great alternatives now on study.com, and I think those courses tend to be higher quality and less frustrating. I would recommend avoiding this course unless you already know the subject really well and just want to give it a shot on the final. I'd be curious to know what some actually software engineers think about this one.
1-10 Difficulty level: 10. It was nearly impossible for me to pass regardless of how much time I spent preparing. I didn't know questions could be this confusing.
Course: CS302: Software Engineering
Course content: One main textbook, various links to articles, publications, and videos with additional information. There is a lot of material.
Final exam format: 50 multiple choice questions
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: The practice final is similar, to the point that some questions are the same. The end of unit quizzes are not useful to prepare for the final at all since they're mostly essay prompts.
Time taken on course: 6 weeks. I took the direct credit final 3 times. I studied all the material the first time through and spent 3 times as long as I normally spend on courses (3 weeks 5 hours a day plus more on weekends). I failed, took it again 2 weeks later and failed again, finally passed this time after some more review.
Familiarity with subject before course: This is my last CS course for my degree, so I've already taken all the other programming courses. There was some crossover from Study.com system analysis and design, but this course covers a lot more.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: This was the hardest course I've taken, and not really in a good way. It's hard because the content is dated and feels very disorganized since there's so much material from different sources. Some of the material will explain or define things differently than other parts of the material, which really makes it confusing. The questions on the final exam were completely baffling. Some seemed to have no correct answers even when I was searching through all the course material while reviewing. Others had multiple correct answers. I posted some more about that here: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid276964.
There are some great alternatives now on study.com, and I think those courses tend to be higher quality and less frustrating. I would recommend avoiding this course unless you already know the subject really well and just want to give it a shot on the final. I'd be curious to know what some actually software engineers think about this one.
1-10 Difficulty level: 10. It was nearly impossible for me to pass regardless of how much time I spent preparing. I didn't know questions could be this confusing.
TESU BSBA CIS - March 2019
Clep: College Algebra, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, History of U.S. I, History of U.S. II, Principles of Management, Introductory Sociology, College Composition, American Government, Financial Accounting, Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Marketing, Information Systems, Introductory Business Law, Introductory Psychology, Western Civilization I, Spanish Language, Biology, Social Science and History, Precalculus, Calculus
Study.com: FIN-102 Personal Finance, FIN-101 Principles of Finance, ACC-102 Managerial Accounting, BUS-308 Globalization and International Management, CS-302 Systems Analysis and Design, CS-303 Database Management, COM-120 Presentation Skills in the Workplace, BUS-113 Business Communication, STAT-101 Principles of Statistics
OnlineDegree.com: Computer Science CS101
Saylor.org: CS402, BUS303, CS302
Certs: CompTIA A+, Net+, Sec+, Linux+, MCSA, LPIC-1, CCNA
TESU: BUS-421 Business Administration Capstone
Clep: College Algebra, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, History of U.S. I, History of U.S. II, Principles of Management, Introductory Sociology, College Composition, American Government, Financial Accounting, Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Marketing, Information Systems, Introductory Business Law, Introductory Psychology, Western Civilization I, Spanish Language, Biology, Social Science and History, Precalculus, Calculus
Study.com: FIN-102 Personal Finance, FIN-101 Principles of Finance, ACC-102 Managerial Accounting, BUS-308 Globalization and International Management, CS-302 Systems Analysis and Design, CS-303 Database Management, COM-120 Presentation Skills in the Workplace, BUS-113 Business Communication, STAT-101 Principles of Statistics
OnlineDegree.com: Computer Science CS101
Saylor.org: CS402, BUS303, CS302
Certs: CompTIA A+, Net+, Sec+, Linux+, MCSA, LPIC-1, CCNA
TESU: BUS-421 Business Administration Capstone
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