CIW Foundation depression and that's just the start!!!....

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Hello,

I have just bought a CIW Master Web Designer course. 3 months in of a 18 month course and I'm only on book 2 of the Foundation Series and I am struggling BIG TIME!!

I cannot take the information in, understand it or remember any of what I have read, it's very heavy going.

Is it because I am a complete novice to begin with that I'm finding it so hard?

How important is the foundations stage of being a web designer? Being artisitic I hoped the course would be more pratical and creative rather than 3 thick books to trawl through, and this is just the begining phase.

I am contemplating giving the course up. I really need some advice on this and if it gets any easier.

I am a mum of 3, trying to get a career in something I thought I'd enjoy but it's making me feel depressed!!

 

I know what you mean - Foundations can seem a bit dry and technical.

Is it essential knowledge before going off and designing web sites?
No, not really.
Is there stuff in there worth knowing?
Yes there is.

CIW Foundations is intended as a 'foundation' before embarking on one of CIW's other certification tracks, so it covers a bit of everything. Try to see it as such.

I remember that I baulked a bit at the network technologies bit as there was a lot of very technical stuff in there that I couldn't see relating to design at the time.

Then there were some very waffly bits about 'what sort of meeting should you have prior to producing your project scope' and you think, wtf?

But stick at it if that's the path you've chosen - it will all make sense in the end...

 

Thank you for both of your replies, they are very encouraging.

JonnyMX - I see you have the cert I am going for, how long did each 'bit' take you to complete? Were you from an IT background and are you in employment now because of the course?

 

Well, the whole thing took me about 6 months - but I wasn't doing anything else at the time.
I had modest IT experience before hand, and knew HTML etc.

I can't say that I got a job purely based on a cert, but it helped me feel more confident about the field I was getting in to.

 

Hi Whimsy


How are you getting on? Hope you haven't given up? I can remember when i started studying for the foundations exam and thought as you did. There is so much to learn but you have all the time to learn it. The way things are with the recession and all, you will find it somewhat hard to break into this industry for a while anyway.

Until you get that most important portfolio up and running to showcase your talents, these certs wont mean a thing. To you they will but not them....the employers that is.

I didn't get any joy until i got my portfolio done and part-time work is all i have had to show for it. Anyway, the best way i found to retain the knowledge of web design is to get coding. Buy yourself a book on CSS, (x)html and Photoshop. Even better would be to sign up to www.lynda.com and start watching how the pro's do it.

One book a recommend is "CSS, the missing manual" ISBN: 978-0596526870 This will quickly get you up to speed.

All the best.

Neil