Got my loan, who to go with?

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Well after a long talk with my girlfriend, she would prefer if I did out lay the £5000. So I have been approved for a loan. I was thinking of doing it with NITLC. But don’t really hear much about them. Are there any companies out there that are good? The below is what I will be studying towards through them,

So any where else which would be good? I want to be able to take the test more locally. I am right in thinking that I can go to a test centre or what not and sit the exam, don’t really want to travel proper distance to take it at there test centre. I will be signing the paperwork with NITLC on Friday unless any one can recommend another company.

Thanks.

 

Sorry if this is harsh, but she'd prefer you to lay down the 5K? Shouldn't this be your decision and something that you feel most comfortable with?

 

Yes, I should but to be honest I feel confortable with it also.
Not checked yet, I live near London so I assume there will be a few, well I hope. Will search google now ^_^

 

Anything wrong with spending a couple of hundred to get some books, a good pc to run vmware on and a couple of old pc's to pull apart and mess with?

In the end, when going with a training provider you'll end up doing this anyway.



EDIT: I've just read your other post and saw this post that you wrote.

 

There are loads of training companies in and around London, but I cant really recommend any as I havent used any (yet!) lol.

As nugget points out though, 5K for the courses, but you will need extra funds for additional books and other equipment that you will need during the 3 years.

When do these courses run by the way? Is it a weekend and nights thing or during the working week thing? I cant help but think 3 years will be a massive challenge. I mean i've only passed one exam on my ladder so far, and already it feels like I need a break!

Good luck in whatever you choose, all the best!

 

As its programming I have the PC, I have the software. It would be so much cheaper getting the books. The training provider provides all the books and materials. I just need to read and take the test.

I don’t think I will need additional equipment as its programming ( well I don’t think so lol ) Courses start at any time, the company NITLC have a work shop but I will not be going due to it being miles away. So can start any time and do it all from home.

Gah only 4 days to go getting quiet nervous.

 

err...not as easy as that! You also have to DO which takes longer then just reading!

So why pay 5 grand to a TP when you are not going to attend the workshop? Sounds like easy money for them!

 

Yea I know its going to take a while to do it all, 3 years is what the gentlemen quoted. £5,000 is a lot yes which sucks with the crappy APR I got. Im so confused now. I want to do a Microsoft Cert. I know people are saying you can do it cheaper for about £1000 saving £4000. I have used google a lot recently in regards to trying to find the best ways of going about this. There is a 50/50 of wether to go with a training provider or to buy books your self

 

3 years is a LONG time, and to be honest, if you not going to the workshop, then please enlighten me - Whats the difference between doing it self study and doing it at home, on your own, with the materials they provide you? It sounds the same to me.

If you want to give me 5 grand, I'll send you all the materials too!

I was in the same boat as you when I began looking into certs, and after thinking long and hard, I chose the self study route, why? Because what happens if you start doing the course and then realise that its not for u? Or that you really dont enjoy it? You've wasted alot of money. Maybe getting the first book, having a read and a play around with the software would be a good starting point? Before throwing yourself into a 3 year deal!

 

Thanks for the advice. I dabbled in VB a long time ago and a few other languages and really really enjoyed doing it. So I know this is the right thing for me in regards to doing it. lol I kind of like the structure behind it with them giving me the appropriate materials. 3 Years is a long time yes, but I belive I will get it done in 2. I cba with MMO's any more so I will be able to invest time in to this instead of that.
Thank you once again though

 

Its great that you've already been exposed to it, good luck in whatever you choose mate!

 

Thank you good luck with the aims in your signature

 

Sorry, somehow I didn't realise that it was a programming course you were looking for. The reasoning still stands though. If you already have a pc and the software (vb.net and c#.net express editions are free from MS) then 5 grand will buy you a hell of a lot of training materials (books, videos and other stuff etc).

Plus you have the great internet for support, oh, and this place.

 

I did what you're proposing to do. Different courses, but same principle. Obviously, I'm an idiot and you are not, so you shouldn't allow my opinion to sway you too much, but if I were you, I wouldn't do this. £5K is a lot of money. If something goes wrong, you could end up lots poorer, and not as qualified as you might like to be.

 

I am not trying to offend you but why are you saying you are an idiot? Do you regret spending all that money on the course? If so may I ask how come? Deffo will end up a lot poorer the APR I got is terrible!

They are free? Really didnt relize that. You are right though would get a lot of training materials lol.

Thanks once again for every ones feed back

 

Check here for VB express edition.

And here for C# express edition.

There are also more express editions available too.

Grab a couple of books and you'll be up and running before the weekend. The good point about using published material is that the authors have a vested interest in publishing errata (if needed) plus the material is gone over by several editors. It is also usually of good quality (needs to be to be published, just ask Tripwire45 or BosunMichael) as compared to in house material.

 

Thank you very much will have the check them out when I get home Thank you once again

 

Yep these are free and an excellent start.

Java has always been free from Sun.

Eclipse is an excellent general purpose IDE, it can support multiple languages including Java.

Various free C++ compilers are widely available for windows and linux from microsoft and gnu.

 

I might not like me very much for saying this, but for C++ in particular use the VC++ express edition only since code examples that you find on the web for this language will have prepared project/solution files along with the source - in addition to Microsoft-specific code like '#pragma once' being a particularly pertinant example.