The Guide to Self-Study

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Well thats enough exams to be going on with i think.

 

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Thanks for that help Zimbo, it's much appreciated. I have been harrassed by Computeach that were asking around 1100 quids just for my first MCP. It's ok though, I can pay it back over a year, and it includes the exam!
Now I got the MS 70-270 book for 28 pounds, a bit cheaper!

 

Zimbo,

thanks for the point in the right direction, I am going to self study, and I am going to pass, I will be using you zimbo for the cost effective way to do this course.

thanks

 

Thanks very much Zimbo - really useful...however...scenario...52 year old ...no certification but qualified to post-grad level (non-science)...teacher who is jacking it all in for...a new career in IT...entry level Comp A+...wants to self-study for it...but training Company offer recruitment as well as Training...can 52 year old self-study to A+ MCP MCTILLETERNITY and still secure employmet without help of recruitment consultant AND the essential Work Experience that precedesit. Would really appreciate advise as I'm banging my head...
Sent similar message to new members thread but as newbie myself - please excuse

 

Cheers Zimbo!
Ive been looking for about a month now for the best affordable way to start and I.T. career. You have answered my prayers mate and i thank you for that. I didnt fancy spending thousands on a course for which i could do at my own pace for a mere fraction of the price, so cheers bud. Just got to find myself a cheap pc to work with.

 

What a really well thought out and informative post. I work in the IT industry (also owned two computer shops at one point) for a local authority. And it is very difficult sometimes to get clear and precise information like this.

 

Great help this, I am only starting out in the IT ladder and at the moment have looked at various ways of doing the studying. At the moment the University of the West of Scotland are doing a deal for mature students, involving a 12 week MCDSL online study package, consisting of 2 exams. First exam is free and then you pay for the second at around £150.OO, don't know if you have to be registered as living in Scotland for this deal.

 

Great post and a very good help, thank you very much I'm half way through a Skills Train (Scheidegger) course so unfortunately its a bit late for me not to lose my money. £3500 i think iv paid, but atleast this post has shown me how to get into all other types of qualifications to improve my knowledge and CV

Thanks again (y)

 

Am just starting out and thankfully have found this forum before parting with some unecessary cash.....

 

Hi zimbo, mick ere. I was just reading a post about the 5 questions you should ask a training provider and was wondering about your article. Are the books that you recomend going to give me the up to date info that i would need to pass the A+ ect, I mean, would i be learning the stuff that the exams have in them now and not from years back ?

 

Thanks Zimbo


Looks like i'll take the self study route with ComptiaA+ and Network+ for starters. Can you tell me what sort knowledge i will gain from doing these courses once completed as i want to gain experience by helping friends out with their pc problems and maybe earn a bit of cash along the way.

Cheers Pete

 

Just to let you all know, the A+ Certification All-in-one Exam Guide is on google books so you dont even need to buy it. well it would save you bout £15 quid anyway, better than a kick in the balls

 

Hi, thanks for the post Zimbo, very useful. I notice it was created some time ago, how are your studies going now?

I ordered the mike meyers book 'A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Sixth Edition (All-In-One)' from amazon last night after deciding against the computeach/other training company programmes for the time being at least.

 

Cheers Zimbo you have saved me and iam sure many others £1000's.

 

Previews are available (with a limited number of pages)... but not the full version.

 

Hi. Was intertesting. I am trying to decide what to do regarding training courses or self teaching. The world of training providers seems like a 'dark' place to be in terms of ripping you off and not getting the best out of them. This certainly gave me some more to think about in term of self-teaching.
Thanks!

 

I would definately recommend self study, im still going at it at the moment but not finding as much time the past week due to trawling jobsites.
What are you looking to study?

 

I just want to put a spin on the concept of self-study. While on CF, most of the time, self-study is addressed as a method of studying for (and hopefully passing) various certification exams, there is another significant application. Imagine you've been hired for a role in an IT department. Numerous problems come your way and what you've learned thus far as not given you the direct knowledge to immediately solve them.

That's where "self-study" comes in. While many times, you can rely on your comrades or supervisors to help you find the answers, in some roles, you are the "last line of defense (American spelling) and have to figure the problem out for yourself. If you've learned *how* to self-study, you're in good shape and can leverage those skill sets. If you are overly reliant on "classroom-based" sources of information, you may find you are out of your depth.

Something to think about.

 

I dont fully follow you trip, do you mean refer to internet and research a fault to learn the fix?

 

Think about how you teach yourself a skill set. What resources do you access while self-studying for an exam? Now imagine you're trying to solve a problem in the "real world" using the same processes as when you study for a certification test.