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Hello All. I am a new user, looking to study C# with Computeach but have not made a commitment yet, any advice or any one in the same boat would like to hear from....

 

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I would just advise taking a very long hard look at exactly what you will get and what the worst case scenario could be.

How many hours of direct tuition will you get ? How many hours of self study will you have to put in ? What is the cost ? What happens if you fail a module or have an unexpected 'life event' ? What are the prerequisites for the course, are they realistic ? Do you meet them ?

Many TP's turn out to basically be just self study as the level of support and tuition is quite limited.

I'd also have a look at what local colleges and universities have to offer.

The microsoft MCTS and MCPD certifications are designed for programmers with experience, what experience do you have ?

 

Thanks for info. To be honest I have some experience with VB6 and a little with .net (but limited). I have written and deployed an application for a company (it started as a small piece of code but evolved over a 12 month period). The program with pretty good and quite robust in the end. I have a pretty good understanding of program structures but basically thats it. I am very wary of TP's after browsing these forums already. Cert's seem to be a minefield as to what is required to get you into the field. I am nearly 40 years old so can't afford to waste time and money with a bad choice in TP. I will research further...

 

If you have experience and are confident why not try self study first ?

Self Study costs virtually nothing and would still leave you the option of TP at a later date.

At least buy the 70-536 book and have a look at it first.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MCTS-Self-Paced-Training-70-536-FrameworkApplication/dp/0735626197
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-536.aspx

For a rounded education you will need a couple of other .Net books that focus on the language as the training kit focuses on the exam.

You'll probably need at least two other texts if you have not written much .NET, maybe a beginners-intermediate text and an advanced text on the language.

 

Hi & welcome to CF

NB

 

Has anybody heard of NCCHomelearning.co.uk all looks very good...?????????

 

Many people on here self study for the reasons dmarsh has stated.

You pay a TP a lot of money in return you get some books and maybe some email support or possibly the odd workshop to attend.

Why not cut out the big expense, get the books yourself and if you need advice ask the people on here who are in programming like dmarsh after all this advice is free.

 

Hi Fieldy and welcome to CF.

The one thing I would mention in regard to private training providers is watch out for the small print and the conditions they set in order to progress with the courses. Some of them require you to pass internal exmas at very high levels (90% etc...) before they will allow you to sit the real exam etc... or progress to the next level / module. Often there are time scales as well which may not be realistic etc...

As long as you are fully aware of the various T&C's and go into the deal with your eyes wide open, then you may well find them very good. Pricey tho.

 

It is a minefield! Maybe self study is the way forward with a good dose of self discipline!. I certainly do not want to part with my cash if it can be avoided. I tend to work 7 days on then 7 days off, so there is a good window for me to study at home at my own pace. Am I right to assume that to take the A+ exams you only need to book yourself in to a test centre and pay the £114 to sit the exams? You do not have to be currently working in IT to sit the exams? Also how long approximately would it take to become confident of sitting the a+ exams?, I very loose answer would be appreciated as obviously this will vary depending on the individual. 6 -12 months?????? Thanks in advance, this forum is cool!