studying A+ & N+, is it worth anything? Do training providers like skillstrain rip p

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.

studying A+ & N+, is it worth anything? Do training providers like skillstrain rip people off. I am paying skillstrain about £2000 for A+ & N+! Hopeless

I know a A+ is almost useless on its own, A+ & N+ may prove something in terms of employability, as I am not academically achieved as other people which are blessed. I might as well try my luck as I figure.

I know experience is being demanded for even entry level jobs with a good couple of GCSEs, but I have to try my luck hoping that I may gain that first crucial IT exposure in a state school as a technician or an employer willing to take someone one with technical qualifications.

The problem is that I am on the last booklet of A+ study contents but still feel hopeless in terms of employment, even though a basic IT job has propped up in a school that may give me some hope, but the most troubling thing is that the CompTIA A+ skills-train booklet provides a whole lot of comprehensive/detailed information. I am struggling to remember the Base Memory Address, hexa-decimal, I/O address, OS specification I.e management feature, security features, CPU specs which come in the hundreds and many more which add to the extreme hopelessness.


I also seem to have the trouble of retaining the information that I learnt quite a lot of it fades away in 3 months. There are a lot of technologies which are in “antagonism” with one another which makes it confusing for me retain for example:

Firewire400:
(correct me I am wrong)
Has a 4 pin and 6 pin, 6pin is @ the computer end, the cable length is @ 4.5 meters max length is about 15-20m

Firewire 800:
9 pin @ both ends, 4.5 cable length.

What I am trying to say is that there are a lot of similarities and differences between one another, which can numbing trying to remember which is which!

I am stressed over the fact that I can not remember the colour codes for UTP & STP networking cales…..

My questions are to u:

* is there anybody like me?
* do you think skillstrain provides value for money?
* Are you having trouble retaining these endless specifications?
* do you have any recommendations?
* do you have any recommendations/advise about seeking these certifications, with taking out a whopping loan?
* do mention anything pls, anything which you think will be helpful to others reading this, u, me and everyone

 

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.

Yes

I cant reality comment i dont know anything about them and what they offer

Yes and it was my main worry

Beak stuff down, make notes, use sayings and rhymes, use flash cards and use practice tests.
Dont worry about passing first time you could take a a pun and find out what the exam is like ... you may surprise yourself. (obviously study for it)

Self study just buy the books and exams

I find practice packs such as transcender a great help to find weaknesses
, use the Meyers All in One (A+)

 

I expect there are alot of people like you.

I can't comment on skillstrain myself as I self studied, but the common consensus here is that self study is MUCH better value for money.

The specs are the main thing I go over again and again. The conceptual/practical stuff is easier to remember for me so I use flash cards for the hard facts. For example, you could write 802.11 on one side of a card and "WLAN" on the other, perhaps adding a few details/specs to remember. It's amazing how much it sinks in using this method. . . I'm learning to speak polish using flashcards almost exclusively. Try it, it could work for you.

There is a ton of info here regarding the best path to obtaining certifications and very few require a loan! If you are disciplined enough to self study then it is very inexpensive - the A+ cost me about £150 to complete, just 1 book and the cost of the exam.

Hope this helps!

 

Many community colleges also run the A+ for around £500 so I wouldn't say £2000 is a great deal no. Well normally I advise not going with a TP, since you are with one I'd make the best of it, dig in, obtain your quals and get jobhunting ASAP. Chalk the money down to experience and ensure you shop around and ignore salespeople in future.

 

I would just use Meyers AIO

for that example

Firewire
IEEE1394
Serial Communications
800/400 = 400Mbps / 800Mbps
4.5 meters
4 pin and 6 pin and that the +2 pins are power
63 devices
Daisy Chain or Hub
Hotplugging
Plug n Play

Stick with the standards outlined, not real world as we know that manufactures bend the rules producing products that can be non-standard, also the A+ can be a little behind when it comes with new standards

 

hi was just wondering if you could expand on "Meyers AIO" as i am not familiar with the term. thanks.

 

AIO = All In One

Qs

 

Use Mike Meyers AIO and either make short concise notes on specs or highlight them and go through them a few times like I did.

I self studied as its cheaper and you can do it at your own pace.

 

I assume you are from the UK, in which case amazon have the AIO reduced at the moment

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Certification-All-One-Guide-Sixth/dp/0072263113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236689388&sr=8-1

 

Good advice already given. The only thing I might add is that the A+ is NOT useless on its own.

 

i am with skilltrain the biggest mistake ive ever made!