A+ Self-Training - Assist Me On Track

Good Evening Gentleman,

I have been studying for my A+. I would classify myself as having no previous IT experience. I have been watching professor Messer's videos.

From what I have read all in one A+ is the best route to go for little past experience. My only concern is the 1500 pages. I am on a bit of a time crunch and I have been taking the practice tests on Comp TIA's website. If I find something I don't understand I simply look it up.

I work about 60-65hours a week and have been designating about 5 hours a day to work on it.

If anyone else can make any suggestions to expedite the process it would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to have A+ done in about a week to a week in a half. I would take a condensed boot camp, how ever for 2,000 dollars there is plenty enough information out there to learn in a more financially wise route.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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vinnypolston

Hey there TMRebe. Very cool that you want to get into IT; great choice! I'm going to be a bit blunt for the purpose of saving you some heartache. Going from "no previous IT experience" to "A+ done in about a week to a week in a half" isn't realistic. Can I ask why you have to take the test in such a short time-frame? The exam costs roughly $200 a pop. If you fail you have to pay again to re-take the test. I would hate for you to lose that initial $200. Just trying to be friendly and look out for you. If you can't afford a $2,000 boot camp than you probably can't afford to throw away $200.

Now something more useful. Take a look at David Prowse' A+ exam cram. It's a great book. Condensed at about 700 pages and is greatly worth the cost. Messer's videos are helpful; but if you can get your hands on a PC to play with it would be super beneficial for some hands-on experience. Shoot. Go to your local GoodWill or hit up a yard sale and spend $50 on a cheap PC that you can take apart and re-build. Just my two cents. Hope that helps though.

I have been in IT for 12 years and would be glad to answer any specific questions you might have?

TMRebe

Thank you for the official welcome to the IT world!

I do appreciate the lengthy response. When I said no IT experience I should have been more specific. I have taken a lot of html, flash, php, web, and a computer science class or two. I also have been on and around computers a good bit my whole life. So I guess technically I do have some computer experience. Just no actual professional "IT experience."

I've made it about 3-4 chapters into Comptia Security+, how ever decided to switch gears. I've been studying A+ for the past week about 20 videos into Messer's and can pass 100% on test 1-5 on comp TIA practice exams for 801. Which is why I set the goal where it is at. I wasn't designating 5 hours out of my day it was probably more like 2 hours.

It's not necessarily that I can't afford the boot camp, but if I can learn for a couple hundred dollars why do it for $2,000? One thing I find beautiful about this field is how people can learn it on their own, and with out the over priced educations costs. Trust me the boot camp is extremely tempting, how ever with a lot of discipline and hard work I hope to find my way. And please don't take that the wrong way I just have been wired that way ever since I dropped out of college. Plus I am out of vacation time for the year so it would be well over double that 2k mark course with work missed.

I picked up all in one. I wish I would have saw this post before hand, and I would have got exam cram. Maybe I will pick it up anyway. 700 vs 1400 pages is a big difference.

The only reason I am on a time crunch is because I have set a goal for myself to get it done in that time frame. I always set high goals and even if I fall short of the goal I will accomplish a lot.

Again, thank you for looking out for me and it is much appreciated. It certainly helped in regards to keeping it a goal and not planning anything around it. I always prefer blunt over anything.

As far as questions:

Although not specific any input would be absolutely awesome!

What would have you done differently in your 12 years in the IT field?

Do you have any advice on working contracts initially?

What further professional advice would you give?

Kind of a weird one but I'm on my Macbook Pro and the track pad got cracked, would it be beneficial to take it apart and fix that prior? lol

That is all I can think of right this second, but any other feedback is more than appreciated. I hope others in a similar situation will learn from this thread.

vinnypolston

Great response! You’re quite welcome. The whole scenario makes a whole lot more sense now. I am 100% on board with how awesome this field is for people comfortable for self paced studying. I like your outlook on goals. Setting the bar that high you are definitely pushing yourself. That’s a good thing.

Haha great questions! This is for me personally; others might disagree but that’s cool.

I would have pushed myself WAY harder over the past 12 years. Never get comfortable or complacent in your current position. Always move the bar forward.

You got that A+ cert? Good now get the Net+. You passed the Net+? Great! Now go get that Security+. You know? I don’t have regrets; but thinking about where I could be now if I had pushed myself harder over the years is real encouragement to push myself now.

In regards to contracts.. I have been at the same job for the past 10 years so I don’t have a specific answer to that. I will say that don’t be afraid to put yourself out there ( in anything ). The only way to get further is to push the bar forward. The worst that people can say is no which puts you right where you are now. No big deal.

I’m typing this on my Macbook pro as well, lol. I would say go for it. The best way to learn is by doing. Don’t go in afraid. Watch some Youtube tutorials on macbook disassembly before doing so.

The most important part: Take your time and do NOT get in a hurry. If it takes you four hours than so what? That’s better than doing it in two hours and breaking a small cable.

Definitely hope that others can learn from this thread too. Good luck! If you do decide to repair your macbook be sure to post back with how it went.

TMRebe

vinnypolston wrote: »

Great response! You’re quite welcome. The whole scenario makes a whole lot more sense now. I am 100% on board with how awesome this field is for people comfortable for self paced studying. I like your outlook on goals. Setting the bar that high you are definitely pushing yourself. That’s a good thing.

Haha great questions! This is for me personally; others might disagree but that’s cool.

I would have pushed myself WAY harder over the past 12 years. Never get comfortable or complacent in your current position. Always move the bar forward.

You got that A+ cert? Good now get the Net+. You passed the Net+? Great! Now go get that Security+. You know? I don’t have regrets; but thinking about where I could be now if I had pushed myself harder over the years is real encouragement to push myself now.

In regards to contracts.. I have been at the same job for the past 10 years so I don’t have a specific answer to that. I will say that don’t be afraid to put yourself out there ( in anything ). The only way to get further is to push the bar forward. The worst that people can say is no which puts you right where you are now. No big deal.

I’m typing this on my Macbook pro as well, lol. I would say go for it. The best way to learn is by doing. Don’t go in afraid. Watch some Youtube tutorials on macbook disassembly before doing so.

The most important part: Take your time and do NOT get in a hurry. If it takes you four hours than so what? That’s better than doing it in two hours and breaking a small cable.

Definitely hope that others can learn from this thread too. Good luck! If you do decide to repair your macbook be sure to post back with how it went.

Thanks for your feedback! I am feeling very comfortable with 801 just need to fine tune a couple things. I am going to try and take the Exam on Tuesday.

I have to give you a huge thanks for pushing me towards exam cram. A lot of the knowledge I have already learned and if I read the all in one I would have wasted A LOT of unnecessary reading. Exam cram is the exact way to study. If I find any questions that are not answered in the paragraph or tutorial I simply google it.

I did swap out the books and even saved about 30$

I also called a local computer shop and explained what I was doing. They said they would be glad to give me one of their recycled computers to tear apart for free. If anyone is looking for an inexpensive way to get hands on experience I would highly recommend calling a computer shop and explain to them what you are doing.

Thank you for the advice. I do always have an issue with pushing forward. So I am glad that is the way to progress.

Would you recommend Net+ or Sec+ next?

Thanks!

Tim

vinnypolston

You’re super welcome, Tim! Glad you found the exam cram to be as good a resource as I did. Nice on the swap

Can’t beat that deal!!

Personally I’d suggest going Net+ and then continue onto Security+. At that point you should have a better idea on what route you want to go into deeper. Great stuff!