Study methods

bloodshotbetty

I am nearing the end of studying for the content for Network+. I am going to review for about a month before I take the exam. This has never been my strong suit. I tend to get complacent and my eyes glaze over when I go back through. "Oh, THIS again". I have flashcards that I review but those only go so far in terms of applying the material.

What methods do you use to review the material?

TheFORCE

Never used flashcards, I use few notes and google. I've learned that at least for me, I retain the information longer when I research random topics about what i need to learn or understand a bit in depth. Use google or Wikipedia and read the articles to understand the things you think are important or have flashcards. Then practice the topics, fire up a vm or 2 and practice.

bloodshotbetty

Articles- good idea! Where should I look for some good ones? Just google, or do you have a source you tend to go to first?

TheFORCE

I just google and then visit the first few hits, if i dont like the hits i go to Wikipedia. then jump from link to link within Wikipedia

NetworkingStudent

I used the Exam Cram Series books towards end of my studies for the Network+
I did make note cards. Quizlet is a site you can use to make digital note cards.
Before I took the test I practiced wih Mesaure up practice exams.
Any questions I missed I made a note card and wrote the question out.

I would take the Measureup Practice test until I got 90-100% on all the questions.
Then I scheduled my exam

If I was doing the network+ today I would lab as much as possible.
The more I understand the technology, the easier it is for me to explain it to someone else and/or take an exam.

v1ral

I only use flashcards for terminology that I have trouble remembering.

I like using practice exams to gauge where I need to study. Measureup was good when I studied for the Sec+ and im using it now for the MCSA Server 12.

thomas_

For Network+ I just took notes while I read through Mike Meyer's All in One book. Then I typed my notes up and read through them once or twice. I think I had already scheduled the exam and didn't want to rescheduld it, so I just took the exam. I find a lot of times I get tired of studying and take the exam and the cards fall as they may.

cshkuru

I use flash cards. On long drawn out subjects if I can get a group together I put the questions on different colored cards and get a trivial pursuit board and play trivial pursuit with the questions. There are a lot of studies that show handwriting your notes will increase retention, as will reading them out loud to yourself. you tube videos on various subjects help. lots of ways to approach it. Since the material is closely realted maybe start studying for the CCENT while studying for the N+. Cross-reference and lock the material in.

blatini

Read important things out loud. You will remember it twice as fast being your brain has memory banks for all the five senses. Audibly and visually learning something really goes a long way. Haven't quite figured out how to learn IT by taste though...still working on that one.

ptablan

I took multiple practice tests daily. Space repetition is something to look at.

OctalDump

Something that helps for retaining stuff, I find, is make a poster and stick it up on a wall or somewhere where you will see it all the time (refrigerator, above the bed, next to your desk). Good for things like the OSI model and packets/frames/datagrams etc. The only thing is don't cram too much on it. It's the kind of thing you want to be able to glance at and read something, not something you have to consciously sit and read.

Probably about this density of information.

The other thing which helps for review is practice tests. These will show the areas of weakness (anything that you aren't sure of the answer on, guessing doesn't count as "I know this"), and then you can target to those weaknesses instead of rehashing the whole thing.

Nightflier101BL

Yes, the Exam Cram book ended up being my primary book towards the end of studying. I just kept going through it over and over over the whole week before taking the exam. Thinking about it now, I probably could have passed the exam with that book alone.

It comes with a tear out card that folds out to multiple pages of the most important details to memorize for the exam. A lot of this stuff you'd want to write down on the dry-erase board on exam day, before the test begins. (If you needed)

Another thing that helps me learn is explaining this stuff to someone else. It forces you to use another part of your brain, similar to when you take notes at the same time as watching videos. Sometimes, I think that I've forgotten everything but when I try to explain it to someone, I realize that it's all still there and gets me thinking about it from another angle.

bloodshotbetty

Great information! Thank you. I take A TON of notes because it is the only way I can focus and retain things. I think I can probably grab someone from work for an hour who would gladly help me- they are all about professional development. I can go through the things I am unsure of and talk it out. I may take the topics I am struggling with and type them into OneNote or something- format it into a nice study guide. I have some great labs I can go through, as well. In the middle of moving, however, so my dual monitors are packed up and it's hard to do them on my little laptop! Mid-May is when I aiming to take the exam. Moving has thrown a wrench in my plans, but hey, life happens.

Thanks everyone!