My Story
LEONJS
Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
Finally i ve decided to give to those who have given to me, clues and tips, study guides etc. . . First let me start by telling everyone my story . . I work as a technical Phone Support rep . .
It all started back when i was in college . . i realized school wasnt for me but i couldnt leave without having anything, then i heard about mcp i took the 70-271 exam and passed with a high score i then went on to find the job iam at now been here since 2004 . .
Then i decided i want more money which equates to needing more certs i challenged my self how many certs could i get with in 2 months based on my experince and knowledge, before Jan 2007 begin the new year with a new job and get my son to live with me cant support him on my income alone . this october ,2006 i decided to challenge my self! I first took exam 70-272 i passed with a 700 out of a 700 very scary . . . lol
I then pursed comptia certifications, starting with A+ i took both exams in 1 day and read 1 book covering both os and hardware in 1 weekend the day i passed a+ i bought a book on network+ studied for 4 days read the book passed the exam the 5 day then i thought about what i was doing so many certifications so little time, all i knew was i am sick of talking to people on the phone although iam extrememly good at it . . i wanted to do field technician work or deskside work but i really wanna do network admin work . . .
So i said let me persue MCSA on 2003 . . i took and passed 70-270 . . . with flying colors i told my self i am un beatable . . ha thats when it happened . . . that same day i bought 70-290 by sybex . . i love sybex especially there fast pass series there really thin and hit the major points for people with experience . . i'll recommend them to anyone . . i had never used a server before so i was actually "learning" something at this point . . i tried to use my same technique . . study a few days . . then take the exam . .
i live by myself in a 1 bedroom apartment . .i converted my living room into a lab . . to practice with server 2k3 . . . i downloaded the evaluation version of the software and studied and practiced . .
BUT i was not prepared for the simulations. My technique and its a really bad one is i go into the exam expecting to fail certaint questions that i find really difficult . . its usually something really difficult or something i cant understand no matter what i'll be honest i dont know everything but i do know alot and i dont think iam cheating myself iam just challegning myself i always learn one way or another but usually later then sooner . . . i failed 70-290 with a 650 out of 700 . . . that discouraged me . .
iam not a quiter but i know when its time to move and i told my self well . . iam already a+ network+ mcp-70-270 and mcdst . . i'll survive then it hit me iam on a deadline . . i picked up a novell 50-686 book . . i always wanted to know about novell but never thought i would well now was my chance i wanted to get away from server 2k3 and microsoft all together . .
without! hitting cisco/ccna that will be last and most likely a 2007 goal of mine . . its scares me! I studied for novell this time a little longer then normal 1 week. . . i took the exam and failed by 25 points . . . close but no cigar . . now today is december 7th . . . this morning when i walked out the exam i just wanted to cry . . . i realy studied hard for novell it was something i actually enjoyed studing for . . i wanted to go home under the covers and cry . . iam 21 years old with a son but i can still cry . . . thats how i came in this world and i hope its not how i leave . . I got over it by noon today.
Since i know the cna exam is linear/form based and its the same exam always i think i immediately studied from my memory every question i got wrong silly stupid . stuff i was determined to take the exam again today still i checked out my bank statment . . ha i just paid all my bills and my rent and i refuse to tap savings . . it will have to wait till next pay day however as the day went on i thought to my self how creditable is novell or shall i say crucial to getting a job sure its like stuffing on a resume but does it catch a recuiters attention like a mcse or mcsa????
no i dont think so i did some research and then found out about mcsa on server 2k hmmmm cant be any tougher then the 70-290 i already failed i initially told myself i would come back to 70-290 i just wasnt sure when or how soon but i did know if i did any more microsoft certs i would be sure to steer away from that exam for a while. So to make a long story short i ve deciced to go for the mcsa on server 2k. I know i gotta do atleast 70-290/291/215/218 because other wise my 70-270 would be a waist . . . i just wanted to share my story with everyone . .
but most important note that for the exams i did pass i used this websites study guides and practice exams to help amongst other things and reading other it pros opinions thoughts helpful hints and guidance in my it career . . for a second this morning i thought i needed a career change ive waisted 300 bucks atleast between learning materials and exam costs that i could have used at a bar someplace however when i look in the 70-215 forum area i saw all the people who say they passed kinda hard to say no since i wanna be one of them . .
The moral of my story is well there really isnt one just want people to know there are people who find this site useful . . and iam sure iam not the only annonomous user out there that finds this site useful thanks to all wish me good look on 70-215 and 70-218 which i expect to finish before january and best of luck to anyone who is going through what iam going through i hope you make it whether it takes you 6 months or 1 or 5 days whatever i hope you make it walking out of a exam with a paper that says you passed throws a smile on your face even if your the angryiest person in the world . . .
It all started back when i was in college . . i realized school wasnt for me but i couldnt leave without having anything, then i heard about mcp i took the 70-271 exam and passed with a high score i then went on to find the job iam at now been here since 2004 . .
Then i decided i want more money which equates to needing more certs i challenged my self how many certs could i get with in 2 months based on my experince and knowledge, before Jan 2007 begin the new year with a new job and get my son to live with me cant support him on my income alone . this october ,2006 i decided to challenge my self! I first took exam 70-272 i passed with a 700 out of a 700 very scary . . . lol
I then pursed comptia certifications, starting with A+ i took both exams in 1 day and read 1 book covering both os and hardware in 1 weekend the day i passed a+ i bought a book on network+ studied for 4 days read the book passed the exam the 5 day then i thought about what i was doing so many certifications so little time, all i knew was i am sick of talking to people on the phone although iam extrememly good at it . . i wanted to do field technician work or deskside work but i really wanna do network admin work . . .
So i said let me persue MCSA on 2003 . . i took and passed 70-270 . . . with flying colors i told my self i am un beatable . . ha thats when it happened . . . that same day i bought 70-290 by sybex . . i love sybex especially there fast pass series there really thin and hit the major points for people with experience . . i'll recommend them to anyone . . i had never used a server before so i was actually "learning" something at this point . . i tried to use my same technique . . study a few days . . then take the exam . .
i live by myself in a 1 bedroom apartment . .i converted my living room into a lab . . to practice with server 2k3 . . . i downloaded the evaluation version of the software and studied and practiced . .
BUT i was not prepared for the simulations. My technique and its a really bad one is i go into the exam expecting to fail certaint questions that i find really difficult . . its usually something really difficult or something i cant understand no matter what i'll be honest i dont know everything but i do know alot and i dont think iam cheating myself iam just challegning myself i always learn one way or another but usually later then sooner . . . i failed 70-290 with a 650 out of 700 . . . that discouraged me . .
iam not a quiter but i know when its time to move and i told my self well . . iam already a+ network+ mcp-70-270 and mcdst . . i'll survive then it hit me iam on a deadline . . i picked up a novell 50-686 book . . i always wanted to know about novell but never thought i would well now was my chance i wanted to get away from server 2k3 and microsoft all together . .
without! hitting cisco/ccna that will be last and most likely a 2007 goal of mine . . its scares me! I studied for novell this time a little longer then normal 1 week. . . i took the exam and failed by 25 points . . . close but no cigar . . now today is december 7th . . . this morning when i walked out the exam i just wanted to cry . . . i realy studied hard for novell it was something i actually enjoyed studing for . . i wanted to go home under the covers and cry . . iam 21 years old with a son but i can still cry . . . thats how i came in this world and i hope its not how i leave . . I got over it by noon today.
Since i know the cna exam is linear/form based and its the same exam always i think i immediately studied from my memory every question i got wrong silly stupid . stuff i was determined to take the exam again today still i checked out my bank statment . . ha i just paid all my bills and my rent and i refuse to tap savings . . it will have to wait till next pay day however as the day went on i thought to my self how creditable is novell or shall i say crucial to getting a job sure its like stuffing on a resume but does it catch a recuiters attention like a mcse or mcsa????
no i dont think so i did some research and then found out about mcsa on server 2k hmmmm cant be any tougher then the 70-290 i already failed i initially told myself i would come back to 70-290 i just wasnt sure when or how soon but i did know if i did any more microsoft certs i would be sure to steer away from that exam for a while. So to make a long story short i ve deciced to go for the mcsa on server 2k. I know i gotta do atleast 70-290/291/215/218 because other wise my 70-270 would be a waist . . . i just wanted to share my story with everyone . .
but most important note that for the exams i did pass i used this websites study guides and practice exams to help amongst other things and reading other it pros opinions thoughts helpful hints and guidance in my it career . . for a second this morning i thought i needed a career change ive waisted 300 bucks atleast between learning materials and exam costs that i could have used at a bar someplace however when i look in the 70-215 forum area i saw all the people who say they passed kinda hard to say no since i wanna be one of them . .
The moral of my story is well there really isnt one just want people to know there are people who find this site useful . . and iam sure iam not the only annonomous user out there that finds this site useful thanks to all wish me good look on 70-215 and 70-218 which i expect to finish before january and best of luck to anyone who is going through what iam going through i hope you make it whether it takes you 6 months or 1 or 5 days whatever i hope you make it walking out of a exam with a paper that says you passed throws a smile on your face even if your the angryiest person in the world . . .
Comments
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MAC_Addy
Member Posts: 1,740 ■■■■□□□□□□
Wow...
not to dig or anything, but could you have put that in paragraphs?2017 Certification Goals:
CCNP R/S -
Philippatos
Inactive Imported Users Posts: 45 ■■□□□□□□□□
One nice thing about MS Press books for MCSA/MCSE is they include a 180 day eval of Windows Server 2003. I crimped myself a few hardware loopback plugs
and installed 2003 on my laptop, dual booting with XP. Could then play with a real AD domain controller just about anywhere.
Incidentally, I was very surprised not to get any simulations on my MCTS test.
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sprkymrk
Member Posts: 4,884 ■■■□□□□□□□
Leonjs, you sound motivated and discipilined. You'll make it. Don't worry about the money too much - it will be worth it in the long run. I would make one comment if you'll allow me; if you can come that close with only a few days worth of study, I think you would be able to get over the hump if you excersized a little patience and double or triple your study time. I'd rather pass on the first try with 4 weeks study than to blow my money after one week of study, know what I mean?
Thanks for posting and good luck on your goals.
All things are possible, only believe. -
LEONJS
Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
Really you didnt get any simulations on 70-290????? Awww man i got 8 . . . . i just wasnt ready for it . . . from what i understand its pretty rare to get that many . . i knew something wasnt right when i went to take the exam . . the computer i usually sat at was having issues and they moved me to another seat . .
sprkymrk; you know i think your right . . and in the long run thats proabably whats gonna happen but since i studied hard for 70-290 i think iam not gonna need much time for 70-215 i also think it should be a piece of cake with no simulations potentially . . . but thank you for the encouragement i will take it with me to the testing centerPhilippatos wrote:One nice thing about MS Press books for MCSA/MCSE is they include a 180 day eval of Windows Server 2003. I crimped myself a few hardware loopback plugs
and installed 2003 on my laptop, dual booting with XP. Could then play with a real AD domain controller just about anywhere.
Incidentally, I was very surprised not to get any simulations on my MCTS test.
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int80h
Member Posts: 84 ■■□□□□□□□□
The free 180 day eval of Windows 2003 is a free download from microsofts website.Philippatos wrote:One nice thing about MS Press books for MCSA/MCSE is they include a 180 day eval of Windows Server 2003. -
LEONJS
Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
Do you know if theres a link to download the Windows server 2k/2000 i cant seem to find one?? Maybe i can proceed for the 2k cert with the 2k3 ionno if there the same . . .int80h wrote:
The free 180 day eval of Windows 2003 is a free download from microsofts website.Philippatos wrote:One nice thing about MS Press books for MCSA/MCSE is they include a 180 day eval of Windows Server 2003. -
Philippatos
Inactive Imported Users Posts: 45 ■■□□□□□□□□
int80h wrote:The free 180 day eval of Windows 2003 is a free download from microsofts website.
I've got enough eval keys for R2 to last me two years. Each of the core MCSE training kits comes with another.
The new 30-day VHD evals for Virtual Server are pretty neat though:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/try/vhd/default.mspx
A lot easier than reinstalling every time you blow something up anyway. -
Olajuwon
Inactive Imported Users Posts: 356
Not to be rude, but you need to refine your writing skills. I had a hard time reading your post. Good story and keep it up!!!
I am a 22 yr old black male myself, in case you wanted to know."And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years" -
mrkorean
Member Posts: 29 ■□□□□□□□□□
Your story reminds me of "pursuit of happyness". Well done - I am impressed. I hope you get your dream job soon!
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initiald
Member Posts: 56 ■■□□□□□□□□
Leon, great post. (Sorry, I'm kinda late joining this forum.) I know it's tough my man but keep on pushing ! I'm only MCP (70-270) and A+ certified (although I've been in this computer game for 10+ years). Going to bang out Network+ next month then after that it's on to MCSA or CCNA. I guess MCSA since I already have the MS Press books. Regg'
"Life without knowledge is death in disguise." -
5no-yt
Member Posts: 79 ■■□□□□□□□□
Don't forget... Social life is important too...Security is like exercise: everyone talks about it, but not many people do it.
-J.R.Purser -
LEONJS
Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
Months late after landing a new job and having hands on server work i finally passed 70-290!! I am glad i didnt take the 2K exams as i understand they are set to expire. Now i need to pass 70-291 Iam scared. .. . plan on taking it within 2 weeks but expect to have it done before the end of august . .
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ilcram19
Inactive Imported Users Posts: 206
im actually taking 291 in a month those test aren't antry level like compTIA test, i think they required a lil more study and more experiance, try to learn and not to memorize stuff just for the test in real life ill come handyIf you stop getting better, you cease being good
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LEONJS
Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
Finally!
Done! I complete my MCSA in 2003 today!~ soooo happy party time! -
mikej412
Member Posts: 10,086 ■■■■■■■■■■
Congratulations!LEONJS wrote:Done! I complete my MCSA in 2003 today!
Its always fun to hit a target and get something to show for all that hard work and study! Plus it's a good excuse to take a small study break and celebrate! :mike: Cisco Certifications -- Collect the Entire Set!
