Motivation

I was wanting to check to see how you guys stay motivated or get motivated to take the certs? The reason I posted in here is that I need to take the network +. I study for awhile and then I get away from it and have a hard time starting back up.

I also have a hard time staying awake while reading the book.

Any pointers on studying for the test?

I am reading the material on here and the exam cram book. Are there any books that might be better and keep my interest more?

Just thought I would ask because I have been trying to get this cert for awhile and also want to get others.

Thanks in advance for the help!!

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Talic

I found taking classes at my local community college helps with motivation. Working toward both certifications and a degree sure keeps you on your toes.

As for reading the book, having music going in the background works for me. Maybe something that keeps you awake, so none of that classical stuff

. Rock does it for me. Just don't have it to loud that it disrupts your concentration.

Setting yourself a deadline and keep telling yourself that the tests costs a good amount of money and that should do it for motivation. Even if the money isn't a lot for you (maybe you have a good job) you can tell yourself that costs more then you usually like to spend.

SSji

whereas music helps some people, even if i have a little noise i cant concentrate and dont take it all in

to motivate myself i try to think of the big picture, im currently doing the network+. i would like to get into security... so i think once i finish this i can do the security+ yey, then i would like to go onto Cisco stuff etc etc... i have also just got my first job as an IT techinician which i find helps becasue it feels like everything is comming together, certs + experience. apart from just my ambition i find money helps, the more certs i get, the better my wage when i finish education.

aswell as that i want to be richer than my sister & friends so competition also motivates me!

as for books, the 15 minuite guide is straight to the point and contains a lot of vital infromation, but obviously is no where near enough to pass. if your sick of reading, the CBT nuggets are good as they are videos... downside is they cost $$$

hope this was of some help, feels a bit like im rambeling

eg2505

For me what helps me concentrate,
is to only do 2 hours or so at a time,

but the key is to make those 2 hours worthwhile

Another thing that can help motivation is to reward yourself when you finish studing,

but my real question is:

If you are doing N+, you should be intrested in it before tackling it
its no use doing a course or cert if you are not even remotly intrested in it.
as N+ is expensive and specialised cert to take,

the motivation to study should come from inside

If you are not intreasted in it, dont waste your money or time

but if you are intrasted in it, then you should answer your own question yourself

Anyway good luck on the test

Armour

I am very interested in the network+. I just have trouble staying with the studying. I have many other things going on and I get distracted.

The reason I ask the question about the studying is to see what makes everyone stay with it and helps get them through it.

What they use to study? If some books help keep you interested better than others. I am also not against trying the videos.

Mishra

You know what is kind of funny. Sometimes I get motivation from trying to think life is one big video game.

I enjoy video games because you get to be better at what you are doing, improve, start beating the nme, making more stuff, or whatever goal you have while playing a video game... Well studying for certifications and trying to make more money are my "video game" goals. I'm playing the game right now and trying to win all the boards until I retire. Then it is 'watching news all day' time.

So if you don't like video games then you are up a creek! lol

rfult001

start doing some hands on stuff. get a copy of wireshark @ http://www.wireshark.org/ and do some packet sniffing. Get familiar with what the protocols are actually doing. From their just play around. I haven't even looked at the network+ yet, so I really don't know what's on it, but this is what I do to keep up in my network classes at school.

good luck!

jscimeca715

I think these are all good points, especially the points made about you genuinely being interested in the topic you study, setting a deadline for yourself and telling yourself that you're about to spend $150 on a test that will make you more money in the long run. I'd like to add something to this, that's sort of related but will come after you get your first cert. I took the Net+ as my first cert and definitely struggled with how to study and staying motivated. It's a big plus that you found this site, because not only does it help to see how others prepare for tests, but it also helps to provide a little friendly competition. Back to my point though, once you get your results and see that you passed, continuing your education and staying motivated will be a thing of the past. After I passed the Network+ I started studying A+ and passed that. I'm now well on my way to cisco certification with no worries about motivation. I hope this helps, good luck.

undomiel

I've found for me setting a deadline doesn't work out too well. So I put some money on the line and schedule the actual test. Knowing that money will be wasted and how much that will suck really helps me to keep focused. Especially if my wife found out.

Also getting as much hands-on experience as possible goes a long way.

sys_teck

you know I agree with Talic

music works for me as well, can be anything from classical, trance/progressive to goth rock...not to loud.

Motivation usually comes from within. you have to set up a day when you want to take a test, and working toward it. Just try not procastinate it. sometimes food and/or water helps <not junk food, and soda> just cup of cold water. I was investing like between 60-70 hours a week for the test. When i really get tired, take cold water shower LOL

and then again read network plus book and practice question. Read chapter i didn't understand from the first time over untill I dig it completely

good luck

Tyrant1919

A few things that keep me motivated...

1. Knowing a pay raise is at the end of my MCSE track.
2. Learning new things about something I enjoy working on everyday.
3. A self set goal of becoming MCSE:S by Nov 19th, when I got my first cert a year ago then, Net+.

The biggest motivator for me is #2 by far. I enjoy learning about computers and tech in general.

Slowhand

Beyond the tangible payoffs, such as a higher salary or getting myself closer to being able to afford to go to school and doing the kind of work I like to do, I have a relatively unique way of motivating myself: I wait.

There are some days, weeks, even months, when I don't have it in me to do more than just go to work, go to class, or do the bare-minimum I need to do to get through life. Sometimes, though, inspiration hits and I feel energized and enthusiastic about studying, working, whatever. So, I wait, and I do whatever I can to relax, try to focus on what I want to be doing, and not worry too much about "what I'm not doing right now". I can't always procrastenate and sometimes I just have to muscle my way through what I have to do, but if I wait and have a day or an afternoon to just relax and shed off the stress of worrying about what I need to study, what work I have to get done, or something like that, I fall into a much better groove and I can keep up the weeks and months of studying for an exam a whole lot easier.

The time's gotta feel right, (and sometimes you can coerse the world to make it that way).

pooker

im a little selfish, my motivation

noone in my class has certifications then all of a sudden this one guy in my class gets a a+ so it makes me motivated because i wanna be ahead so I get it, then I get net+ and he gets ccent , so then I get ccent then he gets ccna! So know I am gonna get ccna then ccnp to prove that I am better.

So your motivation should be , prove that your better and get it!

brad-

I like to set mini goals. I'll look at the calendar, and say I want to take X test on X date. That gives me, for example, 1 month to prep. There are 10 modules to cover. I can do 1 module a day during the week, and the remaining 5 on the weekend. That gives me time to go through the studies completely twice, then do test prep questions for a week, then a final week of studying leading up to the exam.

If you set your goals very small, they're all achievable, and keep you on a timeline. Once you've got a good working knowledge of the material, go ahead and schedule the exam. That'll give you that last bit of motivation to push harder when you feel like you've had enough.

mamono

Motivation or staying focused?

Staying focused, I can only study in one place, a busy noisy Asian flavored tea cafe!
Requirements:
1) Busy Noisy Asian Flavored Tea Cafe (aka Boba Tea place)
2) Trace/Techno Music Really Loud
3) Multiple Doses of Caffeine from Tea

Motivation, I think back on hard knocks and that motivates me to not to let those happen ever again. Try try try, continued effort and perseverance leads to success. Don't falter and you'll eventually succeed. Strive for a goal that is attainable, succeed, then set another attainable goal. Step by step, progress. Nothing happens overnight... *takes off confucius hat*

NetAdmin2436

After work I walk into my local Lifetime Fitness, go the locker room and get changed. I grab my tools for working out: Ipod, techexams notes, and sweat towel. After a quick stretch I jump on an eliptical machine for 30 mins and begin reading my study material. My ipod is blasting some Paul Oakenfold, Transplants, ****, whatever I feel like that day. My heart rate accelerates and the sweat begins pouring down my face as I'm reading about the OSI layer and how a ping command can help you with basic troubleshooting. Oddly enough, I find this to be rather enjoyable and I get motivated. By now most of you reading this probably have 1 eyebrow raised. To each there own. The point is, you have to do as Happy Gilmore does and find your "happy place" and motivation will come. Don't stress, as it will likely UN-motivate you. For me working out is a huge stress reliever.

You get bored with reading books? Me too sometimes. Another study technique i like is preplogic Audio CD's. I have a LONG drive to and from work. I can pop in an CD and learn while I'm driving. This can make great use of a long boring drive home.

Yes, money is always a motivator too....or a chance at a better job with another company or within your own company.

The feeling of typing and/or seeing a Network+, A+, ect... after your name also makes me want more.

That's how I roll

mamono

You get bored with reading books? Me too sometimes. Another study technique i like is preplogic Audio CD's. I have a LONG drive to and from work. I can pop in an CD and learn while I'm driving. This can make great use of a long boring drive home.

There are some instructional podcasts, but I don't know whether there are any for Net+. I've seen some for CCNA. Audio is a great way to study or to become current on technology news during the commute. But, when it comes to assimilation of details and deconstruction of concepts, it could be little difficult to follow.

It works for me sometimes, but working with study aides such as CBT Nuggets helps considerable. Some people are more visual learner inclined. If you have dual monitor, you can run the CBT Nuggets on one screen and on the other screen you can run simulators, take notes, or read wikipedia/white papers on the topics discussed for more detail.

When reading from a book, it helps me to draw diagrams, flow charts, and rewrite processes into my own words in the margins. My cert. books that I've read have scribbles all over them. Its entertaining to watch people's facial expressions when they crack one open since I keep them around for reference.

jamesleecoleman

Maybe it would help if you took a networking class? At my community college there is a networking class where the book covers the network+ material so I can just combine the other certs that I'm going for with that class and others so the material is forced on you. Also maybe if you got the gear to practice on and drew pictures that could help? The sooner you get done with it then the less you have to worry about getting it done.