is the instructor led training worth it???

mikesz

hi everyone,
I really try to study as hard as I can, but it is still not as much as I would like to , working full time and studying is not easy. I'm thinking to take an instructor led training to speed the study time up and leave my current boring JOB (some technical support for tv card manufacturer).
Money is not an issue, is it worth it to pursue the instructor led training??

Last year I managed to do 5 exams, this year wanted to accomplish the whole MCSE 2003 (but can see that is getting harder and harder).

please feel free to comment.

thanks a lot

networker050184

I think instructor led training is good option to help keep yourself on track. It can be hard to stick to your study habits at times with everything else in life getting in the way. It would be a good idea to supplement the classes with self study also though. I would avoid boot camp style courses though. These tend to be more of a cram session rather than actual classroom learning.

Good luck on the studies!

blargoe

I agree on the no boot camps. Personally I highly value any chance I get to have ILT, simply because it is time away from all the other distractions of work, home, and life in general and I can focus just on learning.

BigTex71

Instructor based are good. I did one of the computer-based instruction course places. It was at their campus, but self-paced with computer-based lessons and labs. I preferred that because I already had a good amount of knowledge in the courses from real-world experience. So being able to self-pace was great. I knocked out the A+ in a week, Network + in a few weeks, etc. The MCSA and MCSE took longer, but I had all of my certs done within 9 months. Self-paced is the only way I was able to accomplish that. Instructor-based would have taken at least twice as long. Your situation may be different if you don't have real-world experience... then I would recommend instructor-based.

famosbrown

I used instructor led training for every certification I have. It definitely doesn't prepare you to pass the exams right after the class, but you definitely will learn a bunch and get some hands on the stuff. I coupled the ILT and self study methods to get through the learning experience and passing of the exams.

Like others have stated...avoid bootcamps where you can get MCSE and Security+ exams in two weeks. It's an exam cram session pushing to get you certified (paper with your name on it) rather than certifiable (know your stuff).