Help with Studying Tips and Guides

Brainward

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone could help me with what the tips and tricks they use when studying?

I have been working for the past 8 years and am totally out of practice study wise. I need to get MCSA then my MCSE to further my career and potentially\hopefully more income.

Over the past 2 weeks nothing really has been going in. I read a chapter, then read it again and take notes and then do the questions at the back of each chapter.

I am just wondering what everyones habits are when it comes to studying?

Do you use a timetable?

Do you listening to music, classical or otherwise?

What do you use to keep you motivated?

How long did you spend studying on each MCSE exam roughly?

Sorry for all the questions but this forum seems like the place to ask all the above.

Any help appreciated,

B

ps I have posted this in another forum\site but have not really gotten a great response so decided to try here....

Brainward

Do I get a prize for being the 2000th thread!

SRTMCSE

I've always had sort of crappy study habits, even in high school. I would rather pay closer attention during class (aka "doing") rather than reading later on. Same holds true now. I read a lot but what really helps me get it down is doing it.

While I'm reading I don't listen to anything, it's too distracting and when I'm trying hard to get a new concept down it's just me and my test machines/devices. As far as my MCSE, I studied about 2-3 hours a night for a few weeks, took a test and cooled off for a few weeks, repeated the cycle for the 8 or 9 exams it took. Took me nearly a year from my first MS exam to my MCSE:Security. Keep in mind that I didn't self study for my MCSE, I sat classes, sometimes the same one a few times since I worked for an IT bootcamp and could sit the classes whenever I had the time. I took advantage of this a lot, probably sat the class for 70-293 and 70-294 3 times each.

While studying for my 2008 upgrade (70-649) I spent maybe an hour working on my lab machines per night during the week and about 6-9 hours a day on the weekends in the couple of weeks leading up to my exam. I can honestly say I put a lot more time into my MCSE than the MCTS (and probably even the MCITP:EA once I get it) as I was new to IT when I got my MCSE, 5 years ago.

I don't really fall on a structure or a timetable, but I will go through, write down what I don't know or I feel I'm lacking on and systematically research and work with the technology. For example, I might do a practice test and see that I'm falling short on ipv6, NAP and IIS. So I'll spend a day (or night in my case since I work nights and have a lot of downtime) going over ipv6, then maybe another night going over command line usage for IIS, another on NAP, etc, etc.

It also helps me to schedule my exam so I have a finite date in my head. I've been studying on and off for 70-649 for about a year, but it wasn't until a month or 2 ago that I hammered down, set up my VMs and took it seriously. Only because I scheduled the exam for last week. You can always reschedule if you don't feel you're prepared (think it's 3 days).

Hope these tips were of help. And keep in mind, this is what works for me and as I said early, I've generally had crappy studying techniques, but they work for me.

jamesleecoleman

When I study for a certification, I will read through the whole book and re read it again. If its material I already know then I'll either skip through the material or spend less time on it. After a while when I feel that I can look at a chapter and tell myself the important information in the chapter then I'll spend less time on that chapter for study. It'll get the point where I'll goto my dry erase board and write the chapters down that I think I need to study more. After I spend alot of time on those selected chapters then I'll go back and skim through the other chapters that I haven't read in a while to make sure I still know the information.

If I take the test and fail, I'll figure out what chapters I need to read and write them on the dry erase board. Then I'll go over the chapters I haven't read in a while. Then I'll retake the test when I feel I know what I need to know.

I do listen to music while I study, usually from di.fm and I stay motivated because I wanna get done so I can move onto other certifications that I want to get done.

Forsaken_GA

I haul my butt to the library. Too many distractions everywhere else. The quiet environment helps me keep my focus and actually learn something.

neathneathneath

Depends on the particular exam but scheduling the exam usually gets you motivated especially if you've paid for the exam yourself.

Should you be unlucky and fail an exam, you can concentrate on the weaker topics.

Difficult to recommend a standard routine apart from setting aside some time each day (or selected days) for study.

Getting to work an hour early every day to study helped me pass my resit of the 70-291

Psoasman

I tend to be very methodical when it comes to studying. I will read a chapter, then read it again, taking some notes. I will read it a 3rd time. I will also do the practice exercises as well. I take some breaks between studying chapters. If I can get my hands on video training, I will follow that as well.
This has worked well for me, passed 11 exams in a row!

Brainward

Thanks for all the tips peeps. Will makes some changes to my habits and hopefully I can improve my concentration.

Cheers!

Paul Boz

LIBRARIES. If you can not isolate yourself from noise at your home libraries are by far the best place to study. This is especially true if you have a major university near by, with stacks floors for doing research. I get some serious studying done on the 3rd floor of LSU's Middleton Library stacks archive. You can get a cube and just pound away on the study material. I can usually get a decent amount of quiet time at the house but I often get distracted with either wanting to watch TV, go outside, have people over, etc.

If it is a matter of motivation, just remind yourself periodically what your goals are and why they are your goals. If your goal is to get a larger salary just browse Monster.com every few days to remind yourself what you may be worth with new skills.