Should I continue?

wweboy

Hey everyone,

I've been studying off and on for the 70-621 exam and I understand Vista and I understand troubleshooting its just that I'm not "getting it" I've never had to professionally troubleshoot Vista but I've been using it for the last year and half at home.

I'm finding the topic dull as dirt and now with Windows 7 a week away I'm preplexed on what I should do. I want to go towards my MCSA and I know passing the 70-621 would put me towards that goal.

Have you ever been in this situation, the topic sucks and even though you "know it pretty well" you are still failing your practice exams and aren't feeling confident on the subject material?

Thanks everyone.

Divine-Assault

Yeah I know how you feel. I'm currently trying to get my MCSA and all I have to do to earn it is to pass the 70-290 and 70-291. I already know how to configure and manage windows server 2003 because I used to work for my school where I worked with the servers everyday and had to set one up from scratch. I have been able to study for my other certifications on a regular basis but when I was studying this material, it was just so dry and boring that I just can't focus. I became really frustrated as well when I would only get about half of the practice problems correct and it just lowers my morale. I think I'll just focus on my classes and during winter break and summer break I can finish studying for them hopefully.

Slowhand

This seems to be a trend with desktop OS exams from Microsoft. A lot of people have had the same experience with XP: they use it at home, but they don't have a whole lot of experience doing professional-level troubleshooting and deployments.

What I'd recommend is to keep reading, keep going through whatever lab-scenarios your book(s) offer, and try to find any and all opportunities to help your friends/family/local school with Vista issues to help beef up your experience. Hands-on experience is the greatest thing for "getting it", but sometimes you just have to keep bashing your head against that book until it sinks in.

Another piece of advice I can give you is to look for threads and discussions on forums like this one, along with any others you find, where people are asking for help with Vista issues. Try to replicate the problems yourself, work through any solutions offered, and start looking around places like TechNet for solutions that you can offer to the starters of the threads. It's tough to pull hypothetical problems out of thin air, but trying to work in a lab-setting with ones others are seeing can be helpful.

Give yourself time with the material, maybe even try other books, and look for any opportunity you can to get some hands-on experience. Stick with it, though, that's my advice.

Essendon

Excellent advice by Slowhand and Divine-Assault.

Just noticed you have been studying for clientOS exams, why not try breaking it up with some server material. I was the same way when I first embarked upon my certificate journey. I started off with studying through the 70-270 MS Press tome. That book would put me to sleep in minutes. Thats when I picked up the 290 book, found that more interesting and passed 3 server exams in about 5 months i.e. the 290 > 291 > 284. I never went back to XP, did the 620 instead to get me the MCSA: M cert.

Just me $.02

Slowhand

Essendon wrote: »

Excellent advice by Slowhand and Divine-Assault.

Just noticed you have been studying for clientOS exams, why not try breaking it up with some server material. I was the same way when I first embarked upon my certificate journey. I started off with studying through the 70-270 MS Press tome. That book would put me to sleep in minutes. Thats when I picked up the 290 book, found that more interesting and passed 3 server exams in about 5 months i.e. the 290 > 291 > 284. I never went back to XP, did the 620 instead to get me the MCSA: M cert.

Just me $.02

Actually, that's VERY good advice. I saved 70-270 (the XP pro exam) for last on my MCSA journey, and I found it to be very easy to study for and pass after having butted heads with 70-290 and 70-291. Another option to try, certainly, if the Vista client OS exam keeps giving you trouble.

dynamik

Repetition is key. It's easy to get discouraged when things don't click as fast you think they should. Just keep at it slow, but steady. The advice to mix in some other topic might help make your studies more interesting and spice things up a bit.

Edit: WTF Slowhand? It's not even 6:00AM here, and it's two hours earlier out there. You better just be coming back from a party

Slowhand

dynamik wrote: »

Edit: WTF Slowhand? It's not even 6:00AM here, and it's two hours earlier out there. You better just be coming back from a party

Pulling an all-nighter. I'm finally going to bed, (around 8:15am,) after finishing some studying and more than a few tasty, alcoholic beverages.

dfosbenner

wweboy, here's my suggestion - take a break from studying for a few days. Then come back and delve into Vista itself, go through Control Panel and get familiar with everything there, go through the Start menu, etc. When you feel weak on something, hit Technet or Google and read up on it until you feel more comfortable with it. Then go back to the study material. I think you'll find a little mental break, plus a change in approach will shake up your synapsis and get things moving.

dirnuntux

I accept with information: This seems to be a trend with desktop OS exams from Microsoft. A lot of people have had the same experience with XP: they use it at home, but they don't have a whole lot of experience doing professional-level troubleshooting and deployments.

Hyper-Me

I must be weird because I rather enjoy desktop deployments. The client OS exams were never difficult for me and i've passed them all on first try with flying colors, so I cant relate on the "just not getting it" part, but i know a lot of it can be mundane.

There are mundane parts to every certification you will try to get, but learning it and moving on makes it feel that much better.