Academy Rules

ian g

If you're serious about getting this cert, you can buy a bunch of books, videos and lab equipment, or take the route I did. Yes, I'm plugging Cisco's Networking Academy.
Consider this: It costs a couple of hundred bucks to take a 3-4 credit class at a local community college that offers the Academy curriculum. Once you've shown up for the first orientation class, the schedule is generally flexible with most of your work done online.The study material is first -class, you should get access to real lab equipment, and you can pick the brains of a (hopefully) informed instructor. You are forced into a structured studying environment with regular testing, and at the end of it all (this is maybe the best part) you get a 60% off voucher for your test. That's a 100 bucks off. Not a bad deal all around.

captobvious

Glad it worked out for you. But let me see if I understand, you pay $300-$500 for class, estimated, and you get $100 off your test?

ian g

Nope. About 300 bucks. minus the 100 for the voucher. That's 200 net. Add up the cost of Trancender practice tests, CBT nuggets videos, lab equipment, books etc, and there's not much in it. Cost aside though, I just thought I'd share the fact that the Academy stuff is a good, quality alternative.

jamesleecoleman

Academy stuff is alright. It depends on who's teaching it too. I had the hardest time understanding the material when I was in the Academy but I did know how to configure the equipment, from what I learned.

I currently use the Academy resources that I have to review the material.

Not everyone has a CC around them that has the NetAcad. My transfer school has it but it will be five thousand just to take the classes.