"Addicted" to studying?

pml1

I have sort of a crazy question. Has anyone ever felt like they were becoming addicted to studying? I've done a lot of studying in my time. I had a 4.0 GPA in high school and 3.9 in college. Obviously, I did a lot of studying, but I studied because I felt like I had to. The teacher scheduled a test, so I studied for it, but never because I just wanted to.

When I first started certification studies, it was pretty much the same thing. My employer required that I pass 70-270 within 6 months of being hired. I studied, and I passed, but I took over 5 of the 6 months allotted. I took several months off and then begrudgingly began studying for 70-290. This time I was studying because I felt I would never be able to get where I want to in my career without it. I studied slowly and with much stress, pretty much making myself do it. Not too long after that, I picked up some study materials and for 70-291 and "forced" myself to study it. I got about halfway through the MS Press book and just quit. I didn't study at all for about 6 months.

Then, something changed. I'm still not sure what it was, but I picked the MS press book back up, and I haven't stopped studying since. It's been about a month since then. I've passed 291 and Sec+ in that time (Read the first 400 pages of the Sec+ book in a day). I got the 293 book in the mail yesterday, but decided I would wait few days before I started studying. It didn't happen. I found myself reaching reading it last night (and then again this morning) almost compulsively. It's almost like I can't stop studying! My wife thinks I'm crazy, but I told her she knew that before she married me

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. Has anyone else ever experienced this?

dynamik

Yea, several of us at work go pretty much non-stop. Something feels off if we're not learning something on a regular basis.

xenodamus

I need to catch whatever you've got. I don't dislike studying and reading, but I seem to find other things to do in my down time. I think I enjoy the product of learning more than the learning itself. I want the knowledge, but have to discipline myself to do the reading.

pml1

xenodamus wrote: »

I think I enjoy the product of learning more than the learning itself.

I think that's where I've been most of my life. I've always enjoyed learning new things, just not the act of studying. I think I take that same attitude into my lawn care. I love the look and smell of a fresh cut lawn, just not the act of mowing (especially when it's 95+ outside).

krauser

[ I had a 4.0 GPA in high school and 3.9 in college ]

Amazing, you were an excellent student.

rogue2shadow

I am definitely an addict..to studying that is lol. Its more like it fills a lot of the dull hours during the day since I'm not working yet.

earweed

rogue2shadow wrote: »

I am definitely an addict..to studying that is lol. Its more like it fills a lot of the dull hours during the day since I'm not working yet.

Fills my down hours between working and sleeping. I definitely need to catch what the OP has though as I'm not THAT addicted to studying.

docrice

I was never a 4.0 GPA student, except maybe once in middle school. Otherwise, I was "average." I get bored easily and if I get bored, I don't spend a lot of time getting into it and learning, which is why I pursued other things on the side and got deep into those instead. Ever since I got into / switched over to the IT industry, I've been pretty much non-stop in most ways in terms of learning and stretching my understanding.

Here's the way I see it - if I really enjoy something, I dive into it. Sometimes my approach is structured, sometimes it's random (just searching for specific things online). In any case, I do this for a simple reason: technology is a craft for me, not just a job / career. I immensely enjoy it and it's how I identify myself. In any subject area that I have a high degree of interest in, I pursue it with vigor because it's how I define myself. The more I know, the better grasp I have over the material as well as control over the topic (because being in that awkward position where you have to trust other people, like your car mechanic, to watch your back sucks). While this helps makes me stand out and become the go-to person for some things, ultimately it's what shapes my life and forms a ball of pride that I can later look back on.

The last "real" vacation I took was 8 years ago. Since then, any time off has generally been delegated to studying. I may occasionally burn-out and take a couple of weeks off, but anytime you work a muscle, you need it to rest. At the same time, I don't even own a TV. I spend a lot of quality time in front of the computer screen(s) because for me, every waking moment is an investment opportunity. I can either watch some mindless reality show, or make good use out of the time for something that's meaningful to me.

The other motivator for me is that for the area I'm trying to focus more on, I always feel like I'm behind the curve. Well, that's because I am behind ... way behind in my opinion. But that's the light at the end of the tunnel that keeps me chasing the carrot on the stick. And it's exciting to discover more and more and expand your knowledge of the universe (of whatever subject area you're interested in). This is a unique industry in that it's always alive and there's something new and fresh constantly. It's exciting to know that you can step into an ocean so vast and never get bored. You can stay hungry all the time pretty easily.

Of course, raising your chances for a steady paycheck certainly helps the motivation along...

mikedisd2

Reading 400 pages in a day is something else. I don't know if i could do that even if I was passionate about the topic. Your level of focus is to be admired.

pml1

docrice wrote: »

Here's the way I see it - if I really enjoy something, I dive into it. Sometimes my approach is structured, sometimes it's random (just searching for specific things online). In any case, I do this for a simple reason: technology is a craft for me, not just a job / career. I immensely enjoy it and it's how I identify myself. In any subject area that I have a high degree of interest in, I pursue it with vigor because it's how I define myself. The more I know, the better grasp I have over the material as well as control over the topic (because being in that awkward position where you have to trust other people, like your car mechanic, to watch your back sucks). While this helps makes me stand out and become the go-to person for some things, ultimately it's what shapes my life and forms a ball of pride that I can later look back on.

I think part of what's been driving me lately is that I've to a point of deeper understanding of what I'm doing. I studied for 270...learned about the client OS, then for 290...learned about the server OS. It was good knowledge, but it wasn't exactly riveting, and mostly concepts I was already familiar with. Now with 291 and 293, its more about how systems work in relation to each other, and it's much more interesting and almost entirely new to me. Now I have a much better overall grasp of how the systems I support work, which as you point out, makes me feel much more in control of what I'm doing.

docrice wrote: »

Of course, raising your chances for a steady paycheck certainly helps the motivation along...

That definitely helps, too

pml1

mikedisd2 wrote: »

Reading 400 pages in a day is something else. I don't know if i could do that even if I was passionate about the topic. Your level of focus is to be admired.

Well, it was labor day, and my wife had to work. The weather was absolutely beautiful, so I sat out on the porch with my dog all day and read. It was actually quite enjoyable.

docrice

A little off-topic, but if you're studying Microsoft OS products, I strongly recommend you supplement your reading with Windows Internals:

http://www.amazon.com/Windows%C2%AE-Internals-Including-Windows-PRO-Developer/dp/0735625301/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284254323&sr=8-1

While the official Microsoft Press self-study training kits are a start, in my opinion they really don't get in-depth at all. To be more effective on the job, you should understand what's going on under the hood, looking past the buttons and CLI. This is one of the best books I've read about Microsoft technology, period.

RobertKaucher

docrice wrote: »

A little off-topic, but if you're studying Microsoft OS products, I strongly recommend you supplement your reading with Windows Internals:

Amazon.com: Windows® Internals: Including Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, Fifth Edition (PRO-Developer) (9780735625303): Mark Russinovich, David A. Solomon, Alex Ionescu: Books

While the official Microsoft Press self-study training kits are a start, in my opinion they really don't get in-depth at all. To be more effective on the job, you should understand what's going on under the hood, looking past the buttons and CLI. This is one of the best books I've read about Microsoft technology, period.

I think that book is over-kill if you are just looking to get certified in a technology you already know. When you are ready to become an exceptional Windows admin is when you should pick that book up. For certification you can waste hours reading things that are at such a high level you will only use them on rare occassions (but those might be the occasions that define your career). I also think developers would get much more out of it than we admin types, but there are at least 6 chapters that have helped me become a better DBA or whatever the hell I am.

genXrcist

docrice wrote: »

>>>>I immensely enjoy it and it's how I identify myself. In any subject area that I have a high degree of interest in, I pursue it with vigor because it's how I define myself. The more I know, the better grasp I have over the material as well as control over the topic (because being in that awkward position where you have to trust other people, like your car mechanic, to watch your back sucks). While this helps makes me stand out and become the go-to person for some things, ultimately it's what shapes my life and forms a ball of pride that I can later look back on.....

I think this sort of attitude can be dangerous. I know because I started to do this as well. It's important to have a good hold of your passion & career/skillset but just as important not to have a death grip on it. Case in point, what do you do if all of a sudden you couldn't work in I.T. anymore say, because you were in an accident and lost parts of your working memory. Or perhaps you find yourself obsessing about your career to the point where you being to alienate your loved ones.

I love this stuff and I thoroughly enjoy studying. I'm also thorughly convinced that in order to accomplish my goal of becoming a highly compensated IT consultant I need to be very good at systems administration. But when I find that I'd rather spend time studying & learning than living life, I stop for a reality check. If at any time studying & learning leaves me feeling drained or tired, I stop and take a break.

Good things in life leave you feeling energized, not drained.

docrice

Everyone has a different balancing point. One should certainly be aware of obsession, but I've been this way for the last couple of decades. No regrets yet. My situation's probably different than a lot of other people so my priorities are probably more skewed to a certain extreme, but I made a conscious trade-off that I'll have to live with. It works quite well for me anyway.

In my case, there's a certain impatience that nags at me. During my last (very nice) vacation, I found myself getting bored on the beach. I eventually determined that I'd rather spend the time doing something I genuinely enjoy rather than what other people seem to enjoy.

dynamik

genXrcist wrote: »

because you were in an accident and lost parts of your working memory.

I understand what you're saying, but you could use this logic to go to the other extreme and not do anything. We're all going to die; why bother studying?

jamesleecoleman

Yea I can't really stop studying. I do need a break at times but I could study/lab the stuff that interests me the most almost all day.

N2IT

Addicted to moving up in my career, therefore I study a lot to give me a competitive advantage.

I do like to learn don't get me wrong, but if that was the case I would just buy the book and not worry about the exam. Bottom line for me is moving vertically.

bertieb

genXrcist wrote:

Good things in life leave you feeling energized, not drained.

I'm not so sure, after several pints of awesome real ale last night I don't feel so energized at the moment

genXrcist

dynamik wrote: »

I understand what you're saying, but you could use this logic to go to the other extreme and not do anything. We're all going to die; why bother studying?

I thought someone might say this. My idea though is to hold on to your passion but be careful that your knuckles aren't white. It's like if you were pulling out of fast turn and your car's rear was coming out. You would hold onto the wheel, steering in the direction that the rear was sliding with a firm enough grip to keep the wheel turning but allowing the wheel to slide through your fingers. Hold on too tight and you could break your fingers if the wheel whips into a different position.

Hope that analogy makes sense.

NetworkingStudent

pml1 wrote: »

I have sort of a crazy question. Has anyone ever felt like they were becoming addicted to studying? I've done a lot of studying in my time. I had a 4.0 GPA in high school and 3.9 in college. Obviously, I did a lot of studying, but I studied because I felt like I had to. The teacher scheduled a test, so I studied for it, but never because I just wanted to.

When I first started certification studies, it was pretty much the same thing. My employer required that I pass 70-270 within 6 months of being hired. I studied, and I passed, but I took over 5 of the 6 months allotted. I took several months off and then begrudgingly began studying for 70-290. This time I was studying because I felt I would never be able to get where I want to in my career without it. I studied slowly and with much stress, pretty much making myself do it. Not too long after that, I picked up some study materials and for 70-291 and "forced" myself to study it. I got about halfway through the MS Press book and just quit. I didn't study at all for about 6 months.

Then, something changed. I'm still not sure what it was, but I picked the MS press book back up, and I haven't stopped studying since. It's been about a month since then. I've passed 291 and Sec+ in that time (Read the first 400 pages of the Sec+ book in a day). I got the 293 book in the mail yesterday, but decided I would wait few days before I started studying. It didn't happen. I found myself reaching reading it last night (and then again this morning) almost compulsively. It's almost like I can't stop studying! My wife thinks I'm crazy, but I told her she knew that before she married me

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Call me crazy, but I actually like studying too. I feel like I have to study almost every day to get certified and truly understand the material. However, I don’t feel addicted to studying, but I do like the learning part that is related to studying for a certification. Although, I think we all need a break for ourselves and for our loved ones. This weekend my girlfriend and I went to the MN Renaissance Festival, and we saw puke and snot (A comedy act that insults each other), had some food, and enjoyed the weekend. I have found out that balancing study time with leisure time makes life a lot easier, at least I’m not as stressed out if I’m studying all the time.

pml1

N2IT wrote: »

I do like to learn don't get me wrong, but if that was the case I would just buy the book and not worry about the exam. Bottom line for me is moving vertically.

Definitely. Then end game of my studying and exam preparation is to increase my knowledge and advance my career. I do find enjoyment in the learning itself though and in the act of passing the exam. I think the feeling I get when I see the passing score come up on the screen is a big part of my enthusiasm lately.

rfult001

My biggest problem is deciding what to study at what time. I jump back and forth between my school work, the MS and Cisco stuff, and ITIL/COBIT/MOF etc..

It only gets more confusing when I bring the "awesome ale" into the picture...

AlexMR

I am 100% addicted to learning, hence you can say I'm addicted to studying.

My "to read list" keeps growing the more I read because any good book will point you in the direction of at least 2 or 3 more great books and references. This is true for any knowledge field but I find it particularly true for IT.

I am a civil engineer with lots of management studies. Lots. I decided mmy thing was IT and management a few years ago and I am now CCNA, CCNA Voice, and studied extensively for the ROUTE and SWITCH exams but havennt taken them.

I studied for the Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Exam and will get certified in Microsoft Project 2007 in the next few weeks. I feel I am ready for that one now.

I am currently preparing for the CCNA Security, because i have to get that certification for future jobs in a company im doing some things.

I will pass those CCNP exams afterwards and will definitely take the ITIL v3 foundations exams.

I know I am more than anything else a design/consulting person. I can definitely be an implementer but I think I am more of a person who can come up with solutions...at least more than implementing those solutions. That is why I intend to go after the CCDA and DP and try hard to work mostly ond design and consulting.

I am definitely addicted to learning. That is why I feel IT is so suited to me...or is it the other way around?

stuh84

I'm definitely unable to stop, I love new information. It's so rare that I can go long without studying something new when I complete the last lot. I've just come to the conclusion that as long as my brain will take in more information, I will not stop filling it.

pml1

AlexMR wrote: »

I am definitely addicted to learning. That is why I feel IT is so suited to me...or is it the other way around?

It works either way! IT is definitely a great field for people who love to learn. The field so broad and changes so quickly that there is always something to learn.

Mike-Mike

I think I am addicted to TE

pml1

Mike-Mike wrote: »

I think I am addicted to TE

Aren't we all?

chmorin

dynamik wrote: »

Yea, several of us at work go pretty much non-stop. Something feels off if we're not learning something on a regular basis.

Agreed with this statement. I have to be learning and pursuing something to be doing okay in my eyes.

chrisone

i know this is probably a lame way of thinking about studying habits but ever since i started studying IT related materials with 600 to 1000 pg books of technical jargon, anytime i see a book with 300 pgs or less i just tend to belittle it as EASY!

I know its wrong but after so many years of these heavy long books and being use to that amount of information to study, anything less, i feel i can blow right through it within a month or less without a challenge.

cyrenz

i am a civil engineering student on my final year, I also study a lot, I feel like I need to study so much whenever there are exams. I studied to the point that even there will only be 5 questions in the exam, and I have a 100 items reviewer, I study all of that. I feel like I can't sleep well when i didn't review all of my reviewers,. I wake up early to study, I can't eat, I feel its more important to study than eating and resting. Nobody pressures me, its just that since I was in elementary I am a constant honor, and I feel like I still not being appreciated by others , I feel that no one notices me and I need to strive harder.... I feel insecure to those people who I see relax whenever there are exams I feel that they are more superior to me, but I can't feel relax and I always stressed myself in studying. am I okay????/?