Help regarding studying

Dragonranger

So Im using the ExamCram 5th edition and sometimes professor messer videos. The problem is Im big on note taking so reading the ExamCram is taking me far longer than expected. I tried to move over to index cards to force myself to take less notes but I ended up with 12 index cards for 10 pages of reading....
SO how do you guys take notes. Do u take notes at all? I really wanna get my cert before the end of the year but I fear at the rate im going its going to take longer.

Akaricloud

There's nothing wrong with taking notes. Most of the time the note taking process forces you to understand the concept, put it into your own words and then write it down. This works very well for most people even if they never look at the notes again.

Personally I used to take lots of notes, eventually started taking non-readable notes(I'd actualy just write over and over on the same piece of paper until it was filled with ink), and then quit taking notes all together. It's really the thought process behind note taking that makes it useful. Once you have that down you might find that the actual notes themselves don't mean much.

SamLea27

I would take all your notes just jot them down on one piece of paper line after line. As you are studying them, those which you really think you are having trouble with, transfer to index cards to make flash cards or something out of.

Psoasman

I still write out notes by hand. It helps cement the facts in my head. You could try downloading the exam objectives and taking notes based on those.

KenC

You can spend so much time taking notes that before you know it, the exams objectives have changed and a new version of the exam is out. I have studied non-IT subjects before and note taking is far more applicable.

I would advise you start with a comprehensive book (such as Mike Meyers all-in-one) that takes you from the beginning to end, and don't take any notes. I don't think the ExamCram series would be the best for this (possibly the ExamPrep series). At the same time, get as much practical experience as you can. Taking practice exams should highlight the areas you are weak on, at which point refer back to the relevant section in the book and make sure you fully understand it.

The only exception to note taking would be to reference page numbers with tables of various standards that you will need to know for the exams.

Focus more on the practical side of being a computer technician and not just studying for an exam. If you have that down, the questions are so much easier to answer (you'll just "know" the correct answer).