Looking for a little guidance

Scamceno

22, currently goign to a local community college in CA hoping to get a AA, and probably transfer the credit to another school.This was my plan 2 years ago so needless to say I feel like i've wasted a lot of my time(becoming more serious and dedicated now though). My school has gone through a lot of budget cuts so its not many choices for any sort of IT classes. They have CISCO courses, and some programming classes, maybe a couple more I don't know off hand.

I originally wanted to be a programmer, but honestly its not something Im in love with. I love computers im on one all the time. I looked into networking and it legitamitely interests me. I've just begin reading Odoms book on the CCNET/CCNA. Now for my main questions. I currently work full time, we are approaching summer I don't knwo if I'll attend at my school due to some mixups with my financial aid(its only a 2 month gap tho).

I was thinking should I study and try to get my CCENT(or maybe even the CCNA) in that timeframe? Would it benefit me just starting out?(i've no experiance in the IT field professionally, just stuff i've done at home). Would I be able to get an entry level job with this cert(or would another cert be recommended to begin with?).

I work as a forklift driver now but honestly i'd rather be getting some IT experiance right about now. Im somewhere in between 1 and 2 years of getting my degree credits(depends on how many class I can manage at this crowded shcool) and then I can transfer. I really hate school lol, but its the necessary evil, so no matter what i'm going for my degree(still not 100% sure which though to be honest). Such a vast field, just hoping someone with some knowledge can drop a few bombs on me and take some of this weight off of my mind. Any and all help is much appreciated, thanks.

Tackle

Welcome to the forum!

It really sounds like you have a good plan. Take the Cisco classes offered if you think you like networking more than programming. I would wait on taking the exams until after you have a few of the classes under your belt. The more knowledge you have the less likely it is that you'll fail and have to pay to take the exam again. That is unless you can dedicate a good amount of time to studying, there will be quite a bit to learn in 2 months, especially if you don't have any experience with Cisco.

Scamceno

Thanks!

I considered that and wanted to do it but theres a small hitch, there are 4 courses. They are also only available for main terms, so that means it would take me 2 years for those courses alone due to the school system. I don't think im patient enough to go through with that. Maybe whatever school I try to transfer too would have courses to continue with, but either way i'd rather get certified this year at least. Im really eager to get things going, but I won't lie im not the best student. Im an average - good student at best right this second, but im trying hard to change that.

Hmmm there are 20 chaps in that book so maybe i'll take more time to study it(as well as all the other info offered on these forums). So since my school plan seems alright, is getting the CCNA alright for a first cert focus?

Tackle

Yes - CCNA is a great starting cert if you plan on going with the networking route.

Also, since you say you're not the best learner, why not get your AA and wait to persue the bachelor's degree? It might be easier for you to jump into the field and get started working rather than spending a couple extra years in school? Many a good IT Professionals out there that do not have more than an Associates, myself included.

matt333

Dont limit yourself, get a bachelors. yeah student loans suck and its expensive but it'll pay off when you want to to move up to senior level positions

Scamceno

I plan to get a BA in the future lol sorry my bad I thought I posted that. Hmm ok thanks for the tips people, I just wanted to know if the little plan I had was solid.

Oh and its not that im not the best "learner", I just suck as a "student" lol. I've had a hard time working and going to school(missed a few days, which means assignments, which means loads of point knocked off).

Or a test or 2 I forgot to study for, basically I am kinda unorganized and forgetful sometimes. I'm working on that though, just a bunch of terrible habits I picked up in middle school. I really don't enjoy the process of school, though some classes can be fun. Well I can rest easier knowing my current plan makes a lot of sense, I just need to work at it know, thanks!

Krones

If you put together your own lab, I think you could skip the classes and take the certification test sooner. If you still need 3 semesters worth of classes to graduate with Associate's Degree, I would try to double up on the classes and take the Cisco classes anyway. The classes won't guarantee that you will learn the material, but the format might motivate you to push yourself to learn the material. You can always buy the textbooks used and go over the material and use packet tracker. Either way, you are going to likely being doing a lot of self-study on your own even with the classes. It might be a pay cut for you, but maybe you can look into a student IT job for the school. That would be wonderful experience and usually the school will work around your schedule.

Scamceno

Krones wrote: »

If you put together your own lab, I think you could skip the classes and take the certification test sooner. If you still need 3 semesters worth of classes to graduate with Associate's Degree, I would try to double up on the classes and take the Cisco classes anyway. The classes won't guarantee that you will learn the material, but the format might motivate you to push yourself to learn the material. You can always buy the textbooks used and go over the material and use packet tracker. Either way, you are going to likely being doing a lot of self-study on your own even with the classes. It might be a pay cut for you, but maybe you can look into a student IT job for the school. That would be wonderful experience and usually the school will work around your schedule.

I had never considered getting an IT job with the school themselves, not a bad thought at all. I was considering making the load a little heavier so I can finish a ***** quicker. I'm not sure I can take the CISCO courses and still get all of my required courses done in the same time frame. It may not be a big deal either way since no matter what the credits will transfer over regardless. So I suppose thats something to think about.

Im ready for the self study part, at least Im ok right now after a ocuple of chapters in this book. So I can only hope the learning process isn't to extreme in the later chapters. Oh and I forgot to ask, about how much can I look to spend on a startup lab? i've been money tight lately but should be ok in a couple of months, if things go well.

Krones

I would say in the 300-400 dollar range after it is all said and done for a fairly modest lab that will at least let you practice the labs and content required to master the CCNA. I would definitely live in the Cisco forums before making the final decisions, research all the home lab threads, and stay away from buying a single kit unless it really is an absolute steal. I still have not built my own home lab so I myself need to heed my own advice. I do have packet tracer and also the network pearson simulator.

Scamceno

Krones wrote: »

I would say in the 300-400 dollar range after it is all said and done for a fairly modest lab that will at least let you practice the labs and content required to master the CCNA. I would definitely live in the Cisco forums before making the final decisions, research all the home lab threads, and stay away from buying a single kit unless it really is an absolute steal. I still have not built my own home lab so I myself need to heed my own advice. I do have packet tracer and also the network pearson simulator.

thanks for the tips

astrogeek

You're still pretty young, I wasted a lot more time driving big rigs and working on loading docks before getting laid off, so I was pretty much forced to re-focus on my dream of breaking into the IT industry. I'd highly recommend to stay in school and work on getting your AA/AS. Community college is a great resource that won't put you dangerously in debt, and if/when you go for a BA it'll make that a bit cheaper.

If you think you're interested in networking then the Cisco networking academy is a great option, if you can get signed up this fall I'd highly recommend doing just that. Have you looked into networking internships with your college? I'd highly recommend pressing the college staff about this as well. A lot of the IT teachers at community colleges also work day jobs and they might be able to open up an internship position if they see you're serious about it. At the best this could turn into your first paid IT job, at worst you'll get great experience that'll show other potential employers you're motivated.

As for taking the CCNA exams, my personal recommendation is to go the 2 test route simply because a fail won't cost you as much - and that might help lower the stress/nervs. A lot depends on how confident you are when getting ready for the test. Building up your own lab is also a great idea, but DON'T buy a pre-built lab - you'll spend way too much money on outdated or unnecessary equipment. For CCNA you really only need 3 switches, and then use GNS3 to emulate the routers. If you enroll in the Cisco academy they'll likely offer remote access to their routers and switches, plus you can use Cisco's Packet Tracer which is kind of a crappy simulator program - but for CCNA it does the job.

Scamceno

Man sorry to hear about your situation, working in warehouses I've always felt for the loaders in warehouse work. It really is borderline slave work, especially if your a temp and don't get benefits. Great you got the heck outta there though buddy!


Hmm I hadn't thought about asking the IT teachers about things like that, it could prove very beneficial. Thanks for the heads up. I'll look into the CISCO networking academy right now and see if I can do that instead of raw self study, sounds a bit easier. Hopefully its nothing to costly though.

I probably will go the 2 test route then because reading stories on these boards about the fails kinda makes you wanna take your time and do it right, rather then just rush it. The lab, I wouldn't buy a pre-built,I'm sure it'll cost more. Plus I'd rather put it together myself just for the experience. Its also what I plan to do with my next computer as apposed to buying another laptop. I have no idea if that pre-built lab is gonna be in the near future, I havn't even figured a place in my house to set it up.

I'll look into asking the college staff about internships and such, don't know why I didn't think about that myself. Thanks for the heads up. Should do me some good for the time being. I want to enroll in WGU, but honestly as I am know I can tell I'm not ready, hopefully in a year I am.

astrogeek

I was driving a truck most of the time, that part I loved, and the dock work I did do wasn't that bad after a couple of years, but I certainly know what you are talking about because I made many deliveries and pickups at places that would make you think you were in a 3rd world sweat shop. I miss the truck driving part though, it's hard to describe the sheer awesomeness of driving a 40 ton vehicle with double trailers down the road. There was one particular spot on a highway I drove through quite often that felt like a roller coaster. You'd start with a slow drive up a hill, then crest over the top and the next few miles were nothing but downhill turns and sheer drop offs on the side, oh I miss that road! lol

Sorry, I'm rambling....there was much that wasn't so good, but the driving aspect was a ton of fun!

For the internship your school might offer it for credit as mine did, however when I inquired about it nobody had actually previously tried to sign up for the networking internship so after a number of phone calls and annoying school staff they finally hooked me up with a teacher that just happened to be the CIO of a major corporation that had recently completely overhauled their network. Most of the teachers I've had for IT courses worked day jobs too so I think it was just a matter of the school finding someone willing to open up an internship position at their day job.

Be persistent, it took a few months for things to work out in my situation, and I was already prepared to look elsewhere for an internship if the school couldn't provide. You can find internships on job searching websites as well, some are even paid which definitely helps!

What you described at your school sounds like the typical Cisco networking academy, I think it's pretty much the same everywhere - 4 classes that take about a year to complete, with most of the coursework provided online directly from Cisco. Use this search to find local Cisco networking academy courses in case your school doesn't offer it or is too expensive: Cisco Networking Academy - Locate Academy and Class/es

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, just remember that the older you get the harder it becomes to go back to school and get a degree. I became complacent while working blue collar work and now I'm 30 and don't even have an Associates degree. The irony is that the very same teacher that taught my CCNA academy class in college had also taught this very same class at my highschool many years earlier. I guess that's why I feel like that time was such a waste because I'm always wondering where I would be today had I taken the CCNA academy class while I was just 17 in highschool.

Mstavridis

Yeah make sure you go he two test route. I don't want to discourage you, but not alot of people pass both tests on their first try if they have never taken a cisco cert exam.

It's hard I failed the ICDN1 and ICDN2 each once.

Scamceno

Yea it might take some doing to get an internship at my school, lol. Students couldn't help me really, so I think i'll go to the professors specifically when I have the time. I'll be looking online mostly, maybe even a couple of these local computer shops and tech stores, one may wanna throw a dog a bone. I plan to be done with school after my 4 years, I rly hate school. But if the degree can make my life easier in the future, i'll at the very least obtain that one way or another. That much is certain, I will claw and scratch to get it right about now. Im mostly concerned with the CCNA right now, reading this book, its a bit intimidating but i've nothing to lose.

Next thursday is when im going to begin hitting it hard, as thats my final exam in my CIS class. Sadly because of my terrible schedule i've crippled my grade down to a C, but if I do great on the final( I should, basic stuff), i can get a B. lol that'd be a little over 100/150 pts tho, so lets hope I don't work overtime the night before again(I swear my job does this on purpose).

And yes I will go the 2 test route,I would be beyond pissed off if I failed and wasted my money.