How Do You Guy's Study?

PD75

Do you read books over and over again while taking notes? Do you just lab until you cant lab anymore and not bother with a book? Or do you just watch videos like CBT Nuggets?

The reason I'm asking is because im starting out on the 70-640 (Active Directory) and the MS book is over 900 pages. I would like to learn AD as fast and best i can. I normally read a MS book and take notes then do some labbing but I seem to have less and less time these days to do that.
So basically any pointers would be great

Thanks

networker050184

PD75 wrote: »

I would like to learn AD as fast and best i can.

These two usually don't go hand in hand.

I use a mixture of the three you mentioned. Read, videos and lab. Not worth cutting corners just to save some time IMO.

ptilsen

I typically have done labs + reading + practice exams, occasionally with flash cards for trivia memorization. However, as I'm getting more focused on school and less (not at all) on certifications, I'm finding that taking notes is actually a big aid. I silently scoffed at the idea in the past, but I'm finding, inexplicably, the act of re-wording and actually writing content makes me learn and understand it better.

If you really, really want to learn AD specifically, at the very least you should plan to read that book cover to cover. Try notes on harder parts. Lab practical aspects, do practice exams, and consider videos if you learn better that way (I, for one, only get anything out of really great lecturers).

If you mostly just want to get some practicals figured out and pass the test, you should still do most of the above, but focus more on the MS-recommended areas. There's depth in AD way beyond what is covered in exam 640. At the end of the day, I truly believe that no amount of studying, even with extremely high intelligence, is going to match what experience will do for you. For all the studying of AD I've done, actually using it in production has been more valuable.

webgeek

+1 on taking notes, using multiple sources, and labs

Xyro

I read & take notes, then review my notes. I lab until I'm firm on all concepts & commands. I watch videos when I need a break from studying.

I understand your time dilemna. I have it myself & know how overwhelming it can seem when when you see a book that's 900 pgs. long... but it just has to be done.

There is no way you can learn something well if you speed through it. Consider mentally breaking up the book into 2 or 4 parts instead of looking at it as 1 humongous 900 pg. block of text. This usually helps.

ch1vas

I always study the same, for me it's the best way to study:

1. Watch CBT Nuggets vids to get a good overview of what it actually all is about
1a. Lab to practice what I remember and to keep me motivated
2. Read the Official exam guide
2a. Lab, this time more seriously
3. Read Todd Lammle book. I usually schedule my exams after half way through step 3
3a. Lab again to ensure I can replicate any topic I've read about
4. Final exam prep. Study my notes, other sources, dig deeper in to topics I don't quite understand by now
5. Take practice exams. I use Boson exams. If I hit 85%+ every time, I take the actual exam.

And don't forget to have fun. I love networking, although I'm quite new to networking. But if I can't stand the books and theory anymore, I just lab or play around with Wireshark and such. This keeps me motivated because I remember myself how cool the day will be when I finally can move from the systems team to the networking team.

gbdavidx

official cert guide is great, i'll probably pick one up for the 2nd half of ccna along with chris bryants lecture's for 40 dollars

My goal is to get CCNA by September

TheShadow

I do most of the things mentioned so far. I have been a speed reader for years so I will blaze through a book without the intent of necessarily understanding it. Then I am a firm believer in lab everything. Then I try to reverse engineer things and place them into three categories WHY; OK (but how come); WTF. At this point the real learning starts.

I then go back to the books or better still specifications or makers websites and flesh out the categories. I take my notes in Excel simply because I have used it before things like OneNote came along. Excel can be used to make great printable, searchable and sortable dictionaries with pictures and diagrams and clickable URL or file links. When 90 percent or better is in the OK category I generally have a very good understanding of a subject.

Kinet1c

1. Watch CBT/TrainSignal videos
2. Read official exam book/guide
3. Watch CBT/TrainSignal videos again
4. Practice Questions/Lab.

PD75

Thanks for the replies. Some good advice there

N2IT

Focusing on my MBA curriculum.

HushLives

Would love to learn how to speed read! My ADHD would probably thank me for. When I started studying I had no foundation, so that's what I worked on the hardest. So I read a lot, and I took a lot of notes. The way my mind works is if I can make a connection between a subject, then it helps the information stick more firmly. After I had felt like I had a decent foundation, I moved onto practice tests, where I just took and re-took tests. This helped strengthen my foundation, because I had to understand why the answers were like this, what the other answer choices were and why they were the wrong choice. Even with my basic understanding of what I was studying, I found that I had more working knowledge than most other entry-level employees at my company.

SteveO86

I look at the exam objectives,

Read about the objectives: From books, Online KB articles, other blogs/forums threads
Watch videos: to reinforce the knowledge
-Take notes as needed.
Lab the objectives

Tackle each objective one at a time this way you don't have to worry about being overwhelmed by the sheer amount you need to learn

Essendon

Active Directory is a black hole, there's much more to it than meets the eye. You've got to be good at PowerShell too to be considered very good at AD. Other posters have posted some great advice, I'll chime in with my method of preparing for the MS exams.

- Watch the CBT Nugget for the exam. Watch it twice if needed. This gives me a nice overview (more than an overview actually).
- Read the exam blueprint and read the corresponding topic on TechNet. TechNet it the most comprehensive resource out there for just about any MS exam. I may supplement with the Mastering Windows Server book and the Windows Server Unleashed books as needed. Usually the TechNet topics also help you build a lab. I just go with the flow and modify my lab according to the needs of the exam and the limitations of me home lab.
- I keep labbing and reading TechNet till the material sticks in the brain. I make notes as I go, I write them down - takes longer but it really drills it in.
- A week or two out I go through the notes again and lab up my weaker areas.

Like SteveO86 mentioned, take it one topic at a time so you dont get overwhelmed by the volume of the material. You want to be good at Active Directory for the test, but more importantly for your job. No point in having the cert if you cant troubleshoot group policy issues at work, for example.

Claymoore

I read (books and/or Technet) and rely on work experience. I don't lab or use practice exams.

halaakajan

Claymoore wrote: »

I read (books and/or Technet) and rely on work experience. I don't lab or use practice exams.

Wow! Nice collection of certifications you have sir. How many years of experience do you have?

Claymoore

halaakajan wrote: »

Wow! Nice collection of certifications you have sir. How many years of experience do you have?

Starting with summer jobs in college, 20 years now. I'm not saying that labs aren't necessary for everyone, I have just never relied on them.

Corrsta

I usually go through a video training program like Professor Messer or CBT Nuggets and take notes through the lectures. While I may not go back and study the notes later on, the simple act of putting pen to paper helps to build an understanding. I also read through study guides like Exam Cram and transcribe my handwritten notes to Word in order to create a study guide PDF that I can share with others.

Edit: I've only been preparing for CompTIA certifications... I understand that doing labs is VERY important if you want to pursue certifications through Cisco, EC-Council, etc...

dave330i

Read a lot of pdfs, any books available, take bunch of notes, and ask bunch of questions. Can't lab the stuff I'm studying for.

MrAgent

I usually buy the official books and I read a lot of technet for MS tests. I also do a ton of labbing based on the exam blueprint. I am pretty good at memorizing things, so I am able to retain pretty well.

ally_uk

I don't study I get home from work and play video games and do a bit of bedtime reading I need to get the spark back and get motivated I have a huge interest in Linux and stuff but become easily demotivated and distracted.

Someone needs to give me a kick up the **pants** or inspire me to put the controller down haha

About7Narwhal

Essendon wrote: »

- I keep labbing and reading TechNet till the material sticks in the brain. I make notes as I go, I write them down - takes longer but it really drills it in.

I hate to say it, but this has been my biggest help recently. Read (or listen to lectures), write my notes, then review my notes while I type them up. Beyond that, I try to lab as much as possible. It may not be needed for some people because they work with the topic all day as it is. Because I am trying to move into the field I am reviewing, labbing is essential to understand the applications, commands, process, etc.

Above that, I try to know my limit and give myself a little bit of time off. I may stalk YouTube for a bit while waiting for software to install on my VMs or just take a few minutes to read an article so I don't start drooling all over myself while giving the million mile stare.

ally_uk

How you guys take the initial study plunge and get motivated what I mean by this after a day in the office hitting the books is the last thing I want to do when I get home any inspirational tips or methods you use i.e do a hours study then chill as a reward.

dave330i

ally_uk wrote: »

How you guys take the initial study plunge and get motivated what I mean by this after a day in the office hitting the books is the last thing I want to do when I get home any inspirational tips or methods you use i.e do a hours study then chill as a reward.

Better to take an hour break after work before you study. As for motivation, money's a good motivator. Getting a certain cert /= more money, but the knowledge you gain + the cert will help you get there.

PD75

ally_uk wrote: »

How you guys take the initial study plunge and get motivated what I mean by this after a day in the office hitting the books is the last thing I want to do when I get home any inspirational tips or methods you use i.e do a hours study then chill as a reward.

Look up Eric Thomas on YouTube and get motivated. Especially his video "Eric Thomas- The Truth"

tbgree00

My typical method is to watch the CBT Nugget on half my laptop screen and have OneNote up on the other. I pause and write down all the white boards and then I fill in the gaps. I watch 2-3 nuggets at a time taking notes. After that I cross reference the sections I have watched with Technet or a book if I bought one.

Since I can't usually get a couple hours of dedicated study time I have VMware Workstation on my work desktop and spin up a couple of VMs in a host only vSwitch to do labbing of the concepts I learned. Host only is important if you're messing with DHCP, etc.

I just bought a Galaxy Note 10 so I am currently planning to change my style to handwriting my notes and then copying them into OneNote. Since it does split screen I can do it on the device itself if I want to.I think hand writing makes it stick more and heaven forbid I use pen and paper!

theanimal

I know I'm bumping this thread but I'm curious on how many of you guys actually take notes when studying for certs?

Also - does it change depending on difficulty of the cert? Sec+ vs CISSP?

chrisone

1. Read Official cert guides (Cisco Press)
2. CBT Nuggets videos
3. Youtube (amazing free examples online!)
4. Labs
5. Practice questions (End of Ch questions, cisco press provided quiz exam simulations, Boson simulations)
6. Online Forums (cisco and networking forums)

Usually takes me 3 months per exam when I am dedicated and focused. If i procrastinate and take my time or have distractions it takes me 4-6 months.

No notes as I usually study with PDFs.

dave330i

theanimal wrote: »

I know I'm bumping this thread but I'm curious on how many of you guys actually take notes when studying for certs?

Also - does it change depending on difficulty of the cert? Sec+ vs CISSP?

Taking notes (hand written) is a very important part of studying. The motor skill involved helps you remember.

About7Narwhal

Agree with dave330i. I hate writing notes, but I will go out and buy a notebook for every certification I start. I will hand write my notes on the first pass through the video/chapter. I will then go through and type what I wrote during my notes review sessions. After that, I will watch the video/read the chapter again and lab it or just watch/read to ensure I didn't miss anything important while I was taking notes.

It is a long and slow process, but I remember a lot that way... he said having just missed the 70-680 yet again..

jamthat

Something weird that works for me when I read is to pop on my good headphones and listen to some heavy/progressive music that I normally wouldn't listen to outside of the gym..stuff like BTBAM, Periphery, Animals as Leaders, etc. For some reason - it seems like the louder it is, the more I focus/the more I recall.