How do you Retain technical knowledge while going to school?

How do you guy's retain your technical skills when going to school? I am doing contract jobs in IT and am experimenting with lots of computer hardware and have learned so much, yet my tech skills are getting kind of tucked away in my brain even when I go to school. I go to school mostly during the year and during the summer I am going to do IT contract jobs. At least that's my plan.

I only have the A+ and seem to be remembering around 50%-60% of the material that I had studied. How do you retain technical knowledge while going to school?

I would love to get more certs and after getting my AAS in IT, I would like to get my Bachelors in IT. I just want to make sure I can retain all that knowledge that I have so I can impress employers once I have gotten enough months in IT as a contractor working with computer hardware, in order to move up to troubleshooting the software and hardware. I am very enthusiastic about IT.

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Comments

gosh1976

I took the A+ over 10 years ago now and I couldn't begin to tell you how much stuff I've forgotten over the years some of it is completely irrelevant now and some of it is still very relevant. What's more important than remembering the nit picky particulars that one learns in school and while studying for cert exams like the A+ is having a thorough understanding of the fundamentals and developing an excellent ability to look in the right places for answers and to have a great problem solving a troubleshooting skill set. You just aren't going to retain everything you learn and it is important that throughout a career one continues to learn. Learning the GoogleFU is more important than a photographic memory!

Doing different labs to refresh your memory is a good idea. If you learn some coding in a class play with it once and a while to keep the fundamentals fresh in your mind. If you take a networking class or study for the Net+ and learn to subnet then do some practice once and a while so it stays fresh and will be there if you decide to do CCNA and go that direction. Read the various forums, tech blogs, white papers, and various tech sites. you will learn new stuff and get reminders to refresh on things you already know. So, continue to learn, practice, lab, read, apply any chance you get and don't get hung up that you forget some details that are easily looked up.

Plantwiz

Armymanis wrote: »

How do you guy's retain your technical skills when going to school? ....

1. Keep working!
2. READ

I do not see a reason why one cannot work while being in school. So, stay working in your field (in some capacity) and go to school. I did it, many others have as well, so keep your job or if your school is in a different geographical location than work, find a transfer (if possible) or a new job, or start as a personal consultant and do this while at school.

gosh1976

I understand wanting to attend full time and get done quicker. However, I go to school part time and work full time. I attend class during the summer so I'm not that far off from taking the same credit hours as a traditional student. Otherwise, have you thought about looking for part time work in a computer store/repair shop or perhaps at the university or college helpdesk. Many smaller companies look for part time IT help.

Armymanis

gosh1976 wrote: »

I understand wanting to attend full time and get done quicker. However, I go to school part time and work full time. I attend class during the summer so I'm not that far off from taking the same credit hours as a traditional student. Otherwise, have you thought about looking for part time work in a computer store/repair shop or perhaps at the university or college helpdesk. Many smaller companies look for part time IT help.

I have thought about that, but in turn I just need to get stuff done in school and work IT contract jobs during the summertime. That way I do not have to worry about school and can just do certs and learn on my own time.

Plantwiz

Armymanis wrote: »

I have thought about that, but in turn I just need to get stuff done in school and work IT contract jobs during the summertime. That way I do not have to worry about school and can just do certs and learn on my own time.

Why are you unable to go to school full time and work full time?

I carried 18-23 credits (depending on the term and classes offered) and worked 40+ hours a week. I am not the only person around who has done this, so why are you unable to work while in school?

Armymanis

Can someone delete this thread? I got the info I needed

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

I can tell you now, most employers are not going to care about your GPA. By all means I'm not telling you to get bad grades, but what it boils down to is that work experience is a lot more important then a high GPA. Besides, I wouldn't place all my eggs in one basket and hope that I'd get a contract job during the summer. The job market is tough right now. I'm part of the majority here that says you should try to get work experience now before you graduate. I too went to school while working full time. I got a 3.0 when I finished my BS (and a 2.8 when finished with my AS). I was never once asked about my GPA during any interview.

That's my input. Good luck either way.

Plantwiz

Armymanis wrote: »

Can someone delete this thread? I got the info I needed

No.

Your question and the member's answers will most likely assist another person in a similar situation. So, your thread will benefit other members as they search the forum for answers to their questions.

It is nice to hear you have what you need! Good luck!

Armymanis

Plantwiz wrote: »

No.

Your question and the member's answers will most likely assist another person in a similar situation. So, your thread will benefit other members as they search the forum for answers to their questions.

It is nice to hear you have what you need! Good luck!

Ok I was just mad that other members were more concerned about my choices of just going to school rather then helping me decide how to retain technical knowledge. Can we please get back to the topic and hear your idea's members!

I am sure others would like your opinions on how to retain technical knowledge during school.

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

I believe the advice that everyone is giving here about working while going to school WAS the suggestion on how to best retain technical knowledge while still in school.

Other then that you can stay up to date with current articles, white papers, and labbing at home. It's really the same if you want to retain knowledge about anything else.

Plantwiz

Alif_Sadida_Ekin wrote: »

I believe the advice that everyone is giving here about working while going to school WAS the suggestion on how to best retain technical knowledge while still in school.

Other then that you can stay up to date with current articles, white papers, and labbing at home. It's really the same if you want to retain knowledge about anything else.

Exactly!

That was my intent when I posted:

Plantwiz wrote:

1. Keep working!
2. READ

I was serious. To limit losing skill, one needs to 'use' the skill, hence working makes sense. The other critical part is to READ. Read everything you can get your hands on. I left it blank, because with all the technical reading, an occassional fiction is needed to keep the creativity fed.

So, if you posted your question in the forum for the members to provide you with suggestions of what we have done...we're answering this question (at least I did, and from what I have read, so have others).

If you do not wish to use our suggestions, completely your choice. Just don't be upset when members suggestions do not feed into the plan you want it to feed into. If you don't wish to work, that is your choice. However, you did ask how to keep yourself current, and it seems a few of us recommend that you continue to work. i am speaking from my own experience, working paid off. Choose your own path

Devilsbane

A professor of mine who I found to be brilliant always said, "I've forgotten more things than most people will ever know." He's been in IT for over 20 years now and I don't doubt that. It's only been a couple years for me and I have already watched things I know trickle away because I didn't use them in months.

One thing I've started doing is writing notes, saving internet favorites, ect. It's become a huge mess, but at least it is documented somewhere. I'm not afriad of forgetting things because I know that it can always be relearned if I need it. I have all of the books still and can go back at anytime if I need to pull something out. Learning is always hardest the first time.

Bl8ckr0uter

Plantwiz wrote: »

Why are you unable to go to school full time and work full time?

I carried 18-23 credits (depending on the term and classes offered) and worked 40+ hours a week. I am not the only person around who has done this, so why are you unable to work while in school?

Seriously? Did you go after any certs as well?

That's pretty impressive!

To the OP, just lab lab lab and study. I actually need to refresh some of my hardware knowledge so I just go to Tom's hardware from time to time and vendor websites to brush up.

Armymanis

Devilsbane wrote: »

A professor of mine who I found to be brilliant always said, "I've forgotten more things than most people will ever know." He's been in IT for over 20 years now and I don't doubt that. It's only been a couple years for me and I have already watched things I know trickle away because I didn't use them in months.

One thing I've started doing is writing notes, saving internet favorites, ect. It's become a huge mess, but at least it is documented somewhere. I'm not afriad of forgetting things because I know that it can always be relearned if I need it. I have all of the books still and can go back at anytime if I need to pull something out. Learning is always hardest the first time.

I think your suggestion is very good. I will begin copying write ups of everything I have learned from the web to my computer. Then I can review them when needed.

CodeBlox

Armymanis wrote: »

Ok I was just mad that other members were more concerned about my choices of just going to school rather then helping me decide how to retain technical knowledge. Can we please get back to the topic and hear your idea's members! I am sure others would like your opinions on how to retain technical knowledge during school.

Why can't you go to school and work???

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Hahaha only kidding! I would say use it or lose it. I am concerned that I have forgotten -not much but- some of the intricacies related to the CCNA. I started a new job about 2 months ago and never have to apply much more than knowing what an IP address is or what an ethernet cable looks like to this current job. It's a help desk gig but I never apply that material so I feel that it's slowly deteriorating... I will soon be going back over everything and refresh my memory.

Plantwiz

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Seriously? Did you go after any certs as well?

That's pretty impressive!

Thank you

There weren't 'certs' back then.

Only degrees in a handful of Computer-like disciplines.

IIRC Windows NT launched in 1993, and I don't 100% remember when the certification stuff all started, but I do know there was a certification for NT in the 90s, still, 1996-1999 seems to be when that took place and CompTIA started up with IT certs too. Pretty certain MS were indeed first and I do not recall CISCO having anything back then, some seminars and such...WOW how time flies!

Point being, if one wants something bad enough, they will DO all they can do all the can do.

To the OP, just lab lab lab and study. I actually need to refresh some of my hardware knowledge so I just go to Tom's hardware from time to time and vendor websites to brush up.

I agree with your lab practice. Even start a IT Club if there isn't one started, but not much beat work. Practice Lab Hardware is better than nothing.

kiki162

Armymanis wrote: »

How do you guy's retain your technical skills when going to school?

NEVER STOP learning...seriously

Anytime I have stopped going to school, been out of work, or whatever...I start crawling the walls and in need of something to do. So I make it a point to either be:

-In school FT
-In school PT and certs PT
-certs FT

some guy

Keep reference material handy (books, printouts, etc), do lab-type stuff (I like to practice CLI to keep fresh on it.), and never stop learning like others have said.

Heero

Remembering the really technical stuff like the exact configuration commands is not necessary. What is necessary, is to know what you can do with what technologies. This allows you be able to solve problems and come up with solutions. When you actually go to implement, you need to look back at the exact commands/configuration, but because you knew what the technology could and could not do, you have no problem implementing it after some review.