Beginning my future as a CCNA

Hello all I have been around these forums for a couple of day's now and have been really getting a lot of information about CCNA, CCNA Sec, CCNP, CCIE and so on. I have been to CCIE Training- CCIE R&S,CCIE Voice,CCIE Wireless,CCIE Security | IPexpert Inc. talking with really amazing cool representatives that gave me some pointers on the IT field. I am still thinking about learning from that site (ipexpert) rather than going to college and getting into unnecessary debt, and just learn faster and learn more from Ipexpert. I have also been confused on what certification I really want or need first. Also I am only a senior in high school graduating next spring and heading my way into my career, but I would like to get a jump start on my basics to help me out in the future. So should I go with the Ipexperts? Or should I go into college. Where to start off, where to really go! Need some expert feedback.

My name is Brandon by the way. I hope I am not being to "over the edge" on this!

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NOC-Ninja

You should party and hook up with girls.

AU5

Go to college and get a degree (Information Systems or something similar). Attack it with the same enthusiasm that you have for your certs and get it over with.

I am 23 and I still have about 3 years of school to finish coupled with a full time job. I am just getting starting on my Cert path with A+ this Thursday. I really wish I would have had a vision coming out of High School like you do and finished school in 4 years.

But yeah, go to college, work on your certs, and gain as much work experience as you can whether it is part time or Summer internships. When you get your degree, you will be glad you did.

VAHokie56

NOC-Ninja wrote: »

You should party and hook up with girls.

Take this advice first and foremost. Go to college and start working towards a degree in IT, also see if you can get an internship for the schools IT department so you can get a feel for what area of IT you will want to specialize in.

Heny '06

Go to school, and get the degree. Its better in the long run. I see your name is VaHokia, Va Tech is a great school and has a strong Alumni base in the DMV area. So if you get a degree from there you will start ahead of the game.

Lets Go ODU '06!!!

VAHokie56

Heny '06 wrote: »

Go to school, and get the degree. Its better in the long run. I see your name is VaHokia, Va Tech is a great school and has a strong Alumni base in the DMV area. So if you get a degree from there you will start ahead of the game.

Lets Go ODU '06!!!

Yeap go VT HOKIES! I am a 04 Alumni myself

phillipz

hmmmmmm so go to college as a CCNA, then get that degree. Then just go out and get my cert for what path I wanna go?

Just a thought about my first post since im only 17 and I don't want debt coming to this afterwords and dealing with this country's terrible gov...

bigmantenor

I would also suggest college for you, but with some stipulations:

1. Check out your local community college and see what they offer. You may be able to go there with very cheap tuition for a few years, knocking out basics. A lot of CCs also have programs that allow you transfer into a larger university down the line, with little or no hassle. This will help keep your cost down.

2. No private colleges. Unless their degree program for IT/CS (or whatever you decide to do) is *fantastic*, don't go that route. Private colleges are overpriced, and most employers do not care where you got a Bachelor's, just that you have one (some exceptions, i.e. business majors, some lawyers/doctors, etc.).

3. Work on certs while you are in school. Having a CCNA by the time you graduate would put you ahead of most; having more than that would put you ahead of almost all.

4. Whatever you do, take the time to ENJOY IT. Probably more than half my reasoning on why you should go to college has nothing to do with IT. Instead, it has to do with getting out of your comfort zone, meeting people, learning how to carry yourself/speak to strangers, and having a great time. I've met friends in college that I will have forever, and learned things that I would have never learned otherwise.

In the end, you will have to make your own decision. It's good that you are looking at student loan debt as a bad thing at your age; I had several friends from high school that have 30-100K in student loans (a couple of which majored in social work, which means there is an excellent chance those loans won't be completely paid off within the next 10 years...

). Good luck to you, whatever you choose!

phillipz

I am not sure if any of you live around the Atlanta, but I want to go to Southern Polytechnic State University. They offer Computer Networking (CCNA) which is what I am going for. As of right now I am not sure what I want to do. I would have to check out some community colleges around me to get done with my basics (Math, English, Science, etc.). I just wanna go straight into SPSU. Not sure what to do.

MAC_Addy

I definitely agree with most on this topic.

I, too was like you. I didn't want to go to college. I just saw the big picture and wanted it. IT is so finiky that you have to go with the desired route.

I forced myself to go to college and I do not regret a minute of it! Probably one of the best things I've done for myself. I got a chance to get a great education, learned a hell of a lot, not only on the subjects in which I studied, but social skills too - I have some friends that will be with me for a lifetime. Some college classes may seem silly, like American Government or Speech, but trust me, it's all worth while.

1: Go to college, like others have said don't go to a private college.

2: Study on A+, NET+, and any other certification that you'd like.

3: Have fun, socialize, study hard, and be rewarded afterwards with a decent paying job when you're 25/26. That sounds like a long time as you are only 17... but when you talk to your friends from HS and they're still working at your local supermarket and you're making $15 an hour more than them, you'll definitely know it was worth your while to be in school.

jonrage

ultimately u'll need college. but i like idea of getting a few certs and some low level experience first. going to college will take time and will delay you from getting real world experience. if you get a couple of certs first then get an entry level job, you can go to college while you work and get more certs.

but u'll need do it all: experience, certs, degree. get certs while u work on ur degree, work in the IT department at ur college as a student/employee, intern at an ISP. u'll have to find some combination that works for u. college doesn't have to come first but i wouldn't put it off for too long. then when u graduate u can party like a rock star and the girls will wanna hook up with you.

Phliplip112

phillipz wrote: »

I am not sure if any of you live around the Atlanta, but I want to go to Southern Polytechnic State University.

I'm currently doing BASIT program at SPSU. I went to Gwinnett Tech and did their AAS with the Cisco specialization and then transferred to SPSU for 2 more years to get my BASIT.

Either way your going to want to go to college. Also there is the possibility of internships for experience.

phillipz

Well now I have my mind on SPSU (Southern Polytechnic State University) for my drgree. Also some of you are posting and saying that I should get my cert while in college. should get my basic cert first the ngo to college or get my cert in while I am in college. Seems to me getting my cert while in college maybe a little easier since I have no clue about CCNA (that's why I am reading everyday about it).

What steps do I need to take before or while in college?

mattlee09

phillipz wrote: »

Well now I have my mind on SPSU (Southern Polytechnic State University) for my drgree. Also some of you are posting and saying that I should get my cert while in college. should get my basic cert first the ngo to college or get my cert in while I am in college. Seems to me getting my cert while in college maybe a little easier since I have no clue about CCNA (that's why I am reading everyday about it).

What steps do I need to take before or while in college?

You will be starting your senior year of high school this upcoming fall, correct?

What is your current proficiency with PC hardware/software? With basic networking concepts and terminology?

Most start with the entry-level Comptia A+ and Network+ certifications to solidify their basic knowledge of systems and networks, but if you are already comfortable with both, you could very well skip those and begin with Cisco curriculum. We all learn differently, and it might be easier for you to do in college (it is certain that nothing is absolute from person to person). Make no mistake, however, it is difficult whether done in a traditional classroom environment or via self-study.

If you are going to a traditional 4 year college program for a BS, your first two years will likely not be very technical in nature, covering mostly liberal arts and sciences (assuming you won't already have completed those requirements upon graduating high school).

In short - I wish I would have used all the time at my disposal when I was your age toward studying what I am now. I'd encourage you to jump into either the Comptia or Cisco material as soon as possible depending on your current knowledge/comfortability. My biggest regret was dreaming about my future rather than taking action to make it a reality.

GeeLo

Hi! Welcome to to the site.

Some things to remember..

A lot of people here will tell you to go to college, that is personal choice. You are correct that college is very expensive. College will give you more choices in alternative paths in case your IT career does not pan out, if you can afford it.. go for that sole purpose in mind. If not, stay with the certification route.

Remember one thing, that getting certified and also going to college, one thing is certain.. is $$$money$$$. That's what drives the business in both.

The other thing to remember, that your real world experience is what drives your career forward. Certs help prove to some employers of your skill set. And certs also prepare you for what lies ahead in that particular field, but it's your experience.. years in what ever Information Technology field you start working in (Networking or whatever field), that proves who you are and what you can do for a future company / organization.

Another thing, in regards to certs, is do not fall for the "oh.. that a beginners certs" There is no such thing as a beginners cert. I could go on and on about someone for example, with a CompTIA A+ cert fixing issues that a MSCE administrator could not. Again, it is about years behind you.

Lastly, and going more on the above paragraph, your going to find out
as you go along, that there are people working out there that do not know "jack" about how to troubleshoot or fix anything. They are the ones that usually use there own manipulative ways to stay where they are. Some even have some mighty big certs also, and still do not know about troubleshooting or any type of process resolution.. Keep that in the back of your head.

And.. good luck to you.. I've been working in I.T. for around 20 years.. I started as a hardware / software tech, and now currently I am a administrator for about 100,000 servers, workstations, laptops, printers and other mobile devices and not including the LAN / WAN equipment.. on a large enterprise... and I still will never claim I know "everything"

Geelo

instant000

phillipz wrote: »

Hello all I have been around these forums for a couple of day's now and have been really getting a lot of information about CCNA, CCNA Sec, CCNP, CCIE and so on. I have been to CCIE Training- CCIE R&S,CCIE Voice,CCIE Wireless,CCIE Security | IPexpert Inc. talking with really amazing cool representatives that gave me some pointers on the IT field. I am still thinking about learning from that site (ipexpert) rather than going to college and getting into unnecessary debt, and just learn faster and learn more from Ipexpert. I have also been confused on what certification I really want or need first. Also I am only a senior in high school graduating next spring and heading my way into my career, but I would like to get a jump start on my basics to help me out in the future. So should I go with the Ipexperts? Or should I go into college. Where to start off, where to really go! Need some expert feedback.

My name is Brandon by the way. I hope I am not being to "over the edge" on this!

If you're truly motivated, go to college, and study the Cisco stuff as you go along. If you stay focused, you could be Professional level on Cisco and/or Juniper by the time you got out.

I heard somewhere that people could get CCNP in high school programs, so no reason a college-taught student could not get it.

The reason I say that you should take it self-paced is that it can save you money, and personally, I feel more confident about things I learned on my own, than things that were instructed to me in a classroom.

I also agree with others who say not to go into horrendous debt, to go into college, and really appreciate that you have the forethought to consider that, before even beginning.

Also, consider going to WGU (I'll probably be plugging that school until something better comes along).

Hope this helps!

phillipz

mattlee09 wrote: »

You will be starting your senior year of high school this upcoming fall, correct?

What is your current proficiency with PC hardware/software? With basic networking concepts and terminology?

Yes I will be a senior in high school this fall.

As of right right now, I know the components of a computer and building them. Also a little gaming software, with graphics and the core components troubleshooting needs. I also built a server comp for a friend of mine that wasn't to hard.

Not much on network, a little router set-up and how that comes together basically (the basics for home internet).

GeeLo wrote: »

Hi! Welcome to to the site.

Some things to remember..

A lot of people here will tell you to go to college, that is personal choice. You are correct that college is very expensive. College will give you more choices in alternative paths in case your IT career does not pan out, if you can afford it.. go for that sole purpose in mind. If not, stay with the certification route.

Remember one thing, that getting certified and also going to college, one thing is certain.. is $$$money$$$. That's what drives the business in both.

The other thing to remember, that your real world experience is what drives your career forward. Certs help prove to some employers of your skill set. And certs also prepare you for what lies ahead in that particular field, but it's your experience.. years in what ever Information Technology field you start working in (Networking or whatever field), that proves who you are and what you can do for a future company / organization.

Another thing, in regards to certs, is do not fall for the "oh.. that a beginners certs" There is no such thing as a beginners cert. I could go on and on about someone for example, with a CompTIA A+ cert fixing issues that a MSCE administrator could not. Again, it is about years behind you.

Lastly, and going more on the above paragraph, your going to find out
as you go along, that there are people working out there that do not know "jack" about how to troubleshoot or fix anything. They are the ones that usually use there own manipulative ways to stay where they are. Some even have some mighty big certs also, and still do not know about troubleshooting or any type of process resolution.. Keep that in the back of your head.

And.. good luck to you.. I've been working in I.T. for around 20 years.. I started as a hardware / software tech, and now currently I am a administrator for about 100,000 servers, workstations, laptops, printers and other mobile devices and not including the LAN / WAN equipment.. on a large enterprise... and I still will never claim I know "everything"

Geelo

Right, well coming from a family that didn't graduate high school (I will be the only one mom/dad/sis didn't make it even aunts and uncles) and my parents DO NOT work. Parents income is about $20,000 a year, half of it goes to their smoking habits and drinking problems. Any who money is a tight thing for me since I just built a $3,000 computer loaning from the bank. That's almost paid off, I do have a job however I will need a lot more money than anything in my situation. So should I just get my cert first? Or should I go straight into college while getting my cert, or get my cert after college?

I mean I wanna go to college regardless, I mean in the end I'm gonna be in some serious debt, but everything will workout in the long run from my stand point. Just gotta take the right steps. From hearing to most of you guys in this thread, most of you jumped around a lot. To be honest I am a freak about being "perfect" so I don't wanna mess up. Also I don't have many friends in school, I mean I grew up in Flowery Branch, Ga all my life and im just really quite. I've also been single my whole life (never been on a date or had a gf) so looking forward to friends and women in college!

Well from looking for what I know about networking. Not a whole lot, mostly on computer hardware and a little software action. I am a true "beginner" at networking and the company cisco. Just need to know what I should learn first to help me guide my way down the long long road that's ahead of me. Any books I can get at the library or anything online you guys can throw at me? That would help a ton!

Yes I am an open minded 17 year old kid (don't hear or see that often lol). I wanna do something with my life and not end up like the rest of my family. I am motivated and ready for the troubled world that's ahead of us (countries debt crap).

Thanks again women and gentlemen for some really good info!

phillipz

instant000 wrote: »

If you're truly motivated, go to college, and study the Cisco stuff as you go along. If you stay focused, you could be Professional level on Cisco and/or Juniper by the time you got out.

I heard somewhere that people could get CCNP in high school programs, so no reason a college-taught student could not get it.

Also, consider going to WGU (I'll probably be plugging that school until something better comes along).

Hope this helps!

I am truly motivated! Excited for the most part!

I will jump on the CCNP in my high school programs (if they offer anything network related).

I have herd of WGU, should I do that first and then maybe get a cert or hit college then get a cert or get a cert while in college? lol <confusing (sorry)

mattlee09

Right on man, it's refreshing to see your excitement.

Since your entering your senior year, you've got plenty of time ahead of you prior to starting college. Totally check the library out for computer/networking books (Comptia A+/Network+ as mentioned above), but definitely can start by checking out the respective forums here and their sticky links for tons of free online resources. Stuff like professormesser.com is equivalent to ~$1,000+ training courses for free. Start working through that stuff and you might be ready to hit the Cisco stuff quick (by the end of your senior year maybe). Only when you start studying for something do you realize how much you didn't actually know about lol. That'll also help you out if you decide to look for entry-level computer repair/Helpdesk jobs in the immediate future. If you start now and study hard, you could get into an entry-level tech job that pays decent and, more importantly, will get you priceless experience and training.

You may be able to start checking your eligibility for grants/funds to pay for college based on your parents income, your current grades, etc. Might not be able to actually apply and qualify until closer to beginning college, but definitely wouldn't hurt to get a plan together for that (there are tons of forms and required information).

The search button drop down at the top of this page can help find more information/resources about any topic (most have been covered several times by people more knowledgable than myself) and Google will also become your best friend.

Phliplip112

If your worried about money then you need to be looking at FAFSA. Since you live in GA look at the HOPE scholarship/grant and keep your GPA up above a 3.0.

[QUOTE=
phillipz]I have herd of WGU, should I do that first and then maybe get a cert or hit college then get a cert or get a cert while in college? lol <confusing (sorry)[/QUOTE]

Some schools have classes that train your for certs as part of the curriculum like this (which is the degree i have). As you complete classes you can sit for certs by the end of this you should have A+ Net+ and a Cisco, Microsoft, or Linux cert depending on the concentration you pick. Then you can walk straight into the SPSU program.

I can't comment on WGU I don't know much about it. Its probably more expensive, but some people on this site swear by it.

Pro Tip: Look into taking the SAT or something because HOPE will no longer cover remedial classes which a college may place you in if you have to take their placement test because you didn't meet their SAT requirement.

Ryan82

Have you considered the military? You could do 4 years in the Air Force for instance as a 25N which would give you hands on experience with routers and other network gear, the GI Bill to pay for your degree, and a security clearance. Plus you can get stationed overseas and hook up with foreign women! It's a pretty good deal. I am almost finished with my degree and have never had to pay a dime for tuition, only books. I believe now they will even help with the cost of books but I will have to check that to be sure.

I almost felt like a recruiter while typing this

but seriously its a great way to start your career and you really should consider it.

DigitalZeroOne

My advice is to stay home, get a job, and attend a community college. There are some community colleges that offer 4-year degrees now, so I would check into that. I would try my best to pay for school outright, no loans. I know it's easy to say, but I would avoid buying an expensive car, spend a couple thousand on something decent.

I would resist the urge to move out, just be patient, work, pay for school, save money when you can, and then go from there.

I don't necessarily believe in the "college for everyone" that you hear people tout, the problem is that now your competition has a degree, so you need to do all you can to stack the deck in your favor. While attending school you could study for certs as they relate to the classes that you are already taking.

Pishof

College is going to help you tremendously for multiple reasons. You're very fortunate to still be in High School and mature to realize you need to work hard for success. I attend WGU now and love it but that's only because I work full-time and can't attend a state school full-time.

My advice, study and do the best you can in HS even if it's boring stuff. Do extracurricular stuff if available like leadership classes or anything to look good. Your goal is to look awsome and have something to put on applications for a scholarship!

My GF's family was poor and she gets a full ride PLUS freaking gets PAID to go to college by leftover money from scholarships and state money. She couldn't afford not to go to college because the free extra money in her pocket was more than she made at her part-time job each semester.

So 1. Study 2. Scholarship 3. Free College 4. ??? 5. Profit!

Trust me, you will not regret going to a traditional 4 yr college if you don't have to owe loans to do it. You'll meet friends, girls, and tons of networking. You'll have friends from college who got awesome jobs and will hook you up.

An alternative if you can't attend a 4yr immediately is get an associates from a community college that you know will transfer to a state school. Knock out your generals then transfer for a B.S program and reap the benefits of a four-year college while saving some cash.

Certifications are nice but most will expire before you finish school so focus on studying and learning before you actually spend your precious money on certification test fees. In college you may even have them funded by tuition or get very cheap vouchers.

Also: When attending a 4-yr join any University student information technology job you can find. Indiana University had a school tech team that hired students and all my friends where in where they gained a ton of experience and resume fluff about managing a team of technology staff and in a large campus/enterprise environment.

phillipz

One of the things that A LOT of people are doing in my area at school is:

They go to a community college for 2 years then transfer out to a State level college. Should I do that or stay the 4 years?

Also, thanks you guys for a lot of this support, it is very hard for me to get this kind of support about a lot of my questions I have. I am also going to check up with my school counselor and see what they can do for me as well.

In Georgia we do have a hope scholarship program, but it only covers 90% IF you have over a 3.0. Right now I have a 2.9 or a 3.0 not sure though. So I am very confident that I will end with a 3.1 or so.

Coming to my senior year, I have NOT taken the SAT or the ACT yet. To get into SPSU I need to make at least a 1200 on the SAT. Not sure about the ACT cause I haven't any info about that so maybe they don't take ACT's. So I'm kinda scared about the SAT. I am not a genius, but I do have some common sense and I know my rights to my lefts.

N2IT

I would head to a community college and get my aa in a it related field. Then reevaluate. If you had enough bang out the ccna. Some networking cc colleges offer the ccna training while you go through the degree

bigmantenor

phillipz wrote: »

One of the things that A LOT of people are doing in my area at school is:

They go to a community college for 2 years then transfer out to a State level college. Should I do that or stay the 4 years?

Also, thanks you guys for a lot of this support, it is very hard for me to get this kind of support about a lot of my questions I have. I am also going to check up with my school counselor and see what they can do for me as well.

In Georgia we do have a hope scholarship program, but it only covers 90% IF you have over a 3.0. Right now I have a 2.9 or a 3.0 not sure though. So I am very confident that I will end with a 3.1 or so.

Coming to my senior year, I have NOT taken the SAT or the ACT yet. To get into SPSU I need to make at least a 1200 on the SAT. Not sure about the ACT cause I haven't any info about that so maybe they don't take ACT's. So I'm kinda scared about the SAT. I am not a genius, but I do have some common sense and I know my rights to my lefts.

You can't stay at community for 4 years; the idea of community college is that all of your typical freshman/sophomore level classes are offered. In order to get a Bachelor's, you will have to transfer to a 4-year university. Keep the grades up and try for that scholarship. You should pick up some books and knock out either the SAT or ACT at some point. Some people in high school found the ACT to be a better test for them, while other preferred the SAT; I would do my research and see which test looks better to you.

zerglings

phillipz wrote: »

One of the things that A LOT of people are doing in my area at school is:

They go to a community college for 2 years then transfer out to a State level college. Should I do that or stay the 4 years?

Go for the AS degree if you can. When you have the extra money for the BS degree then go for it.

instant000

People get on this topic of certifications expiring by the time you finish school, but until Cisco changes their recertification policy, you can easily recertify, by taking another test at the same level, or something at the higher level, which you should be doing, anyway, to stay current and continue to press forward.

Keep that in mind.

We wish you success, and remember that techexams.net exists to help people just like you!

bigmantenor

instant000 wrote: »

People get on this topic of certifications expiring by the time you finish school, but until Cisco changes their recertification policy, you can easily recertify, by taking another test at the same level, or something at the higher level, which you should be doing, anyway, to stay current and continue to press forward.

Keep that in mind.

We wish you success, and remember that techexams.net exists to help people just like you!

Very good information. Degree + CCNA + Skills will most likely equal a job by the time you graduate.

phillipz

School stars on the 8th which is next Monday. I am going to look into some programs that they can help me out with or something outside of school like a internship or something. As of right now I have been looking over a lot of material so far (thanks everyone

). Right now I am having a super hard time finding a job. Any suggestions?

ehnde

N2IT wrote: »

I would head to a community college and get my aa in a it related field. Then reevaluate. If you had enough bang out the ccna. Some networking cc colleges offer the ccna training while you go through the degree

I agree, this is way cheaper. Even better if you find a community college that integrates the CCNA. Not only cheaper, but more relevant to you than a traditional 4 year degree. More and more state school systems are offering a direct transition from associates to bachelors (university accepts your associate's degree transferring all of your credits over and starting you as a junior).