Nothing more boring than Project Management

I'm studying for the Project+ exam using the Sybex book and I have never read anything that is this horribly dry. I'm finding odd jobs around my house to keep me occupied just so I don't have to sit and read this. I really hope that actual project management is more interesting. I actually sat and watched paint dry yesterday instead of studying.

What's the best ways you guys have found of keeping focused and just powering through. Red Bull and coffee was my secret in college but that isn't cutting it this time.

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spiderjericho

The most boring cents I've studied for was Project+.

If I studied for CISSP and ITILv3 exams vice taking a class and guessing, they'd be just as bad.

Imagine if you were studying for PMP?

I studied for this at the tail end of last year. I actually bull dozed through it. But some it was a refresher from a technical writing class I took at UMUC.

My advice go slow. Read a chapter a day, maybe in the afternoon. Do practice tests if you have the Sybex book. Or you can try creating a scenario and applying the concepts.

swild

I have my test scheduled on Dec 8. So far it's been a chapter a day. The the end of chapter quizes are helping to cement the topics. The economic models are all the same to me, especially discounted cash flows vs NPV.

Security is my IT focus so I really like everything in the CISSP, just a ton of info to cover.

Forget about the PMP, this obviously isn't my path.

spiderjericho

swild wrote: »

I have my test scheduled on Dec 8. So far it's been a chapter a day. The the end of chapter quizes are helping to cement the topics. The economic models are all the same to me, especially discounted cash flows vs NPV.

Security is my IT focus so I really like everything in the CISSP, just a ton of info to cover.

Forget about the PMP, this obviously isn't my path.

I prefer networking engineering, new tech and some security. But CISSP was too much management/theory not enough IT security and mitigation like CEH, CompTIA Security+ and CASP, Cisco Security track, etc.

With the Project+, though it was a little dry, it was a little interesting because I tried to apply it to a scenario. Also, I used the Sybex book, which had a running scenario also.

If it's boring you, I'd say try to balance it out by doing something fun after (drinking, games, etc).

Psoasman

spiderjericho wrote: »

My advice go slow. Read a chapter a day, maybe in the afternoon. Do practice tests if you have the Sybex book. Or you can try creating a scenario and applying the concepts.

That's good advice. I have found the dry reading stuff is better when you just read a chapter at a time, rather than plowing through it. Mixing up the materials used and doing some labs, etc will probably help with the monotony.
I like doing projects, but not reading about it. Puts me to sleep.

swild

Psoasman wrote: »

I like doing projects, but not reading about it. Puts me to sleep.

Thats what I'm hoping. Have been in charge of a couple of projects but never followed formalized plan. Most of the things line up with what I was doing and the rest, I can see the relevancy if it was an enterprise project. Still reading about it is pretty horrible.

swild

Just finished chapter 5. so far I have been doing a chapter a day but it has been rough going. I wasn't able to keep myself awake for the end of chapter quiz last night so I am about a half day behind.

Back to the ebook.

veritas_libertas

swild wrote: »

I'm studying for the Project+ exam using the Sybex book and I have never read anything that is this horribly dry. I'm finding odd jobs around my house to keep me occupied just so I don't have to sit and read this. I really hope that actual project management is more interesting. I actually sat and watched paint dry yesterday instead of studying.

What's the best ways you guys have found of keeping focused and just powering through. Red Bull and coffee was my secret in college but that isn't cutting it this time.

One chapter a day is how I dealt with that monster. I didn't pass the first time because I found it so difficult to study for. Be glad you have the current Sybex book, the earlier ones were even more boring.

swild

Finished the book and all the end of chapter quizzes. The only thing that I think I will have problems with is all of the different formulas in Quality Control. Tomorrow I will work on the Sybex practice test and the start on the Transcender flash cards and tests. I'm afraid that I have too much time between now and my test which is on Thurs. I will probably start on CCNA studies on Monday or Tuesday and then do a quick review on Thursday before my test.

beingcertified

swild wrote: »

Just finished chapter 5. so far I have been doing a chapter a day but it has been rough going. I wasn't able to keep myself awake for the end of chapter quiz last night so I am about a half day behind.

Back to the ebook.

I'll be taking that around March or April of 2012. Tell me how it goes and if the questions were really focused on the book material.

Good luck!
Vanessa

swild

Took 2 Transcender practice tests and I have to say that I am not impressed with Transcender yet. There are questions about items that are not even referenced in the PMBOK, much less the Project+ outline. There are also poorly worded questions with ambigous answers. I really hope that the test isn't like this. The flashcards may help some but they are not as useful to me as I had hoped.

My main weakness is all the Quality Control formulas. I can't keep positive and negative values straight as to what they mean. And the indexes I think I have finally memorized that under 1 is bad and over 1 is good. Are there any mnemonic devices to help with this?

So far I have made a 65% and a 68% but that is including missing all the crazy Theory X, Y, Z, A, B, Maslow and Herzberg Theories that were never discussed in the Sybex book.

chrisone

Id rather have proper boring P.M., than to have an exciting night of malfunctioning error and poor design, lasting hours and hours into the night lol

these are wise words.

swild

True story. I can say from experience.

I just don't want to be the one doing the planning.

swild

Brought my practice test scores up. 72% on test 3 and 83% on test 4. I think I'm ready. One more practice test tomorrow and then a quick brush up on terms and formulas before my test on Thursday.

swild

Passed with an 805. I went from knowing nothing about project management to being certified in less than 2 weeks.

Now that I am certified for life, I am never touching it again unless my work 1) requires it 2) pays for training and testing 3) AND gives me a raise. I had thoughts about going for the PMP but not now. If it wasn't for the requirement from wgu I wouldn't have finished. Now back to my CCNA studies.

erpadmin

Congratulations on the pass!

bryanthetechie

Nice job, swild! I'm going to try to learn it all and pass P+ in about three weeks in late January.

swild

The Sybex book and Transcender practice tests are all I used.

Honestly, the Transcender tests were overkill. Not to mention that they included much more information from the PMBOK than the Project+ covers. AND they included information that isn't even on the PMBOK. I passed but I probably won't buy another Transcender pack.

The Sybex practice tests are very similar to the actual exam. As far as CompTIA tests go, this is probably the hardest of the 5 I have taken (A+, Storage+ Beta, Net+, Sec+, Project+; in order or easiest to hardest). Probably has a lot to do with the fact that I had absolutely no interest in it.

chmod

Not everyone is cut for project management.

I used to be very techie and i'm still very techie, but project management is something i really enjoy ,i mean is not that i enjoy reading pmbok book but really applying this in real life is something i really enjoy.

I'm very organized so i really enjoy organizing people and dealing with technical planning, budget, peoples time is so nice if i only have to apply my knowledge(setup a server, configure a router, setup an ip-pbx, make a few scripts, automate reports etc etc) but i'm not able to organize i get bored.

Even for small it departments if your organize your department and defines/work each need as a project you can organize your time and make sure you are going somewhere and you that you are following the right path to achieve your department and company goals.

swild

I like organizing SMALL projects. Say 5 to 10 people, all local. But when it comes to large projects spanning continents and 100's of workers, it's just too much management, not enough tech.

Turgon

I have worked for hundreds of Project Managers in the the UK. None have the Project+ or the PMP. Things are doubtless different in the States. All that said, I did look at the Project+ Sybex when I was considering it to complete the MCNE five years ago. It is a dry read.

Stuppored

It's not horribly bad if you take a project management course at a local college / university. Yes, there are points where I feel like closing my eyes during lectures... but the classes do help remove the dryness compared to reading only a book.

I thought the UK focused on Prince2 methodologies?

erpadmin

UK primarily does focus on Prince2, though PMP is gaining ground there.

Project Management Methodology (whether it's with PMI (CAPM/PMP), Prince2, SCRUM, etc.) is just a framework. PMI, for example, uses 42 processes spread out among 5 process groups across 9 knowledge areas. You are never going to use ALL 42 processes; you tailor your project (whether it's "all local" or spread out among the 7 continents on the planet) based on project need.

PMP is a big cert to have in the US. Project+ is a cert that gets one familiar with Project Management, but would not get someone a project manager job. Prince2 is more useful in the UK and "Her Majesty's" [sarcastic tone] current and former properties (Commonwealth countries.) SCRUM is something I'm starting to see a lot in job specifications, but PMP is still the "must have."

Ivanjam

erpadmin wrote: »

"Her Majesty's" [sarcastic tone] current and former properties (Commonwealth countries.)

Let me remind those who seem to have forgotten - the USA was once "Her Majesty's Property" too, not just the Commonwealth

Ivanjam

On the topic: I am yet to get past chapter 2 of the PM book I am reading - seems like I have a mental block against verbiage.

EV42TMAN

I'm doing project+ because of the WGU class and right now i'm hating it. hopefully i knock it out quickly so i know there is an end....

Quantumstate

Oh you guys complaining that the study for Project+ is boring... donnn't know...