Cisco Networking Academy in 14 Weeks?

I've visited these forums for a long time but never posted. I appreciate all of the help you all provide. I am making a career change and don’t have any IT experience.

I signed up for a Cisco Networking Academy Course (Discovery) that is supposed to cover all four sections in 14 weeks.* I signed up for this course in order to have hands on access to lab equipment and possibly get an internship. An internship is not guaranteed. I will owe a lot of money for this course.

Is 14 weeks realistic? I am very worried that it is not. Plus I have been advised that even if I get the CCNA certification it won’t do me any good without any experience.

I am confident that I will be able to get the CCENTcertification with or without the course. I was already in a study group. I do have access to some Cisco equipment and a simulator in the study group. I read Rougtadhg’s post on how to study for the CCENT/CCNA, but I signed up for the course to get more hands on lab experience.

I appreciate any advice you can give. Thank you.

* Networking for Home and Small Businesses, Working at a Small-to-Medium Business or ISP, Introducing Routing and Switching in the Enterprise, Designing and Supporting Computer Networks

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Comments

Roguetadhg

1. 14 weeks (3 Mths) will be enough to get a very strong footing with the material. It may not be enough, it's going to be a lot of studying. I'd recommend going into the course with the mindset of 1) You paid a lot 2) Equipment is a lot of money 3) Study instead of staring at a wall. Don't go into this course with the expectations of "I can pass the test with little studying."

I see later in the post that you had some type of experience. So this isn't your first time with cisco jargon. You'll be expected to subnet like a calculator, if you can - it makes your life a heck of a lot easier on test day. That'll be your Ace. It'll help you greatly to spend less time with Subnetting and more time with other things. I'm sure you know there's plenty to know!

Go into this, the more you get into it, the more you'll discover that you hate it - or love it. Loving it is the key! You'll be more apt to spend hours pounding out commands to learn the syntaxes, output, and basic troubleshooting. It's really a snow-ball effect of good or bad. You spend more time = You start to love it. The more times you have those "Ah Ha!" moments - the better.

You'll need to have time infront of the CLI. There's no way around it. Besides that, it's also the best way to cement the theories as tangible thoughts. Make it have meaning.

Good luck. Keep us in mind, ask the questions you want to ask - but don't want to because it seems stupid. Trust me, those are the questions you really do need to ask.

boredgamelad

14 weeks is plenty realistic if you're studying and labbing and putting in all the necessary time. What I would ask is, how much is a lot of money? What is a lot to you might not be a lot to someone else. On the other hand, it might be a LOT more than you'd spend studying and labbing and passing the exam on your own equipment/time.

New2IT

Thank you Roguetadhg and boredgamelad. I am going to go for it with the 14 week course. I have so much work ahead of me, but I really want this. Both of your comments have made me think that it is really up to me to make it worth it.

Illumanati

New2IT wrote: »

Is 14 weeks realistic? I am very worried that it is not. Plus I have been advised that even if I get the CCNA certification it won’t do me any good without any experience.

My Cisco Academy Exploration was 9 weeks and it couldn't end fast enough because the instructor did not assign anything nor was anything graded but it as continuing education class. It ALL depends on your instructor and students. The class goes they way THEY go.

someasiandude

how much does the academy cost?

Illumanati

someasiandude wrote: »

how much does the academy cost?

Let me be blunt and sat the ~1000.00 dollars I paid for 1 Cisco Networking class was a total waste because the instructor trained the students on doing nothing that counted or made a difference. Nothing was officially assigned to do, everything was optional and students just gravitated like a magnet does to metal towards the path of LEAST resistance. This was not horrible for someone who was taking this class as a refresh hoping for some accountability for test taking purposes only but for someone starting off, it is an absolute time waste. for example, only like 6 people in class and half dont even show up yet they make satisfactory progress. it was all rigged under the no accountability for you nor me cloak of understanding. i was not dissatisfied one bit because it was a repeat for me and i did not pay for the class and infact even can get gas reimbursed but just an FYI that these classes typically go the way the instructor or even the students can control things so you better have your own agenda for exam if you even cover all the material properly which in my case was not happening.

goldenlight

The Cisco Net Academy itself is a Great Study Tool. YOu get a Simulator to put together different types of networks. Also many Lab simulations are embedded throughout the course. My advice is to do them all and only skip the ones that are very close to the lab you completed.

Another Cool thing is that you can cut and paste txt into your favorite note taking program(Microsoft Note is my favorite). And you can copy Key pictures using the Print Screen key and pasting them into paint to help you understand a concept.

Also INE Training has Free CCNA Videos to supplement your learning Limited time...Offer though

New2IT

@goldenlight I'm doing everything you said. Thanks!

@Illumanati Like you said I have to have my own agenda. I'm going to make full use of the resources available to me with the course/school lab equipment/instructor.

@someasiandude I think the prices vary widely depending on where you go and what type of program you choose (bootcamp vs college vs job training program). I wanted a program that was longer than a boot camp, but shorter than 4 semesters like a college. Plus colleges have prerequisites. There weren't many choices in my area.