What if...

philz1982

Imagine the following scenario, for the next 365 days all of your responsibilities, bills, everything, are handled. You are given unlimited energy and focus and told you can learn whatever you want over the next 365 days. You are given access to any class, and any person you need to support your learning.

What would you learn and why would you learn it? The answer can be a single thing, or multiple things.

-Phil

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UnixGuy

I'll enroll in a fine arts degree full time.

philz1982

UnixGuy wrote: »

I'll enroll in a fine arts degree full time.

You forgot the why

networker050184

History because there is nothing I love more!

Realistically I'd probably take some programming and scripting classes to make my life easier. I'm mostly learning in my free time right now and it's slow going.

philz1982

networker050184 wrote: »

History because there is nothing I love more!

Realistically I'd probably take some programming and scripting classes to make my life easier. I'm mostly learning in my free time right now and it's slow going.

So true, I'm sitting here, on a Friday night, at my computer working through a Wrox book on C#. Oh, the joys of being in IT

Iristheangel

CCIE. Because at the end of 365 days, my responsibilities and bills come back and I love learning about networking. If I had unlimited funds, I'd still probably go for my CCIE. I'm a masochist that way because I like learning about this stuff

fredrikjj

I'd attend different CCIE bootcamps. Probably with a week or two between each one to read and lab on my own. If it doesn't have to be tech/cert/job related, I would get into BASE jumping and wingsuit flying.

philz1982

Iristheangel wrote: »

CCIE. Because at the end of 365 days, my responsibilities and bills come back and I love learning about networking. If I had unlimited funds, I'd still probably go for my CCIE. I'm a masochist that way because I like learning about this stuff

Could you accomplish a CCIE in one year of constant study? I have no idea what level of skill a CCIE requires.

fredrikjj

philz1982 wrote: »

Could you accomplish a CCIE in one year of constant study? I have no idea what level of skill a CCIE requires.

With the unlimited focus and energy you said that I could have, yes

That implies like at least 12 hours of hardcore studying per day with no breaks, and that's probably three times as much as any normal person can sustain over a long period of time.

Iristheangel

It probably would take longer than a year to achieve it but having a straight year of focus, labbing, classes, etc will get you a WHOLE lot closer. It's an extremely hard exam to pass and most people don't pass it on their first try.

networker050184

Depends where you are starting from. Starting from zero probably not, but if you are already familiar with most of the technologies a year with nothing else to do but study would be more than enough time. I know people that have done it in that time frame while working full time.

omi2123

CCNP & then CCIE because someday hopefully soon, I'd like to walk thru the gate that says "CCIE Entrance Only"......I'll walk thru it like a flaired peacock.....

da_vato

OSCP for me, I got my start in IT by hacking (good bad or indifferent). I've always been an engineer and I mean always... I love learning how everything works at its most basic level.

edit: I was only thinking about IT....

I would finish learning some languages that I had started when I lived in the areas. Tagalog and Hangul.

TheProf

Probably Astrophysics and Quantum Mechanics/Physics. Aside from that, tech related stuff, I'd try and complete the VCDX.

DevilWAH

Quantum physics, psychology, philosophy.
I have always said at about 50 I would like to retrain in psychology and work in councling or something. So I would take a year away from IT, and just enjoy learning with out the pressure of work.

xenodamus

My first thoughts were Linux and Programming. Those are 2 of my weakest areas right now. With a year's focus I could automate the hell out of my environment!

On the less technical side - leadership. I love reading and listening to material on the subject, but feel like I'm lacking a lot personally. Could you imaging shadowing the top 50 CEOs in the world for 1 day each?.......

JoJoCal19

fredrikjj wrote: »

and wingsuit flying.

Coolest thing ever. Now that I have 3 kids that ship has sailed for me

If I had a year of unlimited study and didn't have to work, I'd go for my MSRE Master of Science in Real Estate. My IT career is only a means to my end working in real estate homebuilding and development, as well as having my own brokerage.

OfWolfAndMan

I'd finish my CCNP, my BS, and I'd learn from Tony Stark how to make an Iron Man suit, and make it. I'm being somewhat realistic on only the first two though

. I'd also learn from the best architects about ISE, QoS and Multicast

Rocket Impossible

I could knock out my M.S. in a year of uninterrupted focus. I probably wouldn't get anything else done but that would be huge.

MTciscoguy

As I am retired with a great income, I am already doing it, currently studying for CCNA, and Windows Server, after 30 years of playing with them, I figured it was time to get certified on some of this stuff.

gbdavidx

Learn programming, bc it is my weakness and It's a valuable skill in IT. Everything else I can learn in my downtime. I plan to take a class in it in January of next year once I get some more certifications under my belt

paul78

For me it's 2 things - I've always wanted to learn to be a pilot and make furniture. I would enroll in a cabinet making school to learn some of the basics and a flying school.

wes allen

This reminds me of a quote from Snow Crash:

"Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherfucker in the world. If I moved to a martial-arts monastery in China and studied real hard for ten years. If my family was wiped out by Colombian drug dealers and I swore myself to revenge. If I got a fatal disease, had one year to live, and devoted it to wiping out street crime. If I just dropped out and devoted my life to being bad. Hiro used to feel this way, too, but then he ran into Raven. In a way, this was liberating. He no longer has to worry about being the baddest motherfucker in the world. The position is taken."

For me, it would be finish OSCP, then OSCE, then their webapp pen testing course. With study breaks to work on 3-Gun style shooting.

linuxlover

I would take on Philosophy, Astronomy/Astrophysics and Egyptology courses and would train sports twice a day. After that I would go back to IT, it would be a nice break to clear my busy mind and take on something else I enjoy.

MTciscoguy

Well I did the flying thing, one of the coolest certifications I have, love to fly Helo's as well as fixed wing aircraft, did the car racing thing for quite a while and qualified to run NASCAR, but unfortunately duty called right after that and I spent several years overseas planning strategic missions for the Army, spent 3 years in the Pentagon, was transferred from there exactly 3 days before 9/11/2001, My last day of duty, was 9/08/2001. So I have had enough real excitement in my life, I love working on the computers now, much quieter and actually very challenging.

To all of my younger associates, I recommend, if you can live a dream, just do it!!!!

darkerosxx

I'd study electrical engineering, because I have a few inventions on my mind.

codedwar

First I would knock out my CCNP pretty quickly with all the study time. Then I would take an entire month off and just relax (this has been a very busy year for me.).Then I would focus on programming, electronic theory, and Linux to fill in some gaps in knowledge. I have only been in the industry for 5 years and have been in networking (mostly Cisco) the entire time. I wouldn't change my career path or anything, I just think learning those would really help round out my experience and give me a better understanding of IT in general.

Disas_main

I would learn something which will give me the ability to change the world. I will learn physics and green energy sources. If this happen after 2 years, I will have enough EE(electrical engineering) skills so I will be closed to my target. The reason I will learn this is because if I have this opportunity to change the world will be must.

N2IT

philz1982 wrote: »

Imagine the following scenario, for the next 365 days all of your responsibilities, bills, everything, are handled. You are given unlimited energy and focus and told you can learn whatever you want over the next 365 days. You are given access to any class, and any person you need to support your learning.

What would you learn and why would you learn it? The answer can be a single thing, or multiple things.

-Phil

Phil really cool topic. Rep.

I would move to a foreign country and try to learn the language. Brazil and Portuguese would be my first option. I would volunteer my time free ~ 20 hours a week in some capacity and the other x amount of hours would be socializing and learning the culture. Eastern Europe would be on my list as well. Either one I went with, I would be looking to make a permanent transition.

Why - because it would make you international which would pay more $ potentially and I like the idea of learning another culture.

No formalized education that's for sure unless it was to learn the language/culture. No certs!

YFZblu

C and assembly

Snow.bros

If I had enough time would work on getting a computer science degree and completing my CCNA and have at least one certification in security.

Why? - I think I need formal eduction about IT generally, plus it would be constructive to have a degree in the belt.
- I am interested in exploring the Cisco certifications and I want to do something in security one day.

Edit: I love what I do but I could do with customer non facing roles though, if there is certification that would steer me to that i would per-sue it.