|
Home > Archive > 70-210 > July 2001 > Would New Horizons be worth it? What your opinion?
You are viewing an archived Text-only version of the thread.
To view this thread in it's original format and/or if you want to reply to
this thread please [click here]
| Author |
Would New Horizons be worth it? What your opinion?
|
|
| Rick_R 2001-07-02, 6:44 pm |
| I am considering New Horizons as a source to prepare for the MCP certification. Im just wondering if anyone here has been through a class at New Horizons and found that it was exactly what someone who doesnt have much time to self study needs, or is it just an expensive waste of time?
Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
Thanks | |
| 3pinhead 2001-07-03, 5:01 am |
| hello,
new to this board & hope i can contribute somethin' helpful!
haven't studied with New Horizons, but have a tip to help you decide. Can you audit a class? in other words, can you go and listen in for a couple of hours to see how the class is?
Before plunking down several thousand dollars worth of lift ticket cash,(or bowling money if you're so inclined) really scope out the school. If you can get in contact with any of the students and get their opinion, that helps too.
There's a site www.mcmcse.com that has a great article on choosing the type of schooling for tech jobs. It'd be worth checking out.
Also look at the books they use, and go to the book store and read through one for a while, then check some others.
In the MCSE class I'm in now, we use the Microsoft self study books, in a word - boring boring boring!! Most in the class hate it (even the instructor beats up on 'em)
It doesn't hurt to have more than one reference.
Last thing:
You'll need practice tests
does the school supply those?
Here's some sites to look at
Cert21 (of course)
www.bfq.com (Beachfront quizzer - great questions and the ones you miss keep coming back until you get it right!)
www.trancender.com really tough tests! your hair will be smokin' after a practice exam. (and so will your wallet!)
Wish you well, let us know what you did & how you did
Bruce | |
| Wilbur 2001-07-03, 8:38 am |
| Expensive Option. I am going through the New Horizions training (company paid for it  )
I have only gone through the first two and the first one is more of an overview of the W2K OS. The Second one for Server is much better Lots and Lots of hands on. If you are needing the Hands on then this is a good one. If you are like me and learn better in a classroom environment then yes. Try to get the company to pay for it ( cost is around $8000  ) Also I would urge you to consult with Freak and Yeti about this. Freak has his own site you can post on as does Yeti. The Classes I am attending do not give you any free self test software so you would be on your own for that. Also if you go pick up Exam Cram or another good book (Not Sybex) for your final review. Check out these links for Freak and Yeti.
www.mcsefreak.com
www.mcse-2000.org
Hope this helps. | |
|
| Nooooooooooo! They are terrible. They care more about their MCTs teaching a lot of classes than teaching classes the right way, ie they favor quantity over quality.
As an MCT, you make $400 per day of a new class you teach, meaning that if you cut your prepare time short, you can teach 2 new classes a month, hence a $4000 bonus at the end of the month -- quality of teaching be damned... | |
| Wilbur 2001-07-03, 11:52 am |
| Freak
Tell us how you really feel. Don't hold back now we are all friends here.
I have to agree that the goofuss that gave my server class was an Idiot. But I did get the hands on and the MOC. I count on no one but myself to learn the stuff. Besides if you know New Horizions You know how to get even with the idiot. (he got 2's out of me  he will have a rough time explaining that one ) | |
| Stingray5 2001-07-03, 12:22 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by Wilbur
I have to agree that the goofuss that gave my server class was an Idiot. But I did get the hands on and the MOC. I count on no one but myself to learn the stuff. Besides if you know New Horizions You know how to get even with the idiot. (he got 2's out of me he will have a rough time explaining that one )
See, this to me says NH is sub par. And having to put up with 'idiot' instructors, especially when your paying out of your own pocket, is unacceptable. I went to a school called Nextech, and believe it or not, they actually held the quality of their instructors in high regard. Every instructor I had thru the entire W2K track was top notch. I learned a LOT from them. AND they let you take any class over for free if you weren't satisfied or felt you didn't understand the first time around. I can even re-sit 2151 & 2152 before taking 70-210 if I want to. Everyone I've spoken with that studied there was 100% satisfied. My only gripe was that my track was delayed twice because too many students dropped out.
I've heard nothing but horror stories about New Horizons. I knew a few people that went and said the instructors were mediocre, the facilities were poor and little to no attention was given to students' needs. Basically the complete oposite of what I experienced. Keep in mind this is in New York, so I can't say for sure how other locations are.
So my long winded reply here is, steer clear of NH. Check out nextech training (if there's one near you). | |
| Randy 2001-07-03, 12:25 pm |
| If I need technical training, I'll just call freak.  | |
|
| quote:
Originally posted by Randy
If I need technical training, I'll just call freak.
... and you will always be welcome!
New Horizon blew into my town a couple of months ago, and offered me a nice big wad of money to jump ship and come teach for them -- we are talking $30,000 on top of my current salary, plus bonuses of all kinds. That's a lot of dough
I turned them down on the basis that I do not like the way they approach teaching, and am very happy in the CTEC where I work.
Oh, and New Horizon closed their doors a week ago in my town | |
|
| I used to work at NH
It is like a cattle call. It is very expensive. I obtained my MCSE the old fashioned way by studying hard. The quality varies from location to location If your company is paying for you to attend training I would suggest going to a school that teaches classes for more one week. I taught at an excellent school where one class would last 4 weeks but unfortunately they went out of business. NH is in the business of making money and lots of it. The quality of instruction is not a priority
My two cents
Beboy, M.Ed., MCSE | |
| Wilbur 2001-07-03, 8:04 pm |
| I also worked at NH for a very very ( did I mention very) short time. 3weeks and hit the bricks. But I did take away the courseware and the software enough to teach myself how to do Office and was lucky enough to land a job doing just that. It evolved needless to say
Pay out of my pocket to go to NH. Not remotely possible. The company has a contract with them so I am stuck. Yup I had a Goofus for server but Had a great one for the intro class. I told my agent that if he put me into another class with the idiot he would be loosing me and possibly the company. (they just don't like it when you say things like that) problem is around here there is not much to pick from. Unless Freak moves down here like I have been asking. He has some sort of strange fear of tornado's can't imagine why 
But like I said in my original post Freak and Yeti's opinon go a long way with me and thats why I asked for their opion. With me I knew what I was getting into. And the hands on did help quite a bit.
Even with a Class room environment (and that means any of them sorry Freak ) IMO you need to back it up with other sources at least one. | |
| 3pinhead 2001-07-03, 8:45 pm |
| Man......
am I glad I didn't go with NH! I considered it.
In my area there are a lot of schools to choose from. I did A+ and Network+ on my own.
I'm not in the computer field and payin' for all of this out of my own pocket. Am now taking paid classes for MCSE.
I did spend some time sitting in on classes on a couple of schools, ended up choosing the only one that fit my schedule. They've had instructor problems too, but the new one is great - he's really a Cisco instructor completing our MCSE class for us (won't go into details) so the additional networking knowlege he brings is terrific!
I will say this, no matter what school anybody chooses, It's going to take effort on your part too, - reading ahead, using the lab, endless practice tests - even with a really great instructor. At least it is for me, kinda hard to fit all that knowlege in a pin-head! The concepts are all important.
How long until ski season anyway?? | |
| trebor 2001-07-04, 2:04 am |
| I think I should visit this forum more often. This thread has been an eye opener. I have been thinking of dishing out my own money for a MSCE class because my boss is a cheap skate (I am self employed).
Now I see that you have to be careful. Are there lots of black sheep schools to steer clear of? | |
| 3pinhead 2001-07-04, 8:24 am |
| It's not so much that there are a lot of "black sheep" schools, yes there's some, but, more a matter of finding the right combination of schedule, quality of instruction, and the things that will send you on the right track to be an effective administrator when you finish the courses.
It sounds like there are some very good instructors that visit this site.
No matter who you study with, it takes a lot of individual effort, no class will teach you everything, somehow it's got to become part of our thinking so we can do the job.
That's why having a good instructor is vital, you're not only getting the book stuff but his experience "in the trenches' as well.
check out this site:
http://www.mcmcse.com/articles/classes.shtml
It's a good one to help weigh classes and what to look for.
I'm glad I'm in the class I have, the new instructor is great, his experience helps a lot. However, there are definitely better schools I could have gone with, just nothing would fit my other obligations.
Just do some shopping and ask a lot of hard questions before you give them your cash.
It's your pocket & your future eh?
Hey trebor - I work for the same stinking boss you do - where do they get these guys anyway??? | |
| Wilbur 2001-07-04, 10:29 am |
| My cheapskate boss had a different employee keep saying you ain't paying enough. The boss did nothing and a month later this guy leaves to a job that pays much more with less work. The boss tried to match the offer but as the guy told me later too little too late. So when I asked for training it almost killed him but he could see that I would get it one way or another and if he wanted to avoid another situation where some one else would walk he had better spring for it.
Thing is I get it my salary will increase there or somewhere else it make me no difference. But if he is going to buy the training the ok if they match I would stay but that is about it.
You get your MCSE on your own then walk in with a new job an look them in the eye and say B*te Me. And walk
Of course if your self employed that is a whole nother story I would say fire the guy. | |
|
| lol | |
| 3pinhead 2001-07-04, 2:26 pm |
| I fire him on a regular basis but he just keeps coming back....... | |
| Rick_R 2001-07-05, 2:17 pm |
| I kinda get the same feeling that most of you have expressed here. Still there are very little alternatives to focused microsoft training. The few community schools around here which offer mcp,mcse and etc.. are actually more expensive and trying to schedule life around getting to those classes well you know.
So the question is. Does having the title "MCP" worth the few thousand dollars it cost to attend classes in order to prepare for an exam, or is an A+ certified careerchanger with 1yr experience working with nt, netware, as 400 supporting a large lan/wan network enough to get me that perfect job? Actually what I'm looking for is more money.
Thanks alot
Rick | |
|
| if what you are looking for is more money, then go for a full cert, like an MCSE.
A+ is a stepping stone, no more, no less.
Good luck to you |
|
|
|
|