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Home > Archive > IT career women > August 2001 > Study Tips
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| Trying Hard 2001-07-20, 2:00 pm |
| Hello Ladies,
I'm a single mom trying to break into the IT field. I'm so happy to have found a forum that is geared to and for women in the IT field. I seem to have a problem staying focus and developing good study habits and I was wondering if any body out there had any good suggestion. I have all the books you can name, but I just can't seem to develop a study time. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Trying Hard | |
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| Sorry, but I am a male, but maybe I can help. Try to make a schedule and stick to it. It does not have to be that long, as long as you keep it regularly . . . an hour a day maybe. Also, try to learn to take notes . . . sometimes writing things down helps you to remember key points. Hope this helps. | |
| Trying Hard 2001-07-20, 2:06 pm |
| Thanks for the suggestions. I don't mind at all receiving a reply from a male. | |
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| Cool. I find that if you develop a regular routine you can cut up your study into manageable sized chunks so it doesnt seem like as much work and also by having a routine you get to sort of mentally 'prepare' yourself each day for the studying. Might want to set aside a time when the kids are in school or something . . . make sure you let everyone know that you shouldn't be distrubed then. Good luck. | |
| BootData 2001-07-22, 4:56 am |
| I always believe if you set your mind into something, you can achieve anything (well, most of them anyway 
I'm trying (hoping) to study/get the CCNA, do you have any recommendation on the best book(s) out there? I've been hearing that the Mike Myers book is the best so far.
btw, for N+, I found that the David groth's book is the most suitable for the exam.
later.. | |
| Gundyman 2001-07-22, 10:57 am |
| This is a professional Psy doctor suggestion way of studying,
Get a big table and open all the study material. No TV, NO radio, except Coffee.
Sit down (but not too comfort)
Study (everyday in the same time)
After while, you will get use to it. | |
| TW2001 2001-07-22, 12:31 pm |
| Dont take this the wrong way
How bad do you want it? This field is one of never ending study.As you progress you can expect to have to come up to speed on things very quickly(if your good).The good news is it does get easier when you implement the technologies you are studying.Try to incorporate hands on with the books.Dont overload.I break my reading into two hour chunks (if I can grab it).Then I set time for labs.
Good luck | |
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| An instructor gave my class some study tips once that I found interesting and with a little practice, I found they actually help. Everyone learns a bit differently, but maybe some of these tips will help you.
When you study, do it with preferrably no interruptions and no noise (radio, television). Even though you don't "think" you are listening to a song or dialogue in the back ground, your brain is recording it along with what you read. So, the facts you need to remember later are recorded along with the "white noise" and are more difficult to recall. He also suggested that it worked well for him if he allocated study time at night before bed. The last thing on his mind being what he'd studied, not a television show. After some disciplined practice, our instructor said it worked so well for him that he could almost see the page number on which a test answer was in his book.
Routine and repetition are key factors (for me anyway) in quality study. I don't know the age of your child(ren), but if possible, after they're down for the night and before you turn in could be prime time. Turn off the television and crack the books for a couple of hours. Also, my books travel with me where ever I go (docs office, lobby while my car is being serviced, chauffering my daughter). Always have some relevent material with you and pick it up when you have idle time.
Do becareful of burn-out, though. Try to choose a day each week, or at least regularly, to be a "free" day.
TW2001 is right in that this is a never-ending field of study. I've often replied with an amused "Never" when asked when I will be finished with my studies. 
I agree, if you want it bad enough, it's yours!
Good luck | |
| darthw 2001-07-23, 5:32 pm |
| I, too, travel with a book handy for those wait times.
Another thing I do is use a highlighter. I typically read through the material once and highlight the important info in orange or yellow. Then, I read back through the highlights and rehighlight the info I'm struggling to remember or understand in blue or green. Then after I've read a couple texts, I take as many practice exams as I can get my hands on, and the weekend before the exam, I take a couple hours each day to review my blue/green highlights and cram sheets. | |
| XtremeFighter 2001-07-23, 9:14 pm |
| I am a guy, and I seem to have the same problem as "Trying Hard". I can't make a right time to study. For example, one day I read 100 pages, and then I take the rest of the week off. So, I need to develop a good studying schedule.
Regards,
XF | |
| Nicole 2001-07-24, 10:32 am |
| Something that worked for me when I was seriously studying for my last exam was to take my book to work with me. At lunch, I'd go and sit in the car and read for an hour.
Talk about no distractions.
It's the sitting down and starting that's the hard part. Other than getting an hour of study in the middle of the day, it helped put me in a good frame of mind to go home and study after work. It also reduced my guilt levels if I went home and just couldn't focus for more than an hour or so -- I still got in my two hours that day. Otherwise I'd study for two hours in the evening and then have the bonus hour from lunch.
Most people lose their ability to retain information efficiently after 2-4 hours. Cramming for 8 hours on a weekend is not likely to be very productive. You might still be picking *something* up by hour #7, but you've long passed the point of diminishing returns. You're probably better off studying for a few hours, going to do something fun (play with the dog, see a movie, take the kids on a picnic) and then settling down in the evening for another session. If your kids are old enough, you might want to discuss it with them -- if you leave Mom alone and play quietly for a few hours, we'll go do something together this afternoon. (Why not study at the same times the kids do their homework? Incentive for all of you.)
After trial and error, I've learned that my time limit is about 2 hours. But instead of looking at the clock, I keep at it until I feel my attention start to wander. I get up, take a short break, and then try to come back to it. If I still can't focus, I quit for the day. If studying becomes a miserable activity for you, then it will only become harder to do it.
Set a goal and a schedule for yourself, but don't punish yourself if occasionally you just can't do it that day. If you study a little each day, taking Tuesday evening off isn't a big deal.
Hope there is something in here to help you find a routine that works for you. | |
| Trying Hard 2001-07-24, 11:28 am |
| Nicole,
Thanks for the advice. I have several responds to my question and all of the advice is good. I guess you just have to find out what works for you and go with it, but I think that studying for an hour during the day and then 1 hour in evening might work for. Nicole, what certifications do you have and was it hard finding your first job?
Thanks again.
Trying Hard | |
| Nicole 2001-07-24, 1:14 pm |
| I have an Oracle exam under my belt (1Z0-001), and 9/10 of the next one in the series, but no certs yet. Projects keep getting in the way of exam studying -- it's hard to work on Oracle when you're trying to learn PHP for a project
So I'm playing catch-up in the certification game. I will probably sit for MS 70-029 (SQL Server Development) shortly just to have a certification of some kind, and then go back to working on my OCP.
I came into IT from a different direction that the typical BSCS and certification route. I never really had to get that "first job" in IT that seems to be so hard for people to get... my staff just kept getting more technical. In the past few years I've been doing technical management and MS Office development (mostly Access). I've never had a prospective employer ask me about certifications.
Ironically, with the job market in such a sad state where I am, I may have to settle for a desktop support or similar position (if I can find one that can pay the mortgage). If so, I will probably find myself in the middle of the certification fray, so I'm trying to nail down something before I get laid off. | |
| vinisumesh 2001-07-28, 12:26 am |
| Hi,
I am also a mother of a three month old. I study during my lunch hour. At home I study while my son is asleep. Read through the concepts, understand the examples and its outputs. Highlight the important parts, while you study. Practice on weekends, as I get less time to study during the week, I can complete only a chapter or so, the practice on weekends help me refresh my concepts.
This is how go through my studies, I hope this could help you.
Bye,
Vini | |
| hsmaia 2001-08-21, 2:28 pm |
| Trying hard.
I passed CCNA on 8/7/01, and as stated by one of the forum members, was back studying 2 days later, CCNA material (you don't want to let it slip away), and for CCDA.
I think all the suggestions made here are useful. I am a morning person, so I go to bed earlier and get up 2 hours earlier to study. Nothing around but the study material, no distractions. Give it a couple of hours, and after a while the time slot you chose becomes 2nd nature, your brain knows that it is study time. I read the material aloud, take notes, repeat the paragraph as a question, then answer it. It is more time consumming, but the material seems to stick together. Answer as many test questions as you can. Don't let the everyday chores distract you during study time, my mind likes to wander, so I have to pull it back to what I am doing. Above all, tell yourself everyday that you are going to learn the subject and pass the test, and then do what it takes to learn the subject. Passing the test will a by-product of what you learned.
I don't know if you have access to any equipment (routers, switches etc.), I didn't, so I got a router simulator. I am not doing a commercial here, but Routersim helped me a lot. I did all the labs a zillion times, until it became automatic. There are free router simulators, but some are very limited, and some hard to work with.
Work hard, concentrate on the goal, don't cram up to the last minute (I did, it doesn't help, just makes you nervous), get a good night's sleep, go and do it.
It helps to register for the test, since you now have a time set to have the preparation for the test done. Read all questions very carefully (you have lots of time), think about the best answer and do it. Once you answer, forget about that question.
I wish you the best, try hard, it is worth it.
hdm | |
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| quote:
Originally posted by hsmaia
I don't know if you have access to any equipment (routers, switches etc.), I didn't, so I got a router simulator. I am not doing a commercial here, but Routersim helped me a lot. I did all the labs a zillion times, until it became automatic. There are free router simulators, but some are very limited, and some hard to work with.
Can you recommend some good simulators?
I, too, have two small children and work full-time so I know how difficult it can be to get in some good study time without being exhausted. I've found that I am almost worthless at night but can focus better around 5:30 - 6:30 a.m. Unfortunately, the kids wake up around then and an hour isn't really enough so I'm sort of in your same boat - not enough quality time and I'm pretty much brain-dead if I don't get enough sleep.
I've sort of resigned myself to the fact that it will just take longer for me to get a cert than it will for some folks. That's okay. I struggle some days, but I'm getting there.... | |
| hsmaia 2001-08-22, 11:08 am |
| Tribo
I remember two of the free sites: www.r1r2.com, where you can actually telnet into their system, and configure real life routers, without any command restrictions. Go to their site, download and follow the instructions.
The other one is www.routeru.com, they have a new release, August 2001, which you can download. Commands are limited, I used an older version, but is better than nothing.
I finally purchased Routersim V-2.1, you can check their site at routerim.com, and used it thoughout all my preparation for CCNA. Good, solid help.
Do not get discouraged by your limited study time, make the best of it, and try to do it consistently. Look at what you are learning, not at passing the test. This will happen if you know the material. Choose a good study guide, stick to it, check the material available on the Web (do not overload on those, there is a ton of it), try to take notes, like flash cards, look at Cisco's Product site, check on switches, and routers, see how they are installed and configured, check cabling recommended, get familiar with all the options. It is not rocket science, but is quite demanding, and a real challenge. When you see that CONGRATULATIONS banner on the screen, you know that everything you did came to fruition.
My best wishes !!!
hdm | |
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| Thanks for your kind words of encouragement, hdm, as well as your great tips. Sounds like you've got this studying thing down to a science! |
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