Free MCSE Bootcamp and Certification in August
Free MCSE Bootcamp and Certification in August
(OP)
Hello everyone! I can't remember if I've ever posted on here, but I have read over the years and have gained a lot of knowledge from all of you. I have been given an incredible opportunity (from the VA) to go to a MCSE Bootcamp in Atlanta (14 days of pure hell). I'm currently a system's administrator responsible for 3 SAN environments (MSA 1000's) and a multitude of servers. However, I don't feel that I'm ready for this boatload of information and testing (within that 14 days). My course load includes:
70-270
70-290
70-291
Security +
70-293
70-294
70-298
70-299
I thought I had decent experience until I started researching some of these tests and the topics. After which, I realized I'm going to be lost. So, with your humble opinions, how can I prepare as much as possible to be somewhat successfull (I do want to obtain my MCSE while there) and not blow this opportunity. Can anyone tell me about their experience with an MCSE bootcamp and how intensive it is? My schedule looks like 8 am to 6 pm with maybe a candy bar at the snack machine break. Any advice would be great! Again, you guys and gals are absolutely wonderful and have helped me with so much. Thanks in advance!
70-270
70-290
70-291
Security +
70-293
70-294
70-298
70-299
I thought I had decent experience until I started researching some of these tests and the topics. After which, I realized I'm going to be lost. So, with your humble opinions, how can I prepare as much as possible to be somewhat successfull (I do want to obtain my MCSE while there) and not blow this opportunity. Can anyone tell me about their experience with an MCSE bootcamp and how intensive it is? My schedule looks like 8 am to 6 pm with maybe a candy bar at the snack machine break. Any advice would be great! Again, you guys and gals are absolutely wonderful and have helped me with so much. Thanks in advance!
RE: Free MCSE Bootcamp and Certification in August
Boot camps serve no useful purpose other than to gain the certification. It's basically cramming to take the exams and you really don't retain much afterward. It's very tiring and you have to have stamina. But, you are certified. I don't know why the VA would consider this a good learning experience.
RE: Free MCSE Bootcamp and Certification in August
RE: Free MCSE Bootcamp and Certification in August
I think it may be better if you don't study beforehand. The bootcamp will teach you in their own way and if you have experience or have studied, you spend time trying to deal with the conflicts in the brain. The one I attended had some experienced people in it and they wasted time saying things like "But that's not the way you're supposed to do it".
The bootcamp teaches you to pass the test not to be good at it when you're working in the field.
RE: Free MCSE Bootcamp and Certification in August
RE: Free MCSE Bootcamp and Certification in August
2. I'm not going to name any names, but I have a friend who went to a boot camp in the Atlanta area that taught that exact curriculum. From the other details that you have mentioned, it sounds extremely similar. I'm not saying they are the same company, but if they are watch out. The boot camp that he went to was basically studying and memorizing Test King braindumps for 10-12 hours a day, and then doing the same back at the hotel at night in study groups (the boot camp provided the training and accommodations so all students stayed together). After going over the material for an exam they took the exam and then moved on.
He went into it with strong sysadmin experience and came out of it with an MCSE: Security certification. He got perfect scores on 5 of the exams. He also said that he had classmates who had no IT experience whatsoever who also got perfect scores on some the exams, and that only two students did not pass all of their exams.
All I'm saying is be wary of boot camps. They will get you your certs, but you will likely learn very little. If that is important to you then you may want to look elsewhere. TO put it simply, there is no way on earth you can gain all of the knowledge and experience required to pass all of the MCSE exams in only two weeks. You can sit and memorize questions and answers, and you can learn why some answers are right and others are wrong, but that's about it.
________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
MCITP:Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator
RE: Free MCSE Bootcamp and Certification in August
I will continue my studies for sure. I'm not a cheater, so I'm not worried about jipping myself and others by saying that I'm something I'm not (not to mention, I'm already in a great position that I'm not moving out of anytime soon). Anyway, thanks for all of your input.
RE: Free MCSE Bootcamp and Certification in August
If I was younger like when I took the boot camps, no, I wouldn't turn them down. The pace and lack of sleep would nearly kill me now...