Following a successful CCNA course I sat the exam – and unfortunately failed by two questions. I then throughout January did intensive study on the subjects I was weaker in, and then re-took the Exam, and passed. On the back of this I have new responsibilities in my Job, now looking after the Cisco Network and Voice over IP VOIP - telephone system. The course was a long road to travel – with some challenging assessments and chapters – but the end result has been worth it.
-David
(a) I managed to stick to my study plan, which was to read each module ahead of the applicable TMA. I have also managed to maintain a revision schedule (though with some difficulties because of other pressing engagements). Keeping pace with revision is helpful to me because the practice of scanning and browsing already read material once in a while has an effect of pushing the acquired information into the permanent or retention memory area of my brain. This will lighten overall preparatory revision for the exam at the end of the course and lessen or avoid stress.
(b) I have managed to submit about 2 assignments every week on average. At this rate (provided I maintain it) I intend to have submitted about 40 assignments by July 2007, while managing to retain in my memory a greater percentage of the covered material.
(c) Of the seven (7) assignments that I have submitted, I have repeated only one (1) assignment, whose mark was 60%.
(d) I have maintained an average of 80% mark for all the seven (7) assignments that have been marked so far, excluding the repeated 100% mark.
(e) I have taken an average of 6.5 minutes for each of the 10-question assignments, going by the eight (8) TMAs that I have submitted so far. The questions which I got incorrect (14 out of a total of 70 to date) were a revelation that I had not mastered the material for those questions in as much detail as the other sections whose questions I answered correctly and effortlessly.
(f) I have managed to put into practice the knowledge that I gained from the course. For example, In August 2006, I bought a DELL Dimension PC from a garage sale. But when I turned it on, the PC took about 2 days to boot, and would not run in the end. I sent it to PC World Clinic, who returned it after 5 weeks, having failed to resolve the problem on the grounds that I was supposed to provide them with a recovery disc, which I did not have, neither could I trace the seller. But after going through the BOOT and System Configuration modules of the MCSE course in February 2007, I managed to reconfigure the DELL PC to its original settings, and the machine is performing with explosive power right now, clearly surpassing the other 3 new PCs which I acquired previously from COMET.
In hind sight, this garage sale DELL Dimension PC turned out to be the most cost effective acquisition, all because of the MCSE studies in February 2007. The second example is that when Windows VISTA was launched, I upgraded one of my PCs with Windows XP Professional to Windows VISTA Ultimate. I encountered serious incompatibility problems with several programs on hard drive, especially the Symantec Antivirus 2006. Even the upgrade to version 10.2 as recommended on their website did not work. However, through the modules which I covered in February 2007, I managed to try things out and resolved all the problems and I am now enjoying pure magic in VISTA Ultimate on the 1MB RAM ACE Aspire T180. In the regime of tuning up a PC and resolving periodic and frequent PC problems, the knowledge gained in February from the MCSE course has been put to good use.
Therefore because I have managed to keep a good pace in my studies and revision work, and applied the knowledge which I learn to useful and practical purposes.
-Win
I have been studying (many evenings into the early hours)as a complete novice at the start of the course ,it has really bitten me now.I love the design work and in my spare time I like to paraglide.At a club meeting recently I mentioned to the club director that the club site was looking not too good and I said if he liked I would put a rough draught together.He said he would like me to have a go.So I actually redesigned the club logo did all the art work,redrew the site maps did the animation,and relevent pages,with html,javascript and perl and gave him a copy on disk.Last week I received an email telling me to check out the club website.Their old website had gone and been completely replaced by mine and also I have received so many emails from people telling me how much they like the site so I am very very happy,now I have all the server codes and am now the club webmaster.The previous webmaster of their old site is also a club member and a proffessional 'webmaster' and he was very pleased with the site I put together that completely replaced his.I am a happy man.
-Mark
So far this month I have handed in 3 assignments. of which 2 have been marked scoring 100%. I have little time to study as I wake at 6am to get a bus 20 miles by bus to and from work 5 days a week. I study on the way to work, on the way back from work and every other opportunity I get. I have logged on to student world numerous times and collected alot of useful information. Thanks to this my motivation for studying has increased significantly and now see studying as a pleasure not a chore.
I have viewed the recorded online virtual classroom lectures and made many notes of everything I've seen. Im going for my third 100% assignment this month because of the routine I have slipped into thanks to skillstrain. This course has not only helped me achieve a greater understanding of networking concepts, but has also turned me into a highly motivated and well organized person. The thought of succeeding in this course has given me the motivation I need to enjoy my current job, so now it doesn't feel like a mission to do my day to day activities.
Thankyou so much guys!
Regards,
Sam.
-Sam
The materials are very well done and easy to undestand for anybody and the tutors are helpful. I passed my CompTIA A+ and N+ and now I am stdying CCNA. Good luck!!!
-Bogdan
Despite not having a computer and Access to the internet at the start of my course, I feel I have achieved quite a lot in my short time with skills train.
I have successfully completed my first two assignments and have just submitted my 3rd, all in the space of ten days.
With limited facilities at home and at work, I feel I have juggled everything pretty well and made full use of time management.(Work/travelling/rugby/household chores, etc)
I am really determined to succeed in this industry and this training will get me to my chosen goal. If I dont succeed, I only have myself to blame.
With good results so far, and hopefully number 3 will follow in the same fold.
-Dean
I have come back from a long illness and have restarted my A+ course under the new A+ course 2006, and to my amazment I have remembered a lot of items from before, I am studying a lot more this time round and have found the site a great improvment to the one I used before I have just completed TMA 4, since starting my course with you I have built 7 home computers from new with no problems also I have been doing a course online to and passed NCFE level 2 in TELEMATICS which has gave me the confidence in building websites and I am building one for my friend and my sons football club, this has all been a nock on effect from starting these courses A+N+ and when I have passed my exams (fingers crossed) I am going to look in to a course to build better websites than I am now, while building computers my wife has been watching me and she has become very knowledgeable and has fixed her own computer on 3 occasions, from changing her soundcard to installing a network card, I now receive around 5 calls a mth from friends and family with computer problems and now my wife trys to answer there problem if I can not get to the phone and to this day she has got them all right, in a way this is down to you as when I feel I am able to take the tma on she try's to answer them herself, I must hold my head in shame as she beat me on tma3 on the A+ I got 87% she got 91%, well I must sign off now as I have lots of studying to do. Thank you
-Christopher
I am currently a househusband to my wife who has been suffering with a personally emotionional illness now for the last six years, I attend to all the housework, shopping and gardening ect.
we have four children a 21yr old daughter and working mother with her own family life, a 18yr old son sharing a house and working, a 17yr old son who is still at home, and still looking for work since leaving school in September 2006.
and finally a 13 yr old daughter still in high school.
I took on this training course in an effort to attain the qualifications that will greatly improve the cances of me getting me back into a first class job, to hopefully work from home and still be able to support my wife emotionally.
and finally to improve our lifestyle financially in the process.
I had no previous experience of Web Technology, Web Design or other computer skills before I started this course, I had only used a pc to surf the web or play games on. During this course I have gained the knowledge and experience which has helped me to resolve a lot of problems with my pc such as virus attacks, lock ups, and system failures.
I have also had the oppertunity to assist a friend who's Pc suffered a virus attack, I was able to instruct on how to firstly rid the virus and then advise the best ways to protect his system in the future, to which he was most gratefull.
Finaly I would like to share with everyone that I gave up smoking as of October 28th 2006 with NO patches or other aid just shear will power, and I have not smoked since.
-Gerald
Finding it hard to fit time to study into my very busy life ,due to starting work at 5.30 am and finishing at 4.00 pm ,and then looking after my ten year old daughter as my wife works till 9.00 pm. time to knuckle down to it ,studied every chance I had even in work ,had a few warnings of my boss for reading in work ,so I decided to build my own pc,bought the mother board and a pentium
4 dual core proccesor, case, ddr2 ram,dvd& cd r/w combo,floppy drive ,19" monitor and keyboard and mouse and windows xp o/s and a 200gb sata hard drive,total cost to build £490,built pc in under 2 hours installed o/s ,checked cmos ,everything working fine, decided to sell pc ,sold it for £500 and took another pc in part ex as I had put pc up for £600, upgraded the older pc and sold it for £300 ,not to bad for a man who so much going on in his mind and not enough hours in a day, thankyou.
-David
I feel I have 2 main achievements:
General achievements
2006/2007 achievements
General achievements:-
SURVIVING. Thought returning to studying would be ok and now older I would take things in a bit more. Had very little computer knowledge when starting the course. Defrag, emailing, internet, the basics.
I am a mother of 7 children in total, 4 of my own that live with me ( ages 13,11,7,4) and 3 step-children (14,13,11) that stay at a weekends. At 35years old and a stay at home mother for 10years, taking on these courses was a challenge, the odds were against me regarding to time and quietness. But routine, organisation and support and the will to achieve the impossible has helped.
I want to say THANK YOU tutor's for the study time table, this has become my bible! I print it of each week and note what I have studied and what amount of time I have done.
Fitting studying in is VERY hard, with a 4 yr old still at home, and noise of 4 children on week nights and then 7 on weekends. I have achieved something I did not feel I might not. Study regularly and achieve good results (average mark 90%) in my A+ course.
Now at the end I am cramming in revision from notes on week days, with time at the library and weekends studying toward new N+ course.
I also lost my grandfather April 05 and when I started the course was still grieving some what. Through hard work, routine, structure and commitment. I feel I have achievement so much and grown as much as a person this last year. I have now with the help of this course, upgraded 5 computers for friends and family (power supplies, graphics cards, memory etc) , one which was suffering from a fatal virus and would not boot up. I am helped 2 friends wireless network their laptops also.
2006/2007 achievements:-
I sadly lost my grandmother also on the 9th Oct 2006. This is a hard time now grieving for two grandparentsI am also now greiving the loss of our family pet of 17years, which we sadly lost on Jan 2007. I took two weeks in Oct 06 & Jan 07 out of any studying for personal time out. I needed it. It's now few months/weeks on; I can look back at what I have done. My assignment marks, course notes, study times, house (how tidy and clean it still is!), my routine and my family (they haven't suffered!) and ME. I personal have achieved many things than just TMA results. With starting 2007 with a TMA N+ mark of 100%.
Below is a daily flexible routine that helps me keep sane.
My daily routine:
Morning: 8:30am -12pm
School run times two children
Library visited with books (2hrs studying)
12:15pm -3pm
Creative time/educational time, Park with 4 yr old.
3-4Pm School run/ homework, evening meal prepare.
4-5pm chores and talk time with family
6-8pm Children time and bed times
8:30 – 12am quiet study time for me. (Approx. 2-3hrs)
I am achieving about 2-4 hours a day studying with flexibility around a noisy and busy family. From Sept I achieved with the wonderful help of my family and husband 20 hours of study, Oct 24 hours and 23 hours for Nov. I believe this achieved through the commitment and hard work from me and the wonderful support I have from my husband and children. My A+ and more recently N+ (Tma 8 – 100 %) marks are proof of this. This makes me so proud of myself.
These are my achievements, to someone that maybe small ones, but to me that are big ones (personal and educational). Studying around 7 children and having to work hard and take in and understand the course fully, has been stressful. You can achieve anything, if you put your mind to it. I feel I have and the odds I feel were against or should I say the “noise” of 7 children!
-Gillian
On 19 January 2007 my baby boy Boitumelo ( "The Most Appreciated One") was born. Months preceding the birth of the baby, I had to look after my wife, do a physically demanding job to support the family and pay for my CCNA course fees which I hope will help me get an IT job. During these preceding months and in January, I have been consistently submitting my assignments at a regular pace, scoring good grades. Since the birth of the baby delivered by Emergency C.S, I have had sleepless nights but I am even more motivated to finish my CCNA course sooner by consistently doing studies and submitting assignments weekly while still involved in doing all the other duies ,and looking after my wife and the baby. This birth has become another motivation for my success to ensure that my baby will have a secure future in a competitive world. After all his name suggests we should appreciate life and its challenges.
-Abia
I feel I have achieved more in the last month than I have all my life.
-Steven
I m a diplomat holder in Computer Operations however, I have never being so confident and was looking for other marketable professions. Frankly, some of my friends who decided to go with the training are now earning more than me which did not discourage me at all. Because, sooner after starting my course, things began to change for me and I m determined to complete it.
This is because, I m now confident and excited than ever and very soon I expect to be a certified Web Designer which will open doors of carreer opportunities for me.
I still have a lot of work to do though especially as a full timer and a family man. The good news is that I have started enjoying the benefits of my studies. Forexample, I repair, maintain and download free programs which are relevant to my studies and which could have cost me a lot if I were to buy them in shops.
One thing I have always wondered about is how sophisticated programs for retailer, shops etc.. are created given the fact that the hold this huge amount of information without any conflict and how people could communicate using web technologies? Well its over in fact, I look forward to creating my first applet programs and web sites and more shortly after completing my studies.
Thanks to all my relentless Tutors and Skills Train.
-Mohamed
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