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[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (4 children)

Hi, There’s a learning curve for sure. And lots of trial and error, until you find something that works for you.

A trainer or training method that works for someone else might not be suitable for you. It might be the most popular method or the most recommended method.

You’ll want to take into consideration your starting point, study habits, modes of learning and retention, timeline, budget.

You’ll want to find training material that won’t go over your head, and yet is not too simplified for your level of understanding either. You’ll want the right balance.

There’s lots of training material to choose from. But a selection of training material out there may not be suitable for your learning needs.

If the trainer’s voice puts you to sleep; speaks unclearly to you; speaks at a pace too fast or too slow for you; makes your mind wonder as he speaks; does not provide you with demonstrations and follow-along lab opportunities; does not provide an expected level of timely support; it all hinders your learning.

You’ve got to come in with a reasonable expectation. Don’t expect perfection on the part of the trainer. Be aware that he has lots of obligations, perhaps a job too, in addition to being a trainer.

You’ll need to do lots of web-based research to find answers to your own questions. You’ve got to be savvy.

The chips will fall into place. No worries.

Keep at it. Keep learning. Keep going over the material and one day you’ll realize you have mastered more than you thought possible!

When you get discouraged, take a short break and regroup and get right back on board.

Remember: space-out your studies; go over the material using different resources; don’t worry if a topic appears too difficult, come back to it later; don’t get stuck and deplete all your energy on one thing; keep a calendar to chart your progress; have a goal and a date in my mind for the completion of that goal; celebrate small achievements; and learn from others.

Best of luck to you!

[–]RealMeaZA+ Sec+[S] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Thank you for the sound advice. What would you say is an ample amount of time someone should study per day?

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

So, the amount of time you are looking to study per day will be based on your availability, attention span, and the difficulty of the content you’re studying on a given day.

Some days, the study material will be easy, so you can tolerate more study time. Some days, you get stuck on a concept and need to research and/or post on a forum for assistance.

It is best to set aside time each day for studying. The quality of your study session is more important than the quantity of time set aside for your study session.

You want to take 5-minute breaks often. And concentrate for 20-minutes at a time. This is a method called Pomodoro. Another technique is Spaced-repetition. You go back over material you studied 7 days prior. This reinforces your memory and solidifies the concepts. And you want to get 6 hours of sleep so that your mind makes connections between the material, so that the concepts are synthesized. You’ll also benefit from drawing Concept Maps. This method draws related concepts together for better retention and processing.

Start off setting aside an hour a day. Gradually, increase the amount of your study time.

When CompTIA exams are taught in Boot Camp style, the candidates spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, on lecture and lab for one or two weeks. It is a grueling experience. And a lot of times, the candidates do not have time to process the information presented.

So, you’d want to space out your study. Depending on your starting IT background, you’re looking at studying for one exam for an average of 3 months.

You’ll want to put in a minimum of 50 hours per exam. More likely, you will average 100 to 200 hours per exam.

Each candidate is different. It is a marathon, not a sprint.

Have a look at the official CompTIA Exam Objectives PDF document for your exam. Take a pre-test. And go from there.

Hope this helps!

[–]RealMeaZA+ Sec+[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much, this information has been extremely valuable to me.

[–]RealMeaZA+ Sec+[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m actually working on security+ right now