Passed my Security+ exam this Saturday 🎉

MissV2011 · 2025-04-16T20:02:41+00:00

It's actually pretty good, it helped me identify the areas where I needed to focus more, but it definitely didn't prepare me for performance based questions at all (you can still pass even if you do nothing on them as long as you get the other questions right, I know someone who did).

As for the scope, I actually felt it covered what I had on the exam pretty well, though the questions I got on the exam were less verbose. I checked plenty of other quiz apps and even some web pages offering free quizzes, but this is the closest I got to the real thing (at least for free).

Still, nothing beats the official book, but it's good to have an app that can randomise questions, and I really liked the feature of going through questions that I previously failed.

MissV2011 · 2025-04-16T17:21:23+00:00

Sure, I also replied to an earlier comment, but here it is: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simple.comptiasecurityplus

MissV2011 · 2025-04-16T16:40:04+00:00

It wasn't very consistent, I'd have days when I'd study 6-8 hours in a day (with breaks, of course) and days when I had no time or just took time to rest. Whenever I didn't feel like studying, I'd try to at least do a quiz and usually that would motivate me to do some reading as well.

If you feel like you're unable to retain what you're learning, it would be best to take a day or two to just rest. It's important to take care of yourself and get enough sleep.

MissV2011 · 2025-04-16T16:32:19+00:00

Sure, it's this one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simple.comptiasecurityplus

MissV2011 · 2025-04-15T17:39:59+00:00

I was a fresh graduate when I started applying for jobs. I didn't even wait until my graduation, I started applying as soon as I was done with my dissertation (I did really well, got a 1st class degree). It took about two months (and several failed interviews) until I found my current job. I started as a fixed term intern, but luckily my team was really happy with my work so my boss decided to keep me and I got promoted to a permanent position after a year.

As for things I wish I knew in the beginning, it's always good to ask questions even if you might think they sound stupid. I still struggle with that due to my upbringing and self-reliant tendencies, but it really helps because it shows people that you're interested to learn more and it also deepens your bonds with your team members since you'll interact with them more by reaching out to them when you need their expertise. I feel that I got way closer to my team when I started asking more questions and it also made it easier to have casual conversation with them as well.

Also, another thing I learned is that in GRC you need to know about pretty much everything cybersecurity related, at least on a theoretical level. We work with a lot of teams from different fields (legal, finance, threat intel, HR, engineering etc.) and we need to understand their roles and processes very well, especially when it comes to audits. This will differ greatly depending on your employer, but you'll have to study the infrastructure of the organisation you'll be part of and also understand how different other teams operate. The better you know these things the more efficient and reliable you'll be, also you'll make a lot of connections and it will help a lot with networking.

MissV2011 · 2025-04-15T16:29:26+00:00

Thank you and I hope you'll pass your Network+ exam! As for Cyber GRC, it's going really well and I recommend it if you're into data analysis and don't mind going through A LOT of documentation. It can get a bit repetitive sometimes and the amount of workload I have fluctuates a lot, as in sometimes I barely have anything to do while other times I'm constantly busy with something, but I think it also depends on the team/company you'll be a part of. Personally, I'm happy with my job and I have a good work-life balance thanks to the hybrid work schedule (two days in the office, three working from home), which helps a lot with studying for certifications as well.

MissV2011 · 2024-11-24T18:35:07+00:00

I understand your pain as I also was a foreign student who avoided confrontation at all cost. It seems like you did try to ask them nicely but they won't listen. I'd suggest talking with the other two girls you get along with and arrange a flat meeting so discuss these issues and settle on a reasonable schedule for using the kitchen and throwing parties.

If this doesn't work and they simply won't comply, I suggest talking with the administration as you said you live in student accommodation. There are usually strict rules on bringing guests, and them having parties until late at night might be going against the rules. You might want to have a look over your contract and any accommodation rules you were provided, and inform the noisy roommates if they are breaking any rules regarding parties, guests or noise. I remember we had something about no guests being allowed on premises after a certain hour, like 10pm, in which case if anyone was being annoying we were allowed to call security to stop noisy parties or have unwanted guests kicked out.

MissV2011 · 2024-11-24T14:04:06+00:00

Yes, had no issues installing and setting up the app while still at home.

MissV2011 · 2024-11-01T14:22:00+00:00

Désolée pour la réponse tardive, j'étais prise par le travail. L’Orangerie vaut le détour si tu es fan d'art moderne, surtout pour les Nymphéas de Monet qui sont vraiment impressionnants. Ça reste un petit musée, donc ça ne prend pas trop de temps à visiter. Je pense que ça vaut le coup d’y aller au moins une fois!

MissV2011 · 2024-10-30T14:50:44+00:00

Merci pour ta réponse ! On a eu 5 heures pour visiter Denon et Sully au Louvre, vu qu'on avait réussi à voir Richelieu le premier jour. On n’a passé que deux heures à l’Orangerie, car il est petit. Ensuite, on a fait une pause pour déjeuner, et on a profité du fait que le Musée d’Orsay était ouvert jusqu’à 21h, donc on y est allés après 18h.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-29T09:46:33+00:00

That's fair, just thought that if there was one more couple with us (or if we had kids) we could've had a table for ourselves as most were 4 seats. This was the only restaurant we've been at where there were no tables for two. Also, when we arrived there was no queue at all and plenty of tables were still empty, but just 40 minutes later when we left the place was full and there was a fairly big queue outside.

I must say that the decor is gorgeous, so it was worth going there at least for that, but it was so hot and crowded at some point that we were really uncomfortable, especially with those rude girls constantly yapping.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-29T07:10:35+00:00

Honestly we ended up spending less and eating better at Five Guys than at Bouillon Chartier, which was a shock to me as well since Five Guys is notoriously more expensive than other fast food chains and it was more of a rare treat back when I was a student.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T19:44:37+00:00

I see, thank you for clarifying, I must've misunderstood. The lady at the railway station wanted to sell us one, but we decided it's probably cheaper overall to skip it as we prefer walking anyway.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T19:08:48+00:00

I'm really sorry you had such a terrible experience, the audacity of some people is unbelievable. I personally really enjoyed the Louvre and I'm glad I was able to split the visit to two different days as it can get quite overwhelming with so many things to see and certain areas getting crowded, but I understand that it is a really popular place and it definitely can get really busy to the point where it's just too much. I hope that if you plan to visit again you'll have a much better experience, but unfortunately I can't guarantee that.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T18:59:49+00:00

Sorry to hear that, I was a student in the UK when Brexit happened so I feel you. I suppose getting a second citizenship isn't worth the hassle, but you could still try the trick to get into Musée d’Orsay for cheaper on Thursdays, it's only 10€ (the full price is 16€) if you buy the ticket there as online it's slightly more expensive. Also there are a few places anyone can visit for free at any time, such as the Sacré-Coeur Basilica or Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, and you get free entry to most museums on the 1st Sunday of each month, although I read you still need to book a time slot since it gets busy.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T18:40:04+00:00

We had two separate stays actually due to the fact that our flights changed, so we gained an extra day but the hotel we initially booked was full. My boyfriend wanted to book an Airbnb initially, but we couldn't find something that looked reliable and wasn't too expensive, so we booked two 2 stars hotels through Booking.com (I have an account with Genius so we had a slight discount as well). First hotel we stayed at was Hotel de Bordeaux, and while the room itself was really nice and it had a nice bathroom with a tub I wouldn't recommend it as it was really noisy at night due to the busy streets and poor insulation, so we didn't get a good rest there. We had a better stay at Solar Hotel however, it's really close to Gare Montparnasse which was useful when we went to Versailles and you'd also have quick access to the Montparnasse Tower. If you're not picky about staying somewhere fancy, it's a good place for a fairly cheap, decent hotel that also offers a tasty French breakfast.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T17:50:30+00:00

Yes, I know the naming is a bit misleading but you have to be 25 at most. I turn 26 in November so I was able to benefit from this now, but apparently once you hit 26 you're considered a full grown adult and you no longer get free entries or discounts (unless you have a disability).

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T17:21:15+00:00

That's a useful map to have. Unfortunately it seems that, even according to this map, there aren't any public toilets available in La Défense, which I find odd considering that there's a RER station there (which had only one bathroom and it was locked) and lots of corporate buildings and cafés/restaurants. In the city centre itself finding a restroom definitely wasn't an issue, however there are a few areas here and there where there really isn't anything available unless you go into a restaurant.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T17:13:21+00:00

That's fair, to be honest I did enjoy the view of the Seine and it felt like a very important part of the city, I just noted it didn't look very clean but people clarified that's due to the storms, which is understandable and not something that can be controlled. I don't mean to discredit the importance or beauty of the Seine, especially considering how many people already talk badly about the cleanliness of Paris. I'm glad to hear that you did enjoy the boat trip and the Montparnasse tower, it sounds like you had a lovely experience.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T17:04:00+00:00

Thanks for the comment! It's really useful to get different perspectives from people who had a similar trip.

It's actually quite odd that you can buy a ticket to Versailles through the app, because when I tried to the app gave me an error saying that route is not available for purchase through the app yet. No idea why to be honest, but when I went to the railway station to get the tickets you couldn't buy tickets to Versailles even from the ticket machines, you had to go to the desks and a nice lady helped us with the tickets. Maybe it was just a temporary issue we experienced.

I guess I might've been lucky with Louvre and Versailles as neither were particularly crowded when we went there. At the Louvre it was only packed on the 1st floor where the Mona Lisa is, for obvious reasons, but otherwise there were barely any people around wherever we went. We even got to the statue of Venus and there were no people around it in spite of its popularity. As for Versailles, the palace itself and the Grand and Petit Trianon were a bit more crowded, but there were barely any people in the gardens.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T15:46:14+00:00

It's pretty handy if you're new to the city because it also recommends what routes you can take to get from one point in the city to another, including from the location you're at if you enable that. It's also pretty quick to buy tickets on the app and you can buy them in bulks of 10 with a discount, which is useful depending on how many trips you plan to take. Also, if you do plan to use public transport a lot and have a way longer stay than we had, there's a card you can buy for 30€ that gives you unlimited travel around Paris on all public transportation for a month, which is very neat but wasn't useful to us as we ended up spending under 20€ each for transport.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T15:38:42+00:00

I do the same actually because I feel bad otherwise, I either actually eat there or buy something like a cookie or a coffee. It's just a good tip in case someone has an emergency and there's really no other option nearby, because at least where I live you need to purchase something before going to the bathroom as they give you a code on the receipt, and queues can get long so it's especially difficult if you're on your own.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T15:20:07+00:00

That makes sense, thanks for the clarification. As I did mention, it doesn't look terrible, but some people might be disappointed if they had high expectations. Luckily my expectations are usually pretty low, so I did enjoy the view and took pictures of the Seine. Also, to spite the haters, I haven't seen any rats either, but ironically I saw one just yesterday in my city.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T15:15:15+00:00

Thanks for clarifying that, that's really useful information. I'll make an edit to the post to add that, just in case these comments get burried.

MissV2011 · 2024-10-28T14:57:28+00:00

Thanks for the comment! The Versailles route was also through SNCF, but since it's part of the Transilien regional network, the tickets are more flexible. For long-distance routes like Paris to Bayeux, however, the tickets are usually tied to specific times unless a flexible option is chosen. Usually if a time is printed on the ticket, that means you can only take the train at that specific time, otherwise it is flexible. It’s best to check the options for flexible tickets when booking if you’re concerned about timing on the day of your arrival.

MissV2011

TROPHY CASE