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My IT Certification/Continuing Education Saga


V.T. Eric Layton

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V.T. Eric Layton

You are feeling like a forbidden file? ;)

 

Fixed image. Try it now. ;)

 

That's cool! You will have a leg up on some of those going to the classes! :thumbsup:

 

Well, it wasn't about getting a leg up on anyone. It was more about me not going in there blind. I like to know what I'm getting into before I step in it. ;)

 

That's exactly how I feel when I study the OSI model and all that other stuff.

 

I haven't stuffed my head like this since my first days with Linux. :yes: It's kinda' fun to study and learn stuff. Makes me feel like a young school boy again. It's nice to know the ol' noggin still works somewhat. ;)

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It's kinda' fun to study and learn stuff. Makes me feel like a young school boy again. It's nice to know the ol' noggin still works somewhat. ;)

Exactly!

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Guest LilBambi

Fixed image. Try it now. ;)

 

 

Well, it wasn't about getting a leg up on anyone. It was more about me not going in there blind. I like to know what I'm getting into before I step in it. ;)

 

 

 

I haven't stuffed my head like this since my first days with Linux. :yes: It's kinda' fun to study and learn stuff. Makes me feel like a young school boy again. It's nice to know the ol' noggin still works somewhat. ;)

 

Great image works well now. Also, I know you just enjoy learning and want to feel like you are not going in blind and also will be confident you can still get the brain to do what you want it to with the upcoming classes. I can totally understand that. I meant the leg up as a good heathy understanding of some of the key concepts, not as a competition thing.

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V.T. Eric Layton

Well, I've pretty much decided that I'm going to kick this whole techie certification thing in the ascii.

 

Once I get this CCNA, I'm going to grab the A+, Network+, Security+, and the Linux+. Heck! Maybe even the coveted LPIC --> Linux Professional Institute Certification. I'm pretty sure I can pass the A+ and maybe the Linux+ right now. After getting the CCNA, I'm pretty sure I can easily pass the Network+, too. Eventually, I'd like to get the CCNP - next step up the Cisco ladder.

 

I would love to go to school like Bob. Unfortunately, if I start working full-time, I don't think I'll have the time for it. :) We'll see...

 

Wonder what kind of $$$ I'll make with that alphabet soup after my name? :w00tx100:

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I would love to go to school like Bob. Unfortunately, if I start working full-time, I don't think I'll have the time for it. :) We'll see...

And I would love to be able to work full-time. My school adventures are strickly a way to keep a little bit of sanity in my otherwise upside-down life.

 

I go to see the sugeon for the final pre-surgical consult Jan. 24th, this will be the third time I've done it. Hopefully, this time everything will go forward and I can get back surgery over with. Don't know what comes next and won't until after recovery phase.

 

Well, I've pretty much decided that I'm going to kick this whole techie certification thing in the ascii.

Glad to hear it. You'll do fine.

 

Once I get this CCNA, I'm going to grab the A+, Network+, Security+, and the Linux+. Heck! Maybe even the coveted LPIC --> Linux Professional Institute Certification. I'm pretty sure I can pass the A+ and maybe the Linux+ right now. After getting the CCNA, I'm pretty sure I can easily pass the Network+, too. Eventually, I'd like to get the CCNP - next step up the Cisco ladder.

You'll do fine on all those certification tests. The CCNA is a 'real' test you will need to be really prepared for. The LPIC is kind of tough, but easier than the Cisco ones. The CCNP, eat your Wheaties and study hard. All the others you can pass in your sleep. They are multiple guess with a pool of stock questions they draw from. A couple days doing practice tests and you'll get 100% on them.

 

Wonder what kind of $$$ I'll make with that alphabet soup after my name? :w00tx100:

You will have no trouble making a living with a CCNA and all those other little certs. The good money, and employers beating a path to your door, come with the CCNP or RHCE.

 

Good luck buddy.

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V.T. Eric Layton

Hey! Maybe we'll end up working somewhere together. That would be COOL! :)

 

I don't need the luck. I can handle this. However, my ol' truck needs all the wishes for good luck y'all can send her. She really needs to get me to where I need to be so I can get to where I want to be. Know what I mean, jelly-bean?

 

I'm off to go check the fluid levels, tire pressures, and change out a carppy radiator cap right now.

 

Later...

 

~Eric

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Sending power, strength and endurance wishes to ye ole truck and wishes for great success to you, Eric. Although, with your preparation and enthusiasm, I have every confidence that you will do great!

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V.T. Eric Layton

Looks are deceiving.

 

I went to Catholic schools from 1st through 10th grades; spending Grade 9 and 10 in a Jesuit-run school. I was ALWAYS a straight A student. I left the Jesuit school at 16 (Grade 11) and took the State of Florida G.E.D., where I scored so high that the Florida State Department of Education head actually contacted my mother to tell her of my results. Later in pursuit of my A.S. (Computer Engineering - Specialized), I graduated 2nd in my graduating class of 80+ students with an overall GPA of 3.98 (out of 4.00). Only one Cambodian gentleman named Ly Seng Eng, an ex Cambodian fighter pilot during the Viet Nam conflict, graduated ahead of me with a 3.99.

 

Schooling/learning was never an issue for me. Self-learning is my favorite method, though. Once I become motivated, like I did with Linux, I tear into it. I can't learn it fast enough. It's fun!

 

Sadly, none of this has elevated me into the 1%... or even the top 50%. I'm working on it, though. My biggest downfall is lack of ambition. I'm easily pleased (and amused ;) ). My father use to ask me, "If you're so BLEEPin' smart, why aren't you rich?" Lack of ambition was the cause, I'm afraid. My brother got all the ambition. He's one of those top-athlete, go-getter, type A personalities. He's not rich either, though, because he's a carppy business/money manager. Success requires a good mixture of characteristics, opportunity, and a lot of luck. :yes:

 

So, never judge a biker by his cover....

 

07Rally.png

 

HAHA! :hysterical:

 

EDIT: Just wanted to clarify that I wasn't meaning to toot my own horn in the above posting. My point was/is that smarts alone just ain't no guarantee of success in this life. :huh:

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V.T. Eric Layton

WOW! What a trip the Internet is! I just did a quick search for Ly Seng Eng and found a picture of him:

 

Class_10_EngSengLy.jpg

 

and some other info that shows he's still alive and kickin' at 62 and living just south of me in Bradenton, FL. I may attempt to get ahold of this fellow one of these days.

 

COOL! :)

 

I remember one Friday night after a particularly difficult test, we all got pretty buzzed out in the parking lot on Genesee Cream Ale. Ly was hilarious. He was a good guy... and VERY smart! I hope all his dreams came true for him. :yes:

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V.T. Eric Layton

Genesee Cream Ale! You don't want to know what the locals where it was brewed called it. :D

 

It was actually my first experience with it. It was smooth. I'm not a beer or ale drinker, but it was drinkable; plus, it came in a really pretty green can back then.

 

IMG_8170.JPG

 

I imagine they refer to it as some sort of animal urine. ;)

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V.T. Eric Layton

OK...

 

b2t.gif

 

Day 1 was pretty interesting. It was mostly filling out more redundant government paperwork, learning about the instructor, learning what the course entailed, and learning a bit about each other's backgrounds and experience.

 

I'm the only one in the class with no actual IT experience. Most everyone else in the class (6 men, 1 woman) are programmers, networking support staffers, IT help desk folks, tech writers, etc. The instructor (and most of the other students) believe that my hands-on technical experience and my knowledge of the physical world of electronics is way more advantageous than their IT experience. We'll see how that pans out when it comes time to get a job. Also, they seemed impressed (and a bit envious) with my Linux skills and credentials, particularly my lack of fear of the command line interface. They're all MS Windows users. :whistling:

 

Oh, on Day 1, the teacher was late. ;) He drives from St. Pete to Riverview... a darned good long commute, about 1.5 hours if traffic cooperates. He's a long time Cisco employee and a Cisco product instructor prior to that. He seems to know his stuff.

 

The CCNA can be attained two ways: 1) by taking and passing a single all-encompassing examination or 2) by taking two separate examinations (ICND1 and ICND2) that together will qualify you for the CCNA. This course uses the two test method. We are expected to have achieved the ICND1 by week 7 of the course. The second test (ICND2) is set for the end of the course, after week 8. Passing the first of the two will get you a CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician) certification.

 

We get binders and handouts and very nice hard cover text books (2). COOL, huh? :yes:

 

Looking forward to really getting started tomorrow.

 

My ol' girl (truck) did pretty well getting me out there and home today. I hope she keeps it up. :)

 

I'm hungry now. Off to go eat a bit, then study... study... STUDY... STUDY SOME MORE... then sleep.

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He's a long time Cisco employee and a Cisco product instructor prior to that. He seems to know his stuff.

 

That sounds much more advantageous to the class than someone who "only" knows the material.

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That sounds much more advantageous to the class than someone who "only" knows the material.

Or someone who read the material and is trying to teach it. Very common in the local community college. Not so much in the Computer Science dept., but very common on campus overall.
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Also, they seemed impressed (and a bit envious) with my Linux skills and credentials, particularly my lack of fear of the command line interface.

Aren't we all.

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V.T. Eric Layton

That sounds much more advantageous to the class than someone who "only" knows the material.

 

Well, I used the term "seems to know" basically because I believe in the old adage that the "proof is in the pudding". How I ultimately rate him as an instructor will be determined by how well I feel he has taught me. Can't judge that on just his commentary on day one listing his experiences and previous employers, you know. :)

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V.T. Eric Layton

Off topic a bit...

 

I'm so used to hanging out online with folks in the Linux community that I often forget that we are a very small minority worldwide. I am occasionally taken aback somewhat when I interact with a group of folks in real life, like this class, and find that many of them are awed and somewhat wary of the Linux geek in their midst. It's kinda' funny, actually. When you say you run Linux, the few MS Windows or MacOS folks in the crowd who actually might have heard about it often look at you like you're a three-eyed toad. ;)

 

There is an exception to this rule, and there's one of these in my current class; any older tech nerd who started out in Unix usually grants you nearly instant respect. They treat you as though the both of you have a common ancestry, which you do, actually. The folks brought up primarily in the MS Windows environments don't seem to share a connection like this with Linux users.

 

There is still common ground between MS, Apple, and GNU/Linux folks. In class yesterday, we were laughing and joking about our experiences with early period computing... punch cards, tape drives, Radio Shack Mod 4 computer, Commodore VIC 20, 300 Baud modems, etc. There was even some conversation regarding current MS and Apple security threats (personal and server based). I just sat back and smuggly snickered to myself during this conversation. I even got a wink from the old Unix guy. ;)

 

Well, gotta run...

 

Everyone have a great day! :)

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When you say you run Linux, the few MS Windows or MacOS folks in the crowd who actually might have heard about it often look at you like you're a three-eyed toad. ;)

 

Not this three-eyed.... I mean Mac user. ;)

 

Adam

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V.T. Eric Layton

Well, Day 2 was fun!

 

We actually got into it today. I learned one thing for sure, my prep before this course even started is paying off big time. I know a LOT more about this stuff than I would have otherwise. I'm also learning that I knew a goodly portion (particularly data at the physical layer) of this stuff just from my electronics background.

 

And I'm finding that note-taking on my own laptop is a WONDERFUL thing! This is my first experience with classroom learning where I had access to a computer for this purpose. I can type ever so much faster than I can write. I almost type verbatim what the instructor is saying. My notes are pretty extensive. I save them on a flash drive and upload them to my Dropbox as a backup.

 

You should have seen the looks on the faces of the three fellows in the row behind me when I killed X in Slackware and edited my notes in CLI via VIM. One asked me why I did that. I told him the GUI uses battery too quickly on that old Dell. I got 3.5 hours out of it without the GUI running, though. Won't have this issue tomorrow. We'll be back in our computer lab classroom. There are outlets on the desks in that room.

 

We got our text books today... 2 massive hard cover monsters. I'll have carpel tunnel from holding one up to read. Of the two CCNA study books and the two volume CompTIA Network+ books, I can already see that these Cisco text books are going to be MUCH better. The others gave me a start, though. They're good reference books to keep around.

 

Well, I'm going to watch the end of The Rifleman right now and then turn the ol' TV off. It'll be STUDY TIME for the next three or four hours.

 

Later all... :)

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I am so very excited for you, Eric. I hope you continue to have time to keep us updated on how the class is proceeding, but studying does come first.

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iAdam, you're different because you are an OS tri-sexual. You do MS, Apple, and Linux. ;)

 

Hmmmm...... I am not sure what to think about this.

 

I don't use Windows willingly. Does that make it different? lol

 

Adam

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V.T. Eric Layton

Your forced MS Windows usage is definitely noted. Use of that OS will be omitted when management does your annual review. ;)

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Your forced MS Windows usage is definitely noted. Use of that OS will be omitted when management does your annual review. ;)

 

Whew! :sweatingbullets:

 

Adam

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Guest LilBambi

iAdam, you're different because you are an OS tri-sexual. You do MS, Apple, and Linux. ;)

Wow, Adam and I both do that ... that's a scary analysis there Eric! LOL!

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It's a family forum. You weirdos need to move along now...

 

Well would you look at that. Two days in straightsville and Eric is morphing into a suit. :pirate:

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