WEBVTT 00:00.390 --> 00:05.760 I was going to start this video off by saying, I hate to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm not going 00:05.760 --> 00:08.210 to actually say that because you know me. 00:08.220 --> 00:09.450 I don't brag. 00:09.660 --> 00:11.320 That's not what I would ever do. 00:11.850 --> 00:13.380 So I'm not bragging. 00:14.190 --> 00:22.470 I just wanted to make it clear that I have passed more I.T. certification exams than probably anyone 00:22.470 --> 00:22.950 you know. 00:23.400 --> 00:29.250 The hardest I ever passed was the Cisco certified Internet work expert routing and switching certification. 00:29.550 --> 00:34.830 That was a three hour written and then an eight hour practical. 00:35.970 --> 00:40.050 Another hard test I passed was my black belt. 00:40.500 --> 00:45.930 Another exam that I passed was the private pilot, both the practical and the written. 00:47.130 --> 00:55.770 So suffice it to say, I am addicted and always have been to studying for and then taking in passing 00:55.770 --> 00:56.400 exams. 00:56.700 --> 00:59.610 I mean, I guess that's why I knew I would be in education. 01:00.030 --> 01:06.960 So let me give you some of my tried and true study tips for no matter what professional certification 01:06.960 --> 01:08.100 you're ramping up for. 01:08.790 --> 01:13.710 So I have organized these general study tips into 12 steps. 01:14.190 --> 01:16.920 Step number one, calm down now. 01:16.920 --> 01:24.260 You'll need to come back to this step a whole bunch of times during the process, the CCI preparation. 01:24.270 --> 01:34.410 I just can't even tell you what a grueling, incredibly challenging endeavor that once I did it many, 01:34.410 --> 01:42.030 many years ago, thank goodness, because now, like when I'm prepping for for any exam, any certification 01:42.030 --> 01:43.890 exam at all, doesn't matter what. 01:43.920 --> 01:52.110 It seems like such a joke compared to what I went through for that CCE constantly during the process 01:52.110 --> 01:57.870 I had to calm myself down because I was getting extreme anxiety. 01:57.870 --> 02:00.540 I mean, just absolute anxiety. 02:00.540 --> 02:05.880 And the anxiety is not going to do anything but get in the way. 02:06.030 --> 02:07.140 That's all it's going to do. 02:07.740 --> 02:09.720 It reminds me of my pilot training. 02:10.320 --> 02:14.910 I had an emergency in the aircraft, a complete engine failure. 02:15.540 --> 02:16.800 I was frightened flying. 02:16.800 --> 02:21.240 A dear friend of mine, Brian Alderman, you may have been in his training. 02:21.240 --> 02:27.360 If you've done anything with SQL Server or SharePoint in your life or Microsoft Windows in general. 02:27.690 --> 02:32.960 And anyways, Brian and I had this complete engine failure and he remained very calm. 02:33.000 --> 02:34.320 It was all easier for him. 02:34.320 --> 02:35.460 He had a few drinks in him. 02:36.390 --> 02:40.980 I had a drink immediately, as soon as I could after that incident, by the way. 02:41.220 --> 02:44.670 But anyways, we got on the ground safe and I didn't panic. 02:44.670 --> 02:45.510 He didn't panic. 02:45.510 --> 02:49.890 And that went a long way to a safe emergency landing. 02:50.920 --> 03:00.280 You have to know exactly what material is going to be covered and all of the certification exams that 03:00.280 --> 03:01.750 I've ever taken. 03:02.320 --> 03:08.890 Enumerate for you, what a great word they enumerate for you the topics that you're going to need. 03:08.920 --> 03:17.380 So you need to live and breathe by that topic list, take that topic list and make a study plan. 03:17.740 --> 03:24.520 There's all kinds of freeware software tools for you to take advantage of that will make the study plan 03:24.520 --> 03:27.490 and then give you the reminders you need and everything. 03:28.320 --> 03:32.940 You need to figure out the study methods that are going to work best for you. 03:33.540 --> 03:40.860 I used to be a mix it up kind of person where I would like to watch some videos that I like to read. 03:40.890 --> 03:45.240 Then I like to Hands-On, then go back to the videos, then read than Hands On. 03:45.630 --> 03:50.070 Nowadays, in my old age, all I like to do is read. 03:50.190 --> 03:51.030 I'm a reader. 03:51.090 --> 03:51.580 That's it. 03:51.600 --> 03:54.600 Read and hammer away on the hands on labs. 03:54.600 --> 03:56.040 Read lab, read lab. 03:56.040 --> 03:56.640 Read lab. 03:56.640 --> 03:57.750 Not a big video guy. 03:58.020 --> 04:02.130 Maybe because I spend so much time making videos, that's probably it. 04:02.400 --> 04:04.440 But anyways, you get the idea. 04:04.650 --> 04:10.200 Find out your nice mix of study methodologies and go for those. 04:10.980 --> 04:13.140 Take notes, ask questions. 04:13.380 --> 04:15.120 So you're going to be note taking. 04:15.150 --> 04:18.420 You're going to be using the Q&A forum to ask your questions. 04:19.140 --> 04:26.250 I'm going to be leading you to resources, but always be out on the lookout for other resources as well. 04:26.750 --> 04:28.970 Art goes back to asking questions. 04:28.980 --> 04:30.900 Ask for help in the Q&A form. 04:31.770 --> 04:33.520 Memorize as much as possible. 04:33.540 --> 04:42.120 I took great pains to create flashcards for you, create more and use those to get as much memorized 04:42.120 --> 04:42.780 as possible. 04:43.170 --> 04:50.100 There is going to be questions in every IT certification exam you ever take that require memorization? 04:50.130 --> 04:51.930 There's going to be some that require logic. 04:51.940 --> 04:57.000 There's going to be some that you can figure out the correct answer through process of elimination. 04:57.510 --> 05:00.210 But memorize as much as possible. 05:00.240 --> 05:02.130 Reward yourself throughout the journey. 05:02.490 --> 05:05.010 Organize yourself for the test. 05:05.400 --> 05:12.720 So if you are taking a certification exam from your home office, which is now allowed thanks to the 05:12.720 --> 05:17.610 COVID pandemic, some good came out of the COVID pandemic amazingly. 05:18.000 --> 05:19.940 But yeah, testing at home. 05:19.950 --> 05:27.060 Great, but you have a whole other set of things to worry about there, and many of them you wouldn't 05:27.060 --> 05:30.810 have thought of because you're used to going off to the testing center. 05:31.080 --> 05:34.230 So get yourself organized for that test. 05:34.470 --> 05:38.250 Eat well, sleep well, and then show up. 05:38.460 --> 05:39.660 Ready to rock. 05:39.900 --> 05:45.990 Those are some general study tips going to help you no matter what profession like t shirt you're going 05:45.990 --> 05:46.410 after. 05:46.650 --> 05:47.370 Give them a try.