Computer Science +/- CCNA?

[Nazbit]

Hi all,

(I know we have had a lot of these threads latley, so my apologies in advance, but here goes...)

I will be starting my computer science degree in september, obviously im well aware that the degree on its own doesnt get you a decent starting job these days.

With this in mind I have chosen a 4 year course with a years placement, so I will graduate with both a degree in computer science and 12 months experience.

But I also want to do either an MCSE or CCNA on the side while I am at uni before I graduate to make my prospects even better. I have decided on the CCNA as it is more relevant to the area that I wish to be in.

I have found a college that runs a CCNA course, 2 evenings a week and takes about 10 months to cover it, costing £450 which can be payed off in monthly installments. (Link Here)

I know lots of people say buy the books and do it yourself, but Im not all that confident about doing that to be honest. I think I would learn better in the classroom, but those who have done it, feel free to tell me otherwise.

So 2 questions:
1) Should I take the CCNA while I am at uni?
2) Should I pay that price and go to the classes?

Cheers

 

[Ste]

I know lots of people say buy the books and do it yourself, but Im not all that confident about doing that to be honest. I think I would learn better in the classroom, but those who have done it, feel free to tell me otherwise.

After a year or two at uni you will have to be more than confident about teaching yourself from books etc. Your best bet may be to leave the CCNA course until your 2nd or placement year and learn it from the books after you have a year of uni study behind you

 

[SiD the Turtle]

Personally I would go for the CCNA, and do it in your first year or during your placement year as trying to do it during your finals would be crazy.

The CCNA and other qualifications are odd ones. Talk to any of the current generation of network boffs and they'll say its a load of rubbish, and while this is because none of older guys have it, it does show that you can get on without it. However, trying getting a networking job to even give you an interview these days without one is next to impossible.

Just watch out for people who think once they have the CCNA they are entitled to be the MD and earn a wad of cash for it. the CCNA is just the start

 

[Vanilla]

Price looks reasonable. Also consider getting some equipment for your own lab.

Do it in the first year of uni. This is where you have the least to do and where most of the time marks don't count towards your final grade, you just have to get over 40% to proceed.

Two evenings a week may affect your social life though!

 

[welshtom]

If you arent confident about learning from books, you are going to struggle for the degree.

Im just finishing my computer science degree.

When they say you are "reading" for a degree they mean it. Expect to teach yourself at least 50% of the material if you want a decent grade.

Tom

 

[Nazbit]

Thanks for the replies everyone,

A few of you have mentioned doing it in either the 1st/2nd or placement year. I have thought long and hard about this. If I take the classroom based option, I will probably do it in year 2, year 1 would be better, but I probably wont be able to afford it and in year 2 I will have more knowlage from my course aswell.

If I decide to study for the exams myself then I will probably do it over the first year and perhaps in to the second depending on how long it takes me.

Also consider getting some equipment for your own lab.

What sort of items/expense would be needed here?

The CCNA and other qualifications are odd ones. Talk to any of the current generation of network boffs and they'll say its a load of rubbish, and while this is because none of older guys have it, it does show that you can get on without it. However, trying getting a networking job to even give you an interview these days without one is next to impossible.
Just watch out for people who think once they have the CCNA they are entitled to be the MD and earn a wad of cash for it. the CCNA is just the start

I know, I have heard a lot of people saying things for and against the CCNA, but I am simply trying to use it so that when I come out of university I will have a computer science degree + 12 months experience + the CCNA.

I know that a CCNA is only the start, but im just trying to start early and do the best I can due to the sheer amount of graduates in the comp science field at the moment and the declining starting wage.

 

[triggerthat]

I have just finished my first year and am hoping to finish my CCNA in my second year. However, am not sure if I want to be doing networking in the future.

 

[Skiddley]

If you do it too soon you'll only have to re-cert when you graduate. Cert lasts 3 years. I'd do it in your second year, or even better, don't do it at all and do your bit to maintaining the salaries of those of us who already have it

 

[Vanilla]

What sort of items/expense would be needed here?

Not sure, most people buy a few cisco routers so they can practice at home. £300-400 perhaps.

Don't just think of the CCNA as for the job after uni, it will be a good thing to have in getting a placement in your placement year.

Try and finished the CCNA in the 10 month period.

 

[Nazbit]

Not sure, most people buy a few cisco routers so they can practice at home. £300-400 perhaps.

Don't just think of the CCNA as for the job after uni, it will be a good thing to have in getting a placement in your placement year.

Try and finished the CCNA in the 10 month period.

Thats what I was thinking, if I managed to finish the CCNA at the end of the first year, then I would have it under my belt when I was applying for placements etc etc.

On the downside though, as im doing a 4 year course, it will expire within a few months of graduation and I will need to redo the exam, so theres extra cost there obviously.

I still cant decide whether to sign up for the classes though, or try and tackle it from home on my own.

 

[newbiejim]

If you can motivate yourself buy a router and the necessary books, IMHO you can do it if you have motivation. I agree though sometimes the class environment helps this. However I have seen LOADS of peeps do CCNA at colleges and fail the certification exam miserably, IMHO it can be over too long a period with too little study time. Personally I need to study hardcore as my middle aged memory is catching up on me.

Get the Cisco Semester books for 1-2 and 3-4 (make sure they are the latest version, these are supposed to mirror the course you get online @ colleges via Cisco Networking Academy and are exhaustive). Also good is Wendell Odom's offerings and of course the Todd Lamle one from Sybex has been a standard for CCNA for years.

 

[Andyt_uk]

i took a course whilst out on my placement from my CS degree. Was told that it only lasted two years so haven't taken the exams yet. Am set to finish uni soon, then i'll take the ccna exams , hopefully when i'm working for someone who can pay for them

They can be considered as a stepping stone to careers in networking now as so many places offer them.

 

[VeNT]

anyone progressed up the CCN route (ie CCNA, CCNE etc etc)

 

[Nazbit]

Get the Cisco Semester books for 1-2 and 3-4 (make sure they are the latest version, these are supposed to mirror the course you get online @ colleges via Cisco Networking Academy and are exhaustive). Also good is Wendell Odom's offerings and of course the Todd Lamle one from Sybex has been a standard for CCNA for years.

I have seen the Cisco 1-2, and 3-4 books and I was planning on buying them, I will take a look at the sybex ones aswell.

I think perhaps I will buy the books, (probably start with a cisco ones) and then have a look through them, and decide whether I will be able to study it myself or if the college course would be better.

I suppose if I try studying it myself through the first year of uni, and it doesnt go so well, I can always take the classroom based route in year 2 and that way it wont have expired by the end of my 4 year course.

Would be good to get it before my placement though.

 

[Stellios]

Im also starting doing Comp Sci in Sept, and a CCNA is something thats always been at the back of my mind but something ive never acted on as such. Mainly because ive heard a lot of eople in the networking section saying they are so common now that their isnt much point in having it unless you intend to go higher than a CCNA, is that true or is it a qualification that employers would recognise?

 

[Nazbit]

I think it depends very much on what field you want to go in to when you graduate. Personally I want to take the network & security route. Therefore the CCNA would be useful at least as a starting point, ofcourse its not going to work wonders. But combined with a comp science degree and a years placement im hoping it will be valuble.

I did a lot of job searches on the inetnet and in papers before deciding to do it. There are a lot of low paid networking jobs out there for which the only qualification you need is a CCNA with a few years experience.

Im sure there are people who know a lot more than me though

 

[SiD the Turtle]

I know, I have heard a lot of people saying things for and against the CCNA, but I am simply trying to use it so that when I come out of university I will have a computer science degree + 12 months experience + the CCNA.

I know that a CCNA is only the start, but im just trying to start early and do the best I can due to the sheer amount of graduates in the comp science field at the moment and the declining starting wage.

Oh of course, I'm just lamenting certain colleges of mine who have the same level of experience as me (I don't have a CCNA) and do have a CCNA and expect to be earning five times as much as me for the privilidge



I think I heard about some kind of Cisco training app which has all of the routers etc so that you can practice on them without having to buy tens of thousands of pounds of kit. Probably similar to the software interfaces we use to administer the kit remotely.

Edit: Gah I think my spelling is being sucky atm, I'm just to tired to work out what is correct and what is not :S

 

[[TW]Fox]

I know lots of people say buy the books and do it yourself, but Im not all that confident about doing that to be honest. I think I would learn better in the classroom,

Think carefully about whether Uni is right for you.

If you intend to just treat it like college and pick up everything from lectures, you will almost certainly fail.

 

[SiD the Turtle]

Don't scare the boy

Most of the people who I knew who went to uni, including myself, would all claim not to work well reading from books. You soon pick it up though.

That or you crash and burn and drop out [/scaremonger]

 

[newbiejim]

BTW this site is superb for CCNA, dont be put off by the crap look , and well worth the subscription, think it was £10-ish

link