First, let me say hello to adellelijah.com and our first readers! Along with the rest of the team, I will have my formal introduction in the coming week or two. So keep updating and refreshing this website until then! I hope to inform you, enlighten you and inspire you. I will begin my forray into the world of adellelijah with what I hope to be some informative information.
What is CompTIA A+ you might ask? No, it's not a DVD series on improving your grades at school (although that sounds good too). It's fancy words for "computer tech nerd". If you've ever wondered how that expensive box under your desk works, the solo monitor that an iMac incorporates, or had any interest in building/troubleshooting/fixing a computer or even making a few dimes while doing it, CompTIA A+ is your ticket! It's an introduction to the IT world. In short, CompTIA is a non-profit organization that provides certifications that are internationally recognized. In this case, we'll journey together and learn about the certification called "A+". Keep in mind, this book assumes you have at least a basic working knowledge in computers (how to use them, what they're for, etc.). This certification invloves all things PC (personal computer). Don't get that confused with the popular Apple commercial dividing the two kinds of computers as a PC also refers to the Apple Computers too. One might say, A+ refers to PCs and ACs.
By the time you get certified, you should have a moderate to advanced knowledge of all of the hardware (and most software) in your computer you keep at home, at work, or anywhere else. I've decided to embark on a 7 day mission (despite the advice in the book suggesting 150 hours) to learn CompTIA A+ on my own without shelling out a house payment in the process. Seven days may be a bit bold for someone to master this skill on their own, but I'm optimistic. I've decided to go with the CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-701 & 220-702)
book as it seems to be the favorite among IT circles. It's just over 1300 pages of everything I need to know to keep my PC running at it's best and, if I'm lucky, someone else's too! With the Memorial Day sale at Borders, I saved and bought this book for $38. It retails for $59.99 USD. If you use our Amazon link above, you'll be directed to our associate seller site and be able to purchase the book for just about the same! Book vs classes? You could take classes that cost you over $1000, not including travel fees, but what's the fun in that? It's hardly worth writing about. I was interested in learning this new skill for the cost of one book and the test fees (around $160 per test, two of them). At worst, it will be a total failure. At best, I will be qualified to get paid repairing computers at an entry level.
I've decided to document each day of study. How easy it is to learn the topics, how realistic my 7 day plan is, and just what the heck I'm thinking as I go through this process. Each day, I will cover a multitude of topics. This marks day 1. I've broken the book into 3 chapter segments for each day, in order. In 7 days, that would have me completing all 27 chapters. Having already finished the first 3 chapters, I'm left excited and hungry for more! Though I must remain disciplined and keep to my schedule. It doesn't hurt that the first 3 chapters were probably the easiest in the book, barely worth mentioning. The next 3 will be another story. It's by far the largest segment, pagewise, in my 7 day adventure. And it only covers, in depth, simple things like Windows, microprocessors, and RAM! Right...
Tomorrow's update will no doubt be more informative (and probably more pessimistic) than today's introduction. I do promise that I will be an optimistic contributor to adellelijah and With luck, I will keep to the schedule and be a pro by the time I'm one week older. You must know that I've started this with a basic working knowledge of most of the hardware that makes up a PC. I have a general idea of what each component does and I've custom built several PC's myself. Some working, some not so much. I encourage you to follow along with me through the struggles and the triumphs with the hope that I will inspire you to go out and learn a new job skill in ultra-speed fashion. We all know, especially in today's environment, that you can never have too many job skills. Now I must rest and prepare for tomorrow's mind job.
To be continued...
