Hey,

ok ive read the please read thread and I dont know If this is the right place to ask this but im going to anyway.

I plan on taking a computer tech class in a few months and I would like to get a head start. Can anyone tell me where on the net where I can get info on what I will learn in the class ( im sure a lot of you took a comp tech class).
Any help will be great.


Thanks

There should be a course outline, no? IMHO, you should be able to pick one up at the institution (or check their site to download it) where the course is given or from the teacher himself, if you are able to contact him.

( im sure a lot of you took a comp tech class).

For that part, i don't think a lot of people do that. Most people just working around to get their hardware working after get there linux system installed. if you want to study about linux. What the best thing i would think of was intsall your linux dist. on your pc and troubleshoot it.
That's what i did to become a half-guru.

You might be able to google it, a la "<name of institution> <name or number of course>"

You'll probably end up with the current terms lecture notes and assignments as well, which can really only help. And if anyone gives you guff about unfair advantage when you're actually taking the course, just ask them why they didn't think to google it =P

WHat kind of computer class are you intrested in?

Hey thanks for the help.

agallant its called a Computer Technician class (it helps you get certified in comp tech)

the outline is


Course Outline


Introduction to Computers
and Field Repair

Ethics and Technician Etiquette

Computer Anatomy and Care

Engineering Assisting

Technical Materials

Computer Software

Computer Office Emergencies



Does anyone know where I should begin to kinda get a feel of what I will be doing in the class.

Thanks

Well. I was the IT director for a finance company and now I run my own business. I can tell you that from a hirring point of view that big name certs are better than a regular program. Depending on what you want to do look in to

CCNA - General Networking. I took this class last year and got my cert. By far the hardest cert class but well worth it. You will learn about routing, TCP/IP and things of that nature

A+ - Go for this if you want to know how to repair computers. Pretty simple stuff but you have to pay attention to detail because like all certs they want to learn it there way. For example in the Microsoft MCSE they ask what a printer is. According to Microsoft the printer is the driver. The actual printer is called a Print Device. you have to stay on your toes to avoid getting questions like that wrong.

there is the MCSE, MCDB, ect... these are Microsoft certifications and face it many business in the US use Microsoft products and what you learn at these certs can be applied to other things.

Collage classes - There is no shame in taking just one collage computer class and putting it on your resume. For example i have a ms access and a VB class on my resume. This helps because I was a database guy and i let the companies know that i knew the SQL side of the system as well as the front end.
It is a tough market especially in VA(that is where I live). Try to focus on something that every one uses. Don’t go out and get certified in Novell or Redhat just yet. Get a few years under your belt before you do that. Honestly if you go out and go to a very general computer tech class it won’t help you. People that are hiring are looking for people that know specific technologies like Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle, Sun, things of that nature. Some people may say that this is bad advice but I would spend the money on a CCNA or MCSE. I know that every one hates Microsoft but if you want to get in to the world of IT it is the easiest way in.

What do you want to do? Do you want to be a network guy or a database admin, a VPN guro? Think about what you want to do and find the program that will help you best get you there. Tell me what exactly you want to do and I can help point you in the right direction. Remember what I always tell people about IT. Every one thinks that because you are a computer person that you know every thing that there is to know about it. I tell them that it is like being a doctor. Yeah, the brain surgent knows about how the heart works but he is not a heart specialist. I am local in VA so if you need help just let me know.

Right now I really dont know what I want to do but im thinking something in computers,

In high school I took a cisco class but didnt do all that good (didnt really try and listen) so after I was done with high school I took a break, and now im trying to think if I want to go to collage or this comp tech class(school really aint my thing) so I think it would be better to focus on one thing.

and about the ccna and A+ is there anywhere on the net that I can like a rundown of what that is.

here is a link of the class that I am talking about http://www.wcskillcenter.org/computertech.htm

If I took that class what kind of job could I look into going to, Im in southern VA so I really dont think its that tough of a market down this way.

Im going to look in to a collage computer class and see whats up.

Thanks for your help.

Well as far as not doing well on the CCNA in highschool, that is ok. I took the class and worked with cisco products for about 8 months before i passed the CCNA.

If you want to see what these tests are like you can go to www.cnet.com and down load some test prep programs. as far as the class don't go for anything that is a Certificate. they are no where near certifacation. i couls hold a class for 2 weeks and hand out Certificate if i wanted. that is tipically why they don't hold any ground. Get a MSCE ot A+, that will get your foot in to the door.

What is it you would like to know about computers?

For basic networking, definitely look for stuff regarding the CCNA. It's mostly Cisco stuff, sure, but when I took the test, there was also a good focus on the fundamentals, like the OSI model, network topologies, and such. Being the only certified applicant definitely helped me get the job I have now.

If you want to get into learning to write software, check out what a community college offers in the way of Java or C++. I'd recommend a community college to an online tutorial just because the discipline to keep working and learning seems easier that way. Or else check your library for some books.

If you're interested in how hardware works (what interested me most), browse through university web pages, and try to find what books they use for teaching their digital systems courses. If you can find a comparable book at the library, you're set!

No matter what, I'd recommend becoming well-acquainted with Windows (as most people you'll meet won't know there is anything else), and if you have the patience, Linux. Learning just a little about Linux goes a long way in learning more about modern computing than just "drag and drop" and Powerpoint. The biggest help I had in learning what I know now about Linux came from going to a local computing club's monthly meetings. If you don't have anything local, you have a huge Linux community on the internet to help you out.