So, what did I need to do differently? I asked around. Of course, I went to my MBA school but heard from just as many people that taking the exam was a waste of time. Some people said you should use a book by Oracle themselves or a series of videos that show you exactly what to do. Others said take the “exams on tape” offered by Microsoft. And some people said just wait for the exams.
I didn’t know what to believe until I started applying. Since taking the Saylor Stratton SQL Server Mastering the Exam online courses are offered, I figured it would be worth at least trying. It was free and they had an application where you could track your progress so I figured why not try it out. I started taking the first day classes and thought I would find no problems, but as I dug in deeper, I started to see that my speed was going down and my comprehension skills were slipping. I don’t know why but something just wasn’t clicking and I realized I needed more time to work on my problem.
That was when I decided to hire someone to take my SQL test for me. Obviously, you can’t just hire anybody because they tell you they will take your SQL test for you. You have to be sure they are good with SQL and knowledgeable enough to answer all of your questions. Plus, I want to make sure that they aren’t just doing it to get paid or they wouldn’t do it for free.
Luckily for me there are people online that actually offer a free sample of one of the exams. They let you take it before you buy the actual version. I figured, why not take a test and see if it will help me or not?
I wasn’t the only person who decided to take a free sample exam, so I’m pretty sure it worked for others too. The best part is, you have it all to look forward to. You know when it’s going to come up, so you won’t be anxious waiting for it to end and then start putting everything together so you can be ready for the real thing. Most people have a very difficult time preparing for anything because they feel rushed, but this isn’t going to be an issue when you are getting ready for your big day.
My daughter has been having some difficulty with her Spanish skills lately, so I told her I was going to give her a try. She tried for about two weeks, and now she doesn’t know what she’s talking about anymore. She started feeling more confident in Spanish almost immediately and has even gained back a few friends from high school. It wasn’t the flash in the pan type of thing, but it definitely helped. I might take an SQL for beginners course next so that she can see how others are preparing for this type of exam.
My husband has always been the type of guy to take things on his own, especially when it comes to my technology. He has a laptop, a desktop and even has a cordless drill at work, but he has never taken anything on his own before. I wasn’t sure if he was going to have as much fun as I did, but he seemed to really enjoy it. We even did a webinar together on one of the hottest topics around today which was Python training. Most people don’t get into the world of Python by learning it in a classroom like that. You are going to spend so much time with the computer and running scripts, it is hard to imagine you will ever learn any other language.