Documenting My Journey: WGU BSIT-Security

[Thorne]

6 down, 3 to go...

Just wrapped up C170, and it really was a beast (3 weeks at 30+ hours a week), but I'm finally done.

I passed the PA on the first attempt. To anyone who has to go through this monster, write the project to the rubric. They are pretty lax on the SQL code itself, as long as the code and your reasoning are cogent. The diagram, on the other hand, they are very strict on. Ask at the IT-Slack channel if you need help.

For the OA, it was really heavy on SQL, and I mean REALLY heavy. 90% of the questions were asking you to correct code, add to code, or tell them which code has the proper syntax. Thankfully, I brushed up via the uCertify course material (good) and W3Schools (incredibly good) right before the exam.

Now on to the Linux+. I'm hoping I can wrap these up in two months total, which puts me in early December for graduation.

[Thorne]

Completed the C697 (Operating Systems I) class today. The class was comprised of the first half of the Linux+ (LX0-103) and took about as long as I had planned, but longer than I hoped. Part 2 should be a bit faster.

To anyone who has to take it: It is NOT a normal CompTIA exam wherein they ask you how find a fuel substitute for your diesel truck in the middle of the Gobi desert using a cell phone without a data connection -- it was the most practical exam I've taken since the CCNP Switch. 60 questions took me ~23 minutes, which is about the same speed per-question that I hit with most other tests, but the time seemed to pass really quickly. On a per-question basis, I either knew with certainty or didn't have a clue (something I really like in certification exams), which helped propel me so quickly.

On to C698 (LX0-104). Hopefully I'll be wrapped up with everything by the end of November.

[jsd]

Finally hit the first snag: C170 (DB Applications). This class is going to be my bloody undoing if I can't get this train back on the rails timewise.

I just started this course. Man, it looks like a bear. C175, which you transferred in, was a slog too.

Time to brush up on SQL, blergh.

[theonlyski]

Finally hit the first snag: C170 (DB Applications). This class is going to be my bloody undoing if I can't get this train back on the rails timewise.

I just started this course. Man, it looks like a bear. C175, which you transferred in, was a slog too.

Time to brush up on SQL, blergh.

You could always transfer to BSNOS, it doesn't have C170, haha

[jsd]

It would be much closer to what I'm interested in, but it would add like 11 additional courses to my plan (I only have 7 left), and would mean I've taken a lot of courses I didn't need.

[Thorne]

I just started this course. Man, it looks like a bear. C175, which you transferred in, was a slog too.

Time to brush up on SQL, blergh.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0IG9a...zVtak5SSWc

I took the C175 PreA after having passed the C170 OA with a 93%. Hit about a 78% on the C175 PreA. Keep in mind that I didn't study anything for C175, so that was just the requisite knowledge from C170. I recon you're already 40-50% done with studying for the OA. The sections that overlapped did so very well. My notes (based on the course, about 80% cut down) are really jumbled on this, but they are the only thing I basically memorized before the OA.

Chapters 3 and 4 are the most prominent on the test, even in the non-SQL sections (especially Normalization and Indexing). Conceptual models are the same as they were for C175, just make sure you understand the difference between Unary, Binary, and Ternary models with one-to-one and one-to-many relationships. I would definitely do the PA before you worry about the PreA and OA, because the PA really helped to nail down my SQL knowledge.

uCertify's quizzes are a really good analog to the exam (specifically the SQL-based questions) and the in-chapter exercises are useful. Even if you don't read the whole course, try to do those exercises. Oh, and W3Schools is awesome for syntax...

...Or, just take the lazy way out and

transfer to BSNOS, it doesn't have C170

Being serious, that may be good advice Ski. I heard on the Slack that they are running a brand new project, which means they may have updated the test and course as well. If they updated the course, my advice may be foobar. The only drawback to the BSNOS is that they require the CCDA, and some people may be Ciscophobic after the ICND1, ICND2, and IINS. I'd switch, but my mentor didn't think I could switch mid-term. :/

[jsd]

As always, thanks so much for the help Thorne! Funny enough, I just saw these same notes on Reddit or Slack the other (can't remember where), so there are other folks getting use out of them too!

theonlyski, you said BS NOS but for some reason my brain was thinking BS CSIA. The NOS probably wouldn't add so many courses to my plan, but probably would change it enough to not make it worth it. I 'd rather do a bad data management course than another Cisco cert. I know you guys are up there in the cisco cert world, but it's just not related to my work and it's hard for me to stay motivated in that world. I'll pass

[Thorne]

As always, thanks so much for the help Thorne! Funny enough, I just saw these same notes on Reddit or Slack the other (can't remember where), so there are other folks getting use out of them too!

Much obliged and glad to hear people are getting use from them!

... I 'd rather do a bad data management course than another Cisco cert. I know you guys are up there in the cisco cert world, but it's just not related to my work and it's hard for me to stay motivated in that world. I'll pass

You vile, evil Ciscophobic bigot...

[theonlyski]

I heard on the Slack that they are running a brand new project, which means they may have updated the test and course as well. If they updated the course, my advice may be foobar. The only drawback to the BSNOS is that they require the CCDA, and some people may be Ciscophobic after the ICND1, ICND2, and IINS. I'd switch, but my mentor didn't think I could switch mid-term. :/

Lucky for me, I've been to the CCDA and CCDP courses at GlobalKnowledge, but I didn't take the dang DESGN and ARCH tests, so I'll have to do the course anyways but I should still have access to the GK material as well. If I recall correctly, they were recorded so I can go back and listen to the stupid questions I asked.

Ciscophobia is real, ICND2 kicked my butt as did ROUTE but I got through them eventually. IINS must have changed since I took it for it to be scaring people off, but then again I did have some security/firewall experience. Hell, it would've been easier if I didn't have to use the CCP for the test.

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I know you guys are up there in the cisco cert world, but it's just not related to my work and it's hard for me to stay motivated in that world. I'll pass

I hardly think of being an NP as 'up there' since there are SO many other things that I just have zero clue about. If you look at the Cisco certification tracks for Routing and Switching, I'm barely half way to the top! 
CCENT
CCNA-RS
CCNP-RS
CCIE-RS
CCAr

That's not to say that it's easy to get here, because it isn't! I have a CCNP-RS with a CCNA-Security, but I have 5 failed Cisco exams and 7 passes. While I'm not exactly looking forward to the CCDA (and maybe just for the giggles the DP) tests, really it just comes down to having enough knowledge and experience to make that cutoff score and realistically it's not for everyone. 

I just left my full time IT job to become a full time pilot but figured I could get a degree and some fresh certs to fall back on if I ever need to, but I couldn't imagine trying to get this far (or beyond) without spending most of your days at work dealing with all sorts of Cisco equipment and still studying your tail off.

[Thorne]

Lucky for me, I've been to the CCDA and CCDP courses at GlobalKnowledge, but I didn't take the dang DESGN and ARCH tests, so I'll have to do the course anyways but I should still have access to the GK material as well. If I recall correctly, they were recorded so I can go back and listen to the stupid questions I asked.

Ciscophobia is real, ICND2 kicked my butt as did ROUTE but I got through them eventually. IINS must have changed since I took it for it to be scaring people off, but then again I did have some security/firewall experience. Hell, it would've been easier if I didn't have to use the CCP for the test.

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Yeah, CCP and ASDM just made me cringe. When I was labbing with the ASA 5515, ASDM literally dropped 240 lines for one VPN entry. Doing it by hand took less than 20 and wasn't as much of a burning trash heap.

I hardly think of being an NP as 'up there' since there are SO many other things that I just have zero clue about. If you look at the Cisco certification tracks for Routing and Switching, I'm barely half way to the top! 
CCENT
CCNA-RS
CCNP-RS
CCIE-RS
CCAr

That's not to say that it's easy to get here, because it isn't! I have a CCNP-RS with a CCNA-Security, but I have 5 failed Cisco exams and 7 passes. While I'm not exactly looking forward to the CCDA (and maybe just for the giggles the DP) tests, really it just comes down to having enough knowledge and experience to make that cutoff score and realistically it's not for everyone.

I don't even count the CCAr. The Architect cert is held by, what, less than 10 people worldwide? To top it off, you have to present a design project every 2 years?! No thanks. I greatly respect Architects, but I would never want to be them.

The CCIE, however, is the title I really, really want to have. I bought the laptop I'm on right now just to set up a virtual lab that could handle CCIE studies. Whether I pursue an MS Cyber, an MBA, or just stop schooling, the CCIE is the next hill I plan to climb.