Waste of Space

Hey Everyone,

… I …. AM …. BEAT!

I decided to take two weeks off from work and take an MCSE Bootcamp to help further my career in the IT world.

Granted, I’ve been toying around with computers since we had a Commodore Vic20 (we didn’t need no fancy Commodore 64 shite), but I never had ANY sort of formal training or certifications in the support of computer systems.

…well, that has changed. I am now just one exam short of being an Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). I spent the last two weeks, locked up in a hotel room, cramming knowledge of the 7 exams needed for the MCSE down my throat… and then take the exams.

I passed all of them except for one…. the last one. I decided to take two of the exams back-to-back today, in hindsight, I think it was the cause for my failure.

Luckily, I can retake the exam for free with a voucher I was given. I know the material… I work with this sort of crap every day at work… but I think that 14 days of straight studying/testing took its toll on me.

Yeah…. 14 days straight…. no days off…. no break for Eater…. well, we did get to start class 30 minutes later than normal. Classes ran from 8:30 in the morning until whenever… usually between 5pm and 7pm. After that, it was back to the room for studying and taking practice exams.

So, rather than being a full-blown MCSE, I am technically a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) now in:

• Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional
• Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment
• Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
• Planning and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
• Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
• Designing Security for a Windows Server 2003 Network

The one that I did not pass was the elective 70-299 exam (Implementing and Administering Security in a Windows Server 2003 Network)

Anywho… I’m just glad to be back home with my wife and cat. I need to brush up on the 70-299 again and then retake that exam after my head clears. Unfortunately, I have to go right back to work on Monday, so I won’t have a day “off” until April 5th (20 days of straight working).

I’m going to have to take another vacation to recoup from my “vacation”. LOL

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