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Greenhorn
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Dear All,

I would really appreciate some help with the following. I appreciate this is a forum for technical help and support with the SCJP. However, I wonder if anyone can help me decide the following: should I continue with the SCJP study or not. I began an IT distance learning course (with a well recognized provider) some 3 years ago. At that point I was in a job I hated and had become really into Web Design and the internet in general. I wanted to investigate a career in IT � with a web based leaning. I enrolled on a course at some expense and went down a programming route finishing with study for the SCJP. In short, I have really, really struggled in holding down a fulltime job (not in IT), looking after kids and then studying in my spare time. I have found it nearly impossible to retain information on Java Language while studying in such a sporadic fashion. I took the SJCP 1.2 exam in July because I had become so disillusioned I just wanted to get it out the way. Predictably I failed miserably with 25%. I have been studying since then on a piecemeal basis � trying to fit it in here and there. What I was hoping for is some encouragement and any someone to pop up and say �Don�t give up!!!�. I have been collecting some mock exams and am slowly getting back on track � trying to focus on a topic at a time and doing a little, often to really get things set in my head. Can anyone recommend a good learning path � timetable??? I still think there is scope for a website that is designed solely to get people through the exam alone � though I appreciate this would be a lot to ask for free!

Many thanks for any help offered.
[ November 07, 2005: Message edited by: Barry Gaunt ]
 
Sheriff
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With what you've described, you've obviously gone through quite a bit in pursuing this goal. It's clearly important to you, and I think you recognize that giving up wouldn't really be what you want. So I'll say it: "Don't give up!!!"

My recommendation is to study (not just "read") Bruce Eckel's Thinking in Java. It's available free as a download from the source...

http://www.mindview.net/Books/TIJ/

Or as an online reference...

http://www.faqs.org/docs/think_java/TIJ3.htm

Or as a hardcopy book.

The reason I recommend this text is that it delivers what the title implies: You will begin to "think" in Java. So if you're having trouble retaining bits and pieces from sporadic studying, this might be what you need to lay a solid foundation. When the pieces actually come together, they will be easier to retain. It will take time -- especially working through the exercies -- but it will pay off. When I first started learning Java, I struggled with some other texts, but the lightbulbs really started coming on with Thinking in Java.

This book will go a long way in preparing you for the SCJP exam, but it will not get you all the way there. For that, you will need a text specific to the exam. But once you have that solid foundation, the test preparation won't be as difficult.

And along the way, keep posting at JavaRanch.
 
arch rival
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As Marc says, stick with it. The trick to learning for most people is to do not to read, and so write lots and lots of small programs. Also to repeat Marc again, when you have a problem post at JavaRanch. It is the newbie questions that stimulate the grizzly experience types . Keep your questions clear and on a single topic and you may get advice from some of the worlds greatest writers/teachers and thinkers on the subject. Don't be put off by people who say they studed for and passed for the exam in 3 weeks/days/hours. For most people studying for the exam takes several months and few people who do not pass will say so in public. Good luck with your studies.

By the way my own site at http://www.jchq.net and Dan Chisholms (we are unconnected) contain the equivalent of more than two books worth of JDK 1.4 study material. Whilst we both have products to sell, you can easily use the material as stand alone free material.

Marcus
[ November 08, 2005: Message edited by: Marcus Green ]
 
marc weber
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Originally posted by Marcus Green:
... Don't be put off by people who say they studed for and passed for the exam in 3 weeks/days/hours. For most people studying for the exam takes several months...


Definitely.

For those who majored in Computer Science or already know another language (especially object-oriented), preparing for the SCJP exam might not seem like a major hurdle. But for people brand new to programming who can't devote more than a few hours each week to study... That's an entirely different situation.
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