Passed SY0-106; What's Up Next?
Ramblings from the goblin about what the upcoming path looks like
On the 7th, I passed the Security+ with a 787; not too shabby. I wasn’t expecting to get over 800pts since I knew that I had trouble with domains three and four, but I am so glad that I passed! However, passing it left me with a big question: what’s next?
I am planning to go to Western Governors University (WGU) for their Bachelors of Science in Computer Science, but I’ve seen on YouTube and on Reddit that a good amount of people will transfer in more classes that aren’t just test scores and previous college classes, but from other websites that provide ACE credits such as Study.com, Straighterline, Sophia, etc. WGU seems to be a LOT more affordable (more so than community college, to be honest) but wherever I could cut down on costs, I would appreciate it much more.
Yesterday, I checked out what I need to do before starting WGU, and most of it wasn’t surprising: sending in transcripts, talking to the enrollment counselor to see if the previous college credits I have will make me eligible for enrolling in their BSCS, etc. I took AP Calc BC back in 2017, so I hope that it does transfer in. If not, that’s fine; although I don’t remember too much I’m sure I can get back into the groove.
They have an “Intake Interview” which I must go through to decide on the official start date of the program, but since I’m planning on transferring courses in, I think I’ll have to hold off on that for a while as I send in my transcripts from the study sites that WGU partners with.
But aside from college, what else will I be doing? The main thing will be going back to work at a previous employer. I already noted that I’d only be working for about six months since that would give me enough for WGU’s program cost and the study site costs.
BSCS I would assume not get super technical with any specific platform or language, so I’ll mess around in Azure or AWS to see what entry-level certifications they have, and decide which one I’d like to go down.
Microsoft seems to provide the AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) exam for free for students, so I think it’s a good opportunity for me to take on. They have online documentation that correlates to the course as well, so I think I could attain it easily. I haven’t checked if Amazon offers the same thing for entry level AWS certifications though.
On the side, I’ll try delving into a programming language or two. I have a Python course I purchased on Udemy (the 2022 Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python course), as well as a Java software development (Java Programming Masterclass covering Java 11 & Java 17) course I got back in 2018 when I tried obtaining a AS Computer Science at my previous community college, but had multiple mental breakdowns trying to understand Java. Perhaps my mindset wasn’t ready for learning the material, which is why I didn’t do so well in the class, but now, I do feel ready to take on these materials, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come in terms of that mindset.
Those will keep me rather busy, and I’m all here for it. I told my work to only put me at a maximum of thirty hours per week since that would give me enough pay to fund my studies, while giving me enough time to study. I don’t think it’ll be the easiest thing to do, but I must give myself a little something to do every day. I felt restless after taking the exam because for the past four months I’ve been studying daily for several hours. Even if it means I fool around for the rest of the day, I still would like some sort of routine or task to complete.
Though not related to studying, I think I would like to start working out as well, and trying to cook or bake something new once a week (or try to master a cooking/baking technique). I think that will enhance my brain power too, so there wouldn’t be any harm in learning those.
It looks like I’m gonna have to whip out my planner and give myself a little something everyday to accomplish, be it learning something new, doing a shift at work, or giving myself enough rest and enjoying the things in life. I can already feel myself getting more inspiration for writing once I do those things too, so I could write more for my own stories/books. Everything seems very exciting!
But the biggest thing for me to do is to pace myself to not be extremely ambitious and try to get everything done as fast as I am capable of. I’m certain of my abilities but I do not want to feel the burnout that I once did, because it siphons out what willpower you have. It’s an unhealthy, unfulfilling feeling, and even if it means I get all of this done later than I expected, I’d rather maintain my mental health than get things done a month or two early.
I’m hoping to visit my S.O. who has recently moved for work as well, so I’m definitely not going to finish all of this college stuff when I expect, but hey; better late than never :)