The thing that helped me the most was a supportive wife, and her support allowed me to have the time I needed to learn. Thank you so much, Lori Derflinger, MBA, for that support. Besides having a fantastic wife, I found a dedicated time to study helped me be in the mindset to learn. I used the Pomodoro Technique during that study time, which breaks your studying/work time into chunks. I used this method to study in 25 min blocks followed by a 5-minute break. The Pomodoro allowed me to stay focused on the information. Lastly, I discovered the note-taking method that worked for me. I found that handwritten notes helped me retain the information better than just typing notes. I did go back and make a typed-out study guide which was helpful, and the rereading and typing the notes out helped me retain the information.
The resources I found most helpful were Focus on Force (FoF), Trailhead, the Web Assessor’s practice exam, and David Massey’s Admin Cert course on Udemy. I had both FoF’s study guide and the practice test. The study guide was invaluable for me to dive deep into a subject and understand it. At the same time, the practice exams were essential for me to know how the questions were presented on the certification exam. Web Assessors Practice Exams were an eye-opening experience about what I knew and did not know, which allowed me to determine if I was prepared for the exam or not, which when I took it, I was not. This allowed me to go back and study the sections I struggled on.
Dave Massey’s course on Udemy helped me as well. I retained his information quickly with his teaching style, which only provided the information I needed for the exam. Dave’s teaching method kept me from being overwhelmed with information and allowed me to process it better. I also found that I could listen to his Udemy course while doing other things like driving or mowing the yard. The repetition helped me to remember everything.
The most important advice I can give you is to believe in yourself, you can pass your exam, and you will. Just believe in yourself!
