There are some tough areas in networking although I have touched up on some of these areas already for CIW Associates and A+. The key is to read slower with comprehension; if you get to the chapter summary questions and can't answer them, go back and read that section again. Also, make sure you keep to a set schedule so there are no gaps in your reading for even one day.
For those who might be wondering what the quality of the texts are these are indeed high quality college texts with labs where professors have you walk through what you've learned. The only difference is you are responsible for performing the lab activities instead of sitting in a classroom and following the instructors instructions.
The next concern you might have is that in a brick and mortar universities computer room, they have all the operating systems and software programs you need. Surely we can't be expected to go buy a copy of Server 2008 to do some lab exercises, right? Well, you don't have to. IT students at WGU get access to dozens of operating systems and applications to perform any tasks they need to.
I have 60 days to complete both Network+ and Security+ (each) which technically leaves me with two extra months in this second term although if I pass Network+ on my scheduled date and complete Security+ in the same amount of time, I'll be ahead by four months.
I understand that the day might come where I fail one of my certification exams first attempts and will need some extra time to study and re-test. As you become a student you will have access to your course of study for any course, even ones you haven't enrolled in yet. This is so valuable because it allows you to get a preview of what that course entails so you can accurately gauge how much time you'll need to complete it.
Remember that once you and your mentor approve courses during your term setup (called AAV) you will need to complete all those courses by terms end (or a certain percentage) in order to remain in good standing with the university.
Networks I and Security I are both worth 6 credits which gives me the 12 I need to be a fulltime student, and I am absolutely confident I will pass them both long before the six month term end. But I am still only enrolled in the two for right now so I am not "under pressure" to complete more in the event one of these two courses becomes a snag (I've heard Security+ exam is difficult).
Once I pass these two courses and if I have, say, three months left in the term, I can then call up my mentor and add another couple courses. I can look at the course of study's for any course I want to add to determine if I have enough time to complete it, or add another course that seems easier.
All thing's I've picked up along the way.
Update:
I passed the Network+ exam today using the same primary texts and video instruction I used for A+.
