Seeking Study Partners for Redhat Systems Adminsitrator Journey

[Doug0915]

Hey there fellow learners!

I'm on a mission to become a RedHat Systems Administrator and I'm looking for some friends to join me on this journey. It would be great if we could work on the same sections of labs and motivate each other to stay on track. Ideally, I'm looking for people who are either local or remote, as long as we can stay in touch and keep each other accountable.

I'm funding this cert myself and I'm trying to keep costs as low as possible. The fact is, I need to get back into the sysadmin world and this certification is my gateway.

Here's a little background on my experience: I got my start in sysadmin work back in the late 90s on HP and DG Unixes. But over the years, my career shifted and I ended up working in video conferencing for about 10 years. Unfortunately, that field is no longer as interesting to me as it once was and I'm ready to move on.

I've continued to use and learn Linux (Fedora, Ubuntu, Arch, Slackware, etc.) and I'm very familiar with it, but my hands-on production experience is limited. I've been keeping my skills sharp by presenting at my local Linux user group and I'm eager to get back into the sysadmin game.

I'll be honest, I'm not the best test taker and it took me 12 years to complete my CIS degree part-time. But I'm hoping that having some study partners will help boost my confidence and make the process more manageable. So, if you're interested in joining me on this journey, let's get in touch!

(sounds great right? I actually wrote my original post and then asked ChatGPT to improve it! With some editing of course! What can I say? Use the tools that help you! And I'm presenting myself as a learning tool to help you and looking for you to help me on this journey. Thanks again if you are interested!)

[EmanuelHaine]

Hello @Doug0915 

I have already taken the course, but I would like to join you.

[Doug0915]

Sure! I just need to find a way to send you the link to the discord server I set up. Do you have a Reddit account? If so you could txt me there.

https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxadmin/comments/10zplsq/looking_for_study_partners_for_rhsa_cert_prep/?...

[tonybe]

Hi! Is your Discord server for RHCSA still up and active? I'm studying for my test and could use all the help I can get.  

[Doug0915]

I tried setting it up, but it seems like it's going to be more time than worth it. I'll just ask for questions here in learn.redhat.com. Did you pass it yet? I

[Accidentalshell]

Hi there, I am planning to opt for the RHCSA training and then certification. I am having some confusions regarding the study materials provided by red hat. what do we get from red hat.? earlier they use to give book to the people opt for certification. I don't what they provide now. i am beginner and have very basic knowledge about linux. could you help me with my doubts.? it would be interesting for me also if i get some partner to study and prepare.

[Fran_Garcia · Accepted solution]

As a part of the freely available materials to prepare for the EX200 / RHCSA certification you get:

- The exam objectives, listed at https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/ex200-red-hat-certified-system-administrator-rhcsa-exam?...

- The RHEL product documentation available at https://docs.redhat.com . Specifically https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/9 . 

Additionally, you might benefit for giving a look at:

- The RH200 course objectives / outline : https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/rh200-red-hat-certified-system-administrator-rapid-track... . RH124 outline: https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/rh124-red-hat-system-administration-i?section=outline . RH134 outline: https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/rh134-red-hat-system-administration-ii?section=outline . 

- The Knowledge base articles at https://access.redhat.com/front . 

If you actually enroll in one of the training courses (eg: RH200) you get access to specific training documentation and access to labs as well.

HTH

Fran

[Doug0915]

Thanks for all the links!

The course is QUITE expensive if not paid for by an employer, so unfortunately I'll be be able to go down that route.

I'm very confortable with Linux, I've been using it and playing around with it since the 90's, so it's really just a matter of knowing the material for the test.

I've got the pearson guide and will just go through that with a fine tooth comb and make sure that I can do everything in it.

[Fran_Garcia · Accepted solution]

Hey @Doug0915 ,

Best of luck with your endeavour -- changing careers is not easy and I salute you for keeping up to date!

Out of curiosity, what do you find most challenging about test taking? Is it the quality time to study? Difficulty with parsing exams?

I'd like to say that remote exams with Red Hat are performance based and therefore more equitable, but it is probably not fair -- people who otherwise do well in their day jobs with the technology sometimes struggle in an exam setting (anxiety, difficulty parsing the questions, short time limit, multitasking, being in front of a camera for multiple hours...).

Cheers

Fran

[Doug0915]

Apologies for the delayed response. I began studying, but then paused for several months due to personal reasons before attempting to do so again.

I'm adopting a time-based approach to make progress, dedicating approximately an hour a day, or more if necessary until I feel I'm ready.

For me, time management has been a challenge. However, I believe that confidence in one's study habits is crucial. If you're confident that you've studied effectively, time management becomes less of a concern.

In the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig, he discusses 'gumption traps'. Lack of preparation is a significant one that can hinder your performance on an exam, so I'm trying to head that one off.