WiseGuru's Study Guide

This is a general guide for studying that could be applied to anything; a new certification, a language, a hobby, anything. It is also a work in progress, so bear that in mind.

General topics

  1. Sources for learning
    1. Relying on one source of information is not ideal
      1. Identifying misinformation[1] or blindspots is more difficult
    2. I generally find there are three kinds of sources; Primary and Secondary, which I group together, and Supplemental
      1. Primary and Secondary sources can be used almost all the information you need to achieve your goals.
        1. Primary sources are the first resource you use, how you get oriented, and covers the material you need to learn.
          1. They may be flawed, but should generally be able to take you over the finish line
        2. Secondary sources may be another equally strong source of information, but takes a backseat to your Primary source because of personal preference
          1. Perhaps the style is difficult to get into, it's too fast, doesn't reinforce the material enough, or you just discovered it late in the game.
          2. For example, you might use something like Professor Messer as your Primary resource because you prefer learning with lectures, and then the official CompTIA Security+ Certification Kit as your Secondary source to reinforce and complement the lectures.
        3. Caveat: Sources may be arranged in such a way as to make it difficult to use Secondary and Supplemental sources.
          1. This may be fine, but you will need to spend more effort researching other sources to corroborate what you're learning
      2. Supplemental sources usually provide great information on limited topics, and are helpful in niche/specific cases
        1. These are only used to provide clarity on specific topics or reinforce learning, and are not enough to learn the information from start to finish
        2. Examples might be flashcards, practice tests, ChatGPT, Reddit, or random YouTube videos in a foreign language recorded in 360p on a Windows 7 laptop
  2. Mind, Body, and Spirit
    1. Meditation and mindfulness
      1. Throughout the day, taking time to refresh your mind and disconnect from distractions
      2. Will help ease anxiety and rejuvenate energy
      3. Medito[2] is a non-profit Meditation app with a ton of resources and guided meditations for free
        1. It's a great way to get started and begin a practice
    2. Taking regular breaks
      1. You brain needs time to digest information
      2. These breaks should be distraction free; don't scroll Xitter or Reels
      3. Touch grass and get sun, brew some tea or coffee, walk around your home or office
    3. Exercise
      1. Brain and body are all one thing,[3] and taking care of your body will help improve your mind
      2. Aerobic exercise and strength training good for cardiovascular health, and can improve focus and mental function[4] [5] [6] [7]
  3. Study Methods
    1. Pomodoro Technique
    2. How to be More Productive by Using the “Eisenhower Box”
  4. Managing Distractions
    1. Configure uBlock Origin for Feed Management
    2. Intention
  5. Immersion
    1. Consuming related media can help reinforce information, expose you to new concepts, and get you pumped about the topic.
    2. For example, someone getting into Cybersecurity might watch Darknet Diaries, or someone getting into networking might get into Homelabbing.

Reviewing Material for an Exam

If there's material you don't understand, do your own research online (Google, Reddit, ChatGPT, etc.) to fill in the gaps and provide context.

Then take a reputable practice test (IMO, Dion's practice tests[8] are pretty comparable to the actual exam, and if you get them while they're on sale they're very cheap) to see where you are.

After you take a test, review every question; for correct answers, can you confidently say why it's correct and the other possible answers are wrong? If you got a question wrong, why did you get it wrong and what can you do to remember it better? This might be review, creating a mnemonic (a rhyme or phrase that helps you memorize the material), or getting a better understanding of the technical process that's going on.

Preparing for the Security+ Exam

Someone I connected with on Reddit asked for some advice on what to do next, and we built this rubric for him going into the exam.

  1. Go for a walk/exercise to clear your mind and physically release tension
    1. App - Medito Foundation
  2. Take and review practice exams
    1. On Saturday/Sunday, take practice exam A
      1. This will give you a benchmark of current progress
      2. Take the exam in the morning, then review the questions in the afternoon for topics to study
        1. For wrong answers, merely classify topic and maybe look for patterns
          1. Don't answer the questions, just classify them
        2. For right answers, make sure you know why you got it right
          1. Was it chance? Could you answer it correctly again?
      3. Over the next week, study the missed topics
        1. Now you can go into the questions, grouped by topic, and see what you missed, why you missed it, and create mnemonics where needed
    2. On the next Saturday/Sunday, take practice exam B
      1. Take the exam in the morning, then review the questions in the afternoon for topics to study, same as above
      2. Create a new study rubric for the next week using the missed topics
    3. On Thursday, retake Exam A again
      1. This is not effective in gauging likelihood of passing
        1. Rather, it is helpful in reviewing material, getting used to sitting for an exam, and building confidence
      2. Review the questions for topics to study
        1. For wrong answers, merely classify topic and maybe look for patterns
          1. Don't answer the questions, just classify them
        2. For right answers, make sure you know why you got it right
          1. Was it chance? Could you answer it correctly again?
      3. Roll the missed topics into your study for the week
    4. On the next Saturday/Sunday, take practice exam C
      1. Take the exam in the morning, then review the questions in the afternoon for topics to study, same as above
  3. Review missed topics
    1. Big study sessions
      1. Check out Messer (or other) on those topics
        1. Take notes (by hand if possible)
      2. If something isn't clicking, ask ChatGPT/Claude/etc
      3. Create mnemonics
        1. e.g., APSTNDP, ASSVAL, etc.
    2. Daily study
      1. 5-30 minutes flashcards + 5-10 minutes rest/meditation
  4. Entertainment
    1. Mr. Robot
    2. Darknet Diaries
      1. Jack Rhysider - YouTube
      2. Darknet Diaries – True stories from the dark side of the Internet.
    3. Ohm-i
      1. Clickin' - YouTube
      2. Ohm-I - Download This Song For Free (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - YouTube
    4. LTT, BitWit, MKBHD
    5. Black Hills Information Security - YouTube
    6. How to Hunt for Jobs like a Hacker w/ Jason Blanchard - YouTube

  1. As in information that is incorrect by accident, not Disinformation, which is intentional. ↩︎

  2. This is not an affiliate link and I make no profit on this, but full disclosure, my brother has volunteered his voice to some of the guided meditations. ↩︎

  3. Forget that there are separate insurance for body, eyes, and teeth; like wtf is that about, it's all one body right? ↩︎

  4. Mayo Clinic ↩︎

  5. Exercising to Relax - Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Health ↩︎

  6. Brain health: Cardio and strength training preserve cognition ↩︎

  7. WebMD - Best Exercise to Manage ADHD Symptoms ↩︎

  8. For the Security+ certification ↩︎