Boot Camps Revisited
Response to my boot camp question has been decidedly mixed, but the
bottom line is: (1) it can be a valuable experience for certain people
who already have experience, (2) it's hard to absorb everything during a
two-week intensive crash course, and (3) they're all very expensive.
Jeanna S. wrote in to relate her experience taking a five-week SAP boot
camp.
"I knew nothing about SAP before going, but did have an HR
background. I've been back several months and am just now starting
to absorb all that I learned. It's way too much information for
someone to absorb in such a short time. For the $10,000 cost, I'd
like to learn more than I did. Not to mention, I find that people
returning from these boot camps are expected to be gurus in the
subject. People look to you as an expert because you attended a boot
camp."
Ex-Navy man George M. took the Win2K MCSE boot camp mainly because of
time considerations, choosing the two-week boot camp to minimize time he
would have to spend away from work and family. "I have several years of
experience, so I knew I could do it," George wrote. "Most of the people
in my class had experience with NT 4.0 and 3.51 like me, so they were
able to pass all the tests. We only had two newbies that did not pass
all the tests, because they did not have experience. Before I went to
the boot camp, I did all the prerequisite study, and if I had not done
that, it would have been difficult to keep up with the pace."
Most boot camps are very expensive, but the quality of instruction is
tends to be quite good, classroom facilities are state-of-the-art, and
they do their best to make you comfortable with classy accommodations
and plenty of good food, snacks, and of course, caffeine.
Be prepared for a full day every day, often lasting well into the night.
Information overload will be a common factor, but typically, boot camp
operators provide a full complement of staff to offer extra coaching and
attention, as well as direct, personal feedback.
Judging from the response, it seems clear that if you don't have
experience or any previous training, boot camps are probably not for
you. If you go into the boot camp already having a good grasp of the
subject matter, you'll be a lot more successful.
» posted by ITworld staff
ITworld
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