Some certification companies are still using one of the most out-dated training concepts - classroom attendance. Usually touted as a major benefit, if you track down someone who's been through a few, you'll most likely hear about many or all of these:

- Loads of driving back and forth from the training centre - normally 100's of miles.

- Taking constant holidays or time off - typical training companies will only provide weekday availability and group several days in a chunk. If you're working then this can be difficult, and it's made more problematic if travelling time is added into the mix.

- And let's not ignore lost holiday time. Most of us have 4 weeks off each year. If half of that is used up on workshops, then we haven't got much left for ourselves.

- With the high costs involved, many colleges fill the classes up to the brim - which is not ideal (and much less personal).

- Some students are trying to maintain a quick pace, while others are looking to take a more 'steady' pace and want to set their own pace that fits. This breeds tension and unrest on many workshops.

- Calculate the increasing cost of all the fares or petrol, food, parking and accommodation and you'll be in for a big surprise. Students mention extra costs of between several hundred and a couple of thousand pounds. Work it out - then you'll know.

- Is it worth the chance of getting ignored for potential advancement or income boosts because you're getting trained in a different area.

- It's common to find it difficult to ask questions when surrounded by our fellow attendees - to avoid appearing stupid.

- You should remember, workshops frequently become nigh on unreachable, in cases where you work or live away for days at a time.

Many students discover a more flexible approach is to make use of pre-filmed lessons wherever you want to take them - taking them when it's convenient to you - not someone else. Imagine... If you've got a notebook PC then you're free to learn in any location you choose. And live 24 hr-a-day support is an online click away if you hit challenges. It's never going to matter how often you feel you need to repeat something, on-screen teachers are never going to run out of patience! Also, as an added bonus, note-taking is a thing of the past. Everything is there for you. The final result: Reduced stress and hassle, saved money, and absolutely no travelling.

There is a range of qualification routes to progress on to after finishing the CCNA. Specialized areas that include Security, or Wireless Technology could be considered, or perhaps the 'CCNP' (Cisco Certified Networking Professional) which is rather more advanced. It's not advisable to consider doing the 'CCNP' unless you've totally completed your 'CCNA'. Achieve your CCNA & start working on Cisco networks for a year or two prior to moving on to a CCNP study program. If however you've actually been in I.T. for quite a while, & have already obtained a qualification that is equivalent to the 'CCNA' (for example during military service) you might be able to move straight to 'CCNP'. The bottom line is that if you're starting in I.T., no employer will be expecting you to have got to that level of certification, & may quite rightly query your exact understanding, if you haven't even worked in a CCNA role first.

An important area that is sometimes not even considered by those thinking about a course is that of 'training segmentation'. This is essentially the way the course is divided up for drop-shipping to you, which completely controls what you end up with. Most companies will sell you a program typically taking 1-3 years, and send out each piece as you get to the end of each exam. On the surface this seems reasonable - until you consider the following: Students often discover that the company's 'standard' path of training doesn't suit. You may find that a different order of study is more expedient. Could it cause problems if you don't get everything done at the pace they expect?

In all honesty, the best solution is to have their ideal 'order' of training laid out, but get all the study materials at the start. It's then all yours should you not complete it quite as quick as they'd want.

Many students assume that the traditional school, college or university path is the right way even now. So why then are commercial certificates becoming more in demand? With fees and living expenses for university students becoming a tall order for many, together with the IT sector's growing opinion that vendor-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, there has been a great increase in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA certified training routes that educate students at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. University courses, as a example, become confusing because of vast amounts of loosely associated study - with much too broad a syllabus. Students are then held back from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.

If an employer is aware what areas need to be serviced, then all they have to do is advertise for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. Vendor-based syllabuses are set to meet an exact requirement and aren't allowed to deviate (in the way that degree courses can).

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