The plan
It was now December 2022 and I had a plan coming together. At the time, I was trying to decide if I would be better off pursuing a bachelor's degree or certifications. There were several different opinions on this matter and I was not sure. Finally, I decided that I would do both. I was determined to commit all of my resources to this pursuit and willing to do anything to ensure I did not fail.
I had filled out my FASFA and picked out a college. I was going to enroll in the Cyber Security bachelor's degree program at Champlain College. I was nervous and excited at the same time. I had spent so much time over the last few years looking at my past decisions in regret, but never doing anything about it. I was finally going to take action.
In April 2023, I enrolled and began classes at Champlain College. I had been putting off getting my bachelor's degree for a while and I was excited to be moving forward with my life. I was taking two 7-week classes at once with an average break between classes of one week.
I started looking for certifications that were free or affordable. I came across ISC2's Certified in Cybersecurity and immediately applied for the free voucher. I began studying that day. I would read study guides and blog posts. I also started to listen to every podcast I could find about technology and cyber security. My favorite podcasts at the time were Cyber Work and the Self-Hosted Show.
Later in April, I took the test for the ISC2 CC and passed it. It wasn't an overly difficult test especially after studying for all the CompTIA certifications, but the I was still proud of the achievement. It was the snowball that I would build into an avalanche. I started working through the Cisco Networking Academy and got the badge for Junior Cybersecurity Analyst.
Then I realized the Microsoft was offering some free fundamentals certifications, but not for very much longer. I managed to pass the following three Microsoft certifications before July.
- Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals
- Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals
- Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Fundamentals
Once I had these free certifications, I discovered that I got a student discount from CompTIA. I had a new goal and began pursuing it.