I don't EVER post things like this, but this is an exception. I need some advice if anyone is willing to give me any, let alone read through this.

To start off, my best friend, who is 21 now, got a great job as a career, dealing with computers and tech support for the government almost a year ago, which sounds great to me. I've always wanted to do something as a career with computers, since I've been on them since 3 years old. I'm 23 now, about to turn 24 at the end of the month.

About a year ago, I was living with my dad, struggling to make it to help pay the bills (which now he is off somewhere else doing pizza delivery jobs). My best friend got a great job 5 hours north after studying for 2 weekends to get 2 different certificates (aka certs) to work where he is at now. He then offered me the same opportunity. So then I moved away for the first time in my life with him in a small apartment which I am still living in with him, as of now. He gave me the materials to study when I moved in and offered to pay for both of the certs (which is roughly $500 for both, if I don't fail one.) On one test, there are 450 questions, and on the other, about 300 I believe.

It's 8 months later... And he may move into a house that he has been looking at soon. This doesn't give me much time, or I may possibly be out on the road since I don't have a car, and can't find a job within walking distance from there. Which I do have one now, but now they're only giving me 1 day of work, half time, a week. I have been studying off and on since 8 months ago, which I know half of one test so far.

Now remember, it only took him TWO weekends to get his 2 certs. It's 8 months now, and I am lacking motivation, and it's making me depressed since studying for this test is SO prolonging and SO hard. But I am at a crossroads right now. Either do or die, pretty much. And yes, I have been lazy, I have been irresponsible with my "discipline self", and also I believe I may be ADD, which even when playing a game, I zone out so many times! That goes for everything else. I am a mental mess, but I know that I can do it. I know that I can get this great job as a career. All I'm asking for is a prayer, some motivation, my discipline to rise up tough, or else I will probably be out on the streets, or living with my dad where ever he is at right now; which we keep up on facebook... And my friend didnt have to do this, but he can't keep my back forever.

So much stuff to do in so little time, maybe a month or 2 left. Will someone help me somehow? I need to get on this, or else... who knows...

Any help, or any comments at all will be definitely appreciated. I will be watching for comments, so don't think that I am ignoring this thread if I don't respond in a timely fashion. And thank you deeply if you read this far.

Either get diagnosed with ADD or not, but stop using it as an excuse to yourself for why you won't succeed.

If you can't scraqe enough motivation for this, perhaps this isn't your life's true calling. If you care to do well, I highly suggest you get cracking at the books. Quickly.

It doesn't sound like you want it. If this were your dream job and all you had to do was study for a weekend you would have already been there for the 8 months.

When all else fails, there is male prostitution.

The thing is that I do want it, as a computer job that pays well... But the thing is that it takes much longer for me to "grasp" material than my friend. And also, I would like to create video games down the road, so this would be a great boost, since I already know how to program decently in C++. Anyway, it's the lack of motivation to get through the super tough part, to get to the prize. And the fact that I have my lazy moments, from days, to sometimes weeks. I wish that wouldn't happen to me; especially combined with my horrid attention span.

Out here when all else fails the strawberry fields always need picking.
Im sorry OP, but I don't buy it. Even if it did take you longer, 8 months of what sounds like a lot of procrastination isn't "taking longer to grasp a subject", it's laziness and complacency. Even if you have ADD, you obviously have the ability to learn the subject matter (your ability with C++ makes that clear) and 8 months is more than enough time or a weekends worth of studying.

You already know the answer, buckle down, lock yourself in your room and study. Or start lookin for meanial labor.

Depends where you are. Often, prostitution puts you further in the hole rather then help you out of it. Not to mention the workplace hazards.

Sounds like excuses. If you REALLY wanted this, then attention span be damned, you would do it. And if it truly took you a while to "grasp" material, then no employer will want you. The IT world needs people who can pick up material quickly and adapt to solve any problem that may come up.

I'm in agreement with everyone else so far (except maybe The Green Sentinel, but I have nothing against prostitution!) I have the same lack of motivation when it comes to finding a job at all. I justify my own complacency with the bad economy, the decent amount of money I have saved up, and my place at my parents'. I do know it's ultimately my fault and I'm the only one to blame.

You're privileged in that you have a good job opportunity staring you right in the face. You really have no excuse not to buckle down and go for it.

On a related note, know any jobs available in northeast Ohio?

When I read a study question, I will read it over and over in a blank-ish state of mind, probably up to 20 or 30 times, until my attention span goes to a normal state, read the question, try my best to remember the answer, and go on to the next one. It's painful (mentally) on my brain. If that's not ADD, then I don't know what is.

Edit: And no, I'm not being sarcastic in any way. It's SO frustrating! I don't know what's wrong with me.

Go to a medical professional, DO NOT SELF DIAGNOSE. Until then, I prescribe a healthy dose of man-up.

If you have ADD, seriously, start treatment.

I'm a completely different person (read: efficient and driven, as opposed to my lackadaisical and mellow regular self) when I'm on my meds. Just be really careful, some of the meds can unbalance you.

EDIT: Ironically, I'm not on my meds today, so I stopped writing my sentence halfway through.

I wish I had the money to do so. That's the problem. I need this job so I can afford it, but in order to get the job, I need to concentrate on the material. But I need medicine if I am ADD, to help me get the job, and... well, it seems I'm stuck in a loop. Oh well, what can ya do? I suppose all I can do, is take Wyatt Waste Ranger's healthy dose of man-up until then.

Any motivational videos, or advice?

I've been taking a practice test all night that my friend sent me a link to. I hope I do well!

This. Seriously, big money here. No attention span needed.

The best motivation is a threat.

If you don't do this, you'll be sleeping on the side of the road. Do work and do it fast. If it's not this, you need to snag a job somewhere else. Either way, it needs to happen immediately.

excuses never validate any thing. there are no tricks and secrets to success, what you need is the determination to do what is hard, and the discipline to harden your will to achieve what you desire.

the only way i know how to fuel my determination is to do every thing out of spite for my self.

you have to find your own determination.

I don't have any advice that hasn't already been given, but I will wish you luck.

-- You don't need certs to get into IT. A few good certs may help you later down the road get interviews, but that's for higher level positions or with certain companies. For now, don't bother if money's tight.

-- You have a friend in IT. Networking in IT (hehe, networking for networking ) is far more valuable than any cert would be. That's true for most fields

-- You can program. While not necessary for many entry-level IT positions, it's a great resume bullet point.

Instead of getting these certs, but a subscription to Microsoft TechNet, run a bunch of VMs in the likes of VMWare (bonus points for ESXi) or Virtualbox, and mess around. You'll learn tons more than you would taking any cert and at a fraction of the cost.

I hate to have to break it to you, but a test for a cert isn't some super tough feat after which the job is just an easy ride from here on out. That test is basically just a warm-up for the real work that's then going to be required of you 5 days a week, every week, for as long as the job happens to last. If you can't put together the motivation to just study for a test then what makes you think you'll be able to put together the motivation day, after day, after day to do the actual job? As others have said, if you really think you have ADD then do whatever it takes to get a proper diagnosis (and if you do have it get started on treatment). Otherwise you need to decide if you're actually ready to start pulling yourself and your life together, and if you are give yourself a serious kick in the ass. Start by getting rid of your gaming systems, as these are obviously a major distraction for you, and also get rid of any other major distractions you have. Because you'll need to devote the majority of your time to the full-time job of finding a job (seriously, you should be spending at least 40 hours a week on activities related to landing a job).

This doesn't make sense to me.


Learning to program and fluently use C++ definitely is not easy. If you were motivated enough to do that then why can't you study for your tests? If you were able to pay enough attention to learn C++ then why can you not study? You see how that doesn't make sense? It looks like ADD is more of an excuse than anything. You're friend studied and completed them within two weeks yet it's taking you 8 months. That's a pretty serious learning curve there and honestly quite ridiculous.

Also, the time you're spending on these forums, asking us for advice, could be time spent on learning the material to get your certs.



I got to be honest, it really sounds like something else is going on here.

I was studying, and as of now at the moment, taking a long practice test, and will judge the score to see if I am ready to go on ahead and take the real test. I take small breaks, and on these small breaks, I check this thread.

As for the C++, I was never motivated enough to learn it on my own. I tried a few times, and it was too hard because I didn't "get it". So I signed up for Basic programming classes in college, with luckily some great teachers that taught me hands-on way better than any online tutorials I've ever come across. I failed my first programming class the first time, so I took it again. The second time around, I finally understood; especially since there were only 5 people in the class the second time around, rather than 30 the first. So I had a lot of personal time to learn, and received a massive amount of help and understanding. So then I took a C++ class, and it was definitely a jump deep into the barrel. However, after a few class sessions, something clicked. After that click, I started having fun doing it. And then I started trying to make C++ programs of my own, on my own time.

I got really deep into it, and it's fun for me now. And something that's fun for me, no matter how complex it is, I still enjoy doing it; thus furthering my C++ skills. My neighbor wanted me to program some kind of statistics and graphs program for him, for his specific needs. When he saw what all I was doing, he said, "Man that looks BORING!" To which I said, "It's FUN to me, because I love creating things." So to each his own.

I hope that explains things a bit. It took years to learn. But I am glad that I was confined in a learning environment with people that helped me, or I wouldn't even conceive the thought doing anything like that, which I enjoy so much today.

In terms of motivation, one thing you can do is set a date to take the two tests. I myself struggle with procrastination and being rather "meh" about aspects of my classwork. Setting a deadline will, if my own experience is any indication, kickstart your drive as the date approaches. A week or two before the test, it will still not be quite all that fun, but you will likely find it easier to study than without any deadline set.

Also, goal setting is also an important aspect of motivation. Visualizing what you can achieve after completing these tests is a good motivator - create a picture in your mind of how completing these tests will reward you. Perhaps with, say, financial independence or the ability to buy something that you want. For me, that goal is being able to walk across the stage to receive my doctorate. The amount of accomplishment I felt having just my Master's in my hands was almost palpable.

If you really, truly believe that you may suffer from advlt ADD / ADHD, you should go see a mental health professional. I may just need to follow my own advice sometime in the future.

Someone doesn't understand how ADD / ADHD works, it seems.

GREAT suggestion Reneer, I am definitely going to try setting a deadline for myself.