My Christmas Wish...

A lot of students will have the opportunity to write about the positive outcomes from studying with SkillsTrain, whether they have completed part or their entire course. From this they May have been promoted within their own working environment, got a new job or indeed had the resolve to set up a business of their own with their new found skill!

For me, things are a little bit different. Not so much in a rags to riches story. But more of a journey of self belief and planning life changes for the future. And this has come from a wonderful year that I personally feel started with SkillsTrain.

It was at the start of 2008 when I knew I had to sit down and decide what direction my life was going in. I had a pretty basic job, which generally means working excess overtime hours to bring home a semi-decent wage. I had a wonderful and supportive family network, which although never blessed financially have always been there with love and a shoulder to lean on when things inevitably get tough.

I have always had an interest in computers and deep down knew that it was an area I would like to work in, although I had a big problem in not knowing what specific area that was going to be. That was until I seen an advert for SkillsTrain in a local newspaper. Instantly seeing the CIW Web Design Manager everything seemed to click into gear. What was merely a piece of paper sitting in front of me seemed to possess the missing piece of my jigsaw!

I applied for the course and in no time the first section had arrived on my lap and I got straight into it. I would be lying if I said it was easy from the beginning because it was tough. I hadn't studied in over 10 years and the old cogs seemed at first to be moving at a slower pace than I imagined. But I have stuck at it, along with other things that have happened this year, I got engaged in February and in June I passed my first acoustic guitar exam, grade 3.
For someone with little confidence in themselves I saw these three steps being some of the most important of my life. And I don't think I will ever forget any of them!

And now, on the run up to Christmas, I have finished the foundations section and am about to apply to sit the Associates exam, hopefully before Christmas, I am also studying for my grade 4 in acoustic guitar, our Wedding plans are well under way and I am still working 60+ hours per week in a job that I May not particularly like, but know that I won't have to do for the rest of my life thanks to the skills I am learning through my Skillstrain course!

And the future? I have three wonderful things to look forward to. Being a qualified CIW Web Design Manager (and getting a good job of course) marrying the girl who is undoubtedly the love of my life and continuing on with my guitar lessons/ exams. I might be busy, but I don't think I would change it for the world!

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The impact studying with skill train I will make this Christmas better than the latter...

Before I became pregnant, I was a care worker tied to my job. I felt I was in prison with no hope of a parole or coming out but I had to work to make ends meet. When I had my baby that was April this year, the joy of motherhood overwhelmed me and I forgot all about my horrible job. When she started growing, my happiness turned into some sort of ambivalent feeling, because I need to cater for my baby. That was when the thought of my job surfaced. I hated the idea of going back to work and then from nowhere it was like my prayers have been heard can't even remember how I got the flyer from skillstrain, but when I saw it, I knew it was what I have been waiting for. But another thing bothered me...the cost. My partner encouraged me to fill the flyer and send it. It took a while but I finally got a call from skillstrain and an adviser came over to the house to see me. I was so happy when I learnt that the school fees can be stretched. I started the course...IT for commerce.

This Christmas will sure be different because not only that am half way into fulfilling my dream to move to greener pastures, am learning in the comfort of my home and at my own pace. This makes it easier for me to fit my personal life around my study time. I still have some time for the baby. And we have the chance to save some money for presents because we are paying in instalments. It's hard to believe that this opportunity is possible. I am so happy and because of skills train I can smile all through this Christmas. All thanks to skillstrain.

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I started the Web Design course back in Jan 2006, after a few months off from work due to stress at work. I had come out from the Royal Navy and was working in an office job where I felt stale. This is when I decided that I needed to get my teeth into something new. I was longing for a career in a creative role, as I had studied Media and was an active Photographer.

After seeing something on TV, I thought I should give Skillstrain a ring and discuss the opportunities that they provided. I wanted to incorporate my photography experience with a career in computers and, after discussing this with a Skillstrain representative, decided upon Web Design.

I was unable to give up full time employment to pursue training, due to financial commitments, and my wife was very supportive as she could see how unhappy I was in my current job. I had some knowledge of computers but nothing as much as I have learnt over the past two years completing this course.

I am still trying to complete the course and, on some days, I feel too tired from work to pick up my pen, but I do try and remember who I am doing this for. Not only for myself, as this is something I always wanted (a career in a creative role), but I am doing this for my very supportive wife, who goes to work everyday to a job that she does not like. She is hoping to study herself, but not until I have finished my course, due to the financial cost.

Once I have finished the course, I am hoping to design websites for myself and work on a self employed basis. This will allow more time at home with my wife and in a few years we are hoping to start a family.

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In my last study I received 90%, I did study very hard for this chapter as I do for them all, but this time I did have a few distractions but it still paid off. For this particular assignment I did need some help from my tutor and it was really helpful, I was very grateful for that, even though I am not one for asking for help as I like to figure things out for myself. I have started a new time table which my partner did for me, and since starting this I am finding it easier to get my work done, she also tests me when we go on long journeys which I think has helped a grate deal, I am looking forward to progressing even more through my web design course as the more I do it the more I enjoy it. I was not a computer whizz before I started this course, in fact I think it would be safe to say I was the total opposite. But I have now found something I can sink my teeth into, and I am enjoying every minute, even the hard parts.

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I have confident in exploring my information send communications with windows xp -opening internet explorer, connect to the internet, display a web page, change the home page save a web page as a file and use the help functions.

I have learnt how to open a URL and collect data, save collected date, follow a hyperlink and return to the original page, create a bookmark folder ad a web page to a bookmark folder and open a bookmarked web page.

Also have learnt how to define search requirements, use a key word in a search, use common logical operators in search, modify the toolbar display, print web pages and change display modes.

Have as well learnt how to start outlook, set up and email account use the help functions and close outlook.

Now, confidently can send email messages. Create them, insert the recipient's email address, and use a spell-checking tool. Add an auto-signature to a message, attach a file to a message, set a message's priority and send a message.

I have gained knowledge of collecting mail from q mailbox, open a message, save an attached file flag a message, reply to a message, forward a message and move text in and between messages.

Again I gained knowledge of adding a new entry to my address book, update my address book from incoming messages, remove an entry from my address book, create a distribution list in my address book and send a message to the contacts on a distribution list.

I now can manage messages by creating a new main folder, move messages between folders, search for a message, sort messages within folders and customise outlook's toolbars without calling anyone to help me. And finally connecting to an ISP.

Thanks to skillstrain and the man that introduce me to it.

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I started this course to better myself ,for me but most of all to improve my earnings potential for my family.

I started back in 2007,just after the birth of my fourth child Nikita. But I have used computers for 3 years before, but never thought I could work on them.

I have always been interested in them,my wife thinks I could become a good computer techie. I certainly hope so .

Last November we lost our home due to money problems , which stems from when we lost our eldest son to a brain tumour, It put a lot of strain on our money which resulted in the outcome in November. We hope to be in a new home by December this year so we can give the children a good Christmas.

This course has helped me to get over our loss but also to help me stay focused on the tasks ahead, since I have been doing the course friends have been asking me to help them with there computers, plus I get a nice feeling when I have fixed their problem.

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Through difficult times, I have managed to pass my N+ exam and I'm progressing to the MCSA part of my course. The knowledge I gained during the N+ section allowed me to apply for a 2nd Line Technical Support Role for a very well known ISP.

Thankfully I have secured the position and hope to progress even further. It has been difficult managing work and then making time for studies. After securing the job I dedicated my time to revise and take the public exam in September which I have now passed. I am now looking forward to completing the MCSA certification.

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First of all I am thanking skill train to shown me a path of success & dignity. Before joining the skill train I just know the word computer only I was totally nil about the computers and how it works & how we can solve the problems & lots more it's really a fantastic & interesting thing I never dream in my life. It's really helped me to help the people and my friends to sort the problems of PC with in a little time I gained a lots from skill train and really boosted my confidence level.

When I started this course I really don't known how I will finish this course because I was really getting bored when I started this course in the mean time I set my mind to drop this course but my wife really helped me and given me the power to start it again but now I realise the importance of this brilliant course.

When I started this course I was really short of time because I am working in 2 places full time & I got 2 kids & my wife is also working so due to all this problems at first I can't cope with the time & how and when to do the course ; but now I am really happy with this course and I am managing this problems and made a time table for my study. So I really advice all my colleagues and my friends to start this brilliant course.

Once more thanks to skills train

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The Live Internet Training was absolutely amazing. Great tutor, really good session, excellent complement of training book. But what I would suggest is to place really small assignment in the end of the session, let's say five questions and then discuss them along with students. Thumbs up, I'll attend again.

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This is the first session that I have attended and I have to say how impressed I was. I thought that it might be boring and a bit repetitive but as I am doing my revision supplement I found that it was very helpful and even covered points that I was having trouble with. Thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying.

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Since starting the course (C# Programming). I have playing around developing several small applications that help with work.

I have now completed several applications that work have endorsed as highly required. One of the larger applications, allows staff to set predefined Advanced NTFS permissions on folder. Add multiple users to multiple groups on an NT4 domain. Any folder created with this program is recorded in a Database for auditing purposes.

This program also allows Domain Users to submit files for archiving from their desktop, which sends data to the main applications database where staff in the IT section can respond to the request. All jobs are recorded with who does what and when.

I am also going to be working on web front end for the software.

Other smaller apps, take a folder structure written in Excel and creates all the required folders and again audits them into a relational database.

I have had great fun writing these applications and learning more and more about the .NET Framework. It hasn't been easy with work commitments doubling as my main role is actually a Manager of 26 servers and 2 SANs. So getting the time for development is difficult. I'm often writing the stuff at night, in conjunction with my course work.

But each day I try and add more to the main application, in a modular form so that people can still use what works. I have also developed so that it is moveable, rather than hardcoding for this Station.

Once complete and documented the RAF have said that they will provide a support contract for the software and any future releases of it.

Ultimately I beleive I have done well. I have saved the Air Force a considerable amount as they were going to pay for a company to develop a similar solution. But as I have done it, they get it for free.

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I had a relapse with my Mental health due to my mother passing away,
It brought losing my wife with cancer all back.

And Felt like packing my course in. on top off all that my desktop computer broke down and and my laptop too. But all my notes was typed and never printed out. So I lost all my notes from my course I did.

At least my laptop was covered under my service agreement. and was repaired but my desktop is unrepairable. due to the CPU burning out and frying everything.
I got my laptop back last week. But still felt like packing my course in.
After losing all my notes to my course and all the hours I put in to them.
But I remembered what my mother said to me before she passed away.

She told me she was really proud off me. Doing a course in website design with a mental illness is not very easy. She asked me to promise her that I would not give in. When things get on top off me Just take a break then get back into my course Work. She had told me there is not many courses one can take their time and allow you to take time off when you are ill. And never once have I been rushed to get my course work in. My mother told me I was very lucky to be able to do this course. Then I remembered on how proud she was off me Learning something new. I promised her I would finish my course and see it though to the End.

Knowing I cannot Work because off my Mental health But still willing to learn and better myself. That is why my mother was proud off me. I can work from home and designing websites For charities and doing it voluntary is a possibility.

But remember when you feel like packing in. There is always an answer to your problems it is called take a little break and when you start back Revise what you have done before working on your next assignment.

Although all my notes was typed on my desktop and now I have lost them they can be done again and also at the same time I am revising and catching up. The main thing is Revising and making notes to the Html is the most important and this needed doing anyway since my notes was to an earlier version so was not that much a lost anyway. So I will be going though Html in the afternoon and the rest on a evening so I don't get further behind.

My achievement was turning a disappointment in a good thing because off my notes was for an earlier version. Always look to change your disappointments around because there is an answer if you look for it.

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I was having a problem understanding how we obtained Public/Private and Shared keys this session gave me a greater understanding of how this process happened as well as giving me an insight into other more relative information needed for my foundation section of the CIW Web design Managers course. Many thanks really helped me, cheers for such a good presentation.

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