Challenge 1 - 22-Sep-2013: Get OCA Certified

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YAY! I have passed both the exams. I am now an 'Oracle PL/SQL Developer Certified Associate'. Or OCA in short. I am still awaiting the exact score for both, the SQL as well as PL/SQL exams that I gave yesterday.

So last week I had to take 2 days off (Thu and Fri) because the syllabus seemed way out of hand and I had failed miserably in my mock test. I studied my butt off to the moon on those two days and felt a little better.

On Saturday morning I gave my first exam at 10 am and (to everyone's surprise) I also gave my second exam on the same day at 1 pm. Giving 2 exams on the same day did make me nervous but in the end all was well because most of the questions were very similar to the mock test that I had given and this helped me to score immensely!

It feels great to complete my very first 30 day challenge and to obtain my very first industry certification too.

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Just got my scores from CertView in Oracle. I scored 98% for SQL and 96% for PL/SQL. Am I proud of myself or what! Below are the logos that I can now legitimately use and the certificates for my exams:

Do comment and let me know what you think and whether you have any ideas for my next 30 day challenge?


Reference Links:

• Oracle
• OCA Certification

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Challenge 1 - 14-Sep-2013: Get OCA Certified

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Ok, here's the situation after a week. I gave a mini mock test and I failed (I scored 52 when I should actually have scored above 60). I talked to a couple of folks about the exam and they all showed their surprise that I decided to take both the SQL and PLSQL tests on the same day, thus doubling my study effort and also my chances of failure.

Since then I have been in a fog of panic all week wondering what the heck am I going to do to get thru this situation that I, so ungracefully, put myself in.

After getting over my bouts of hyperventilation I came to a decision. I have applied for leave from work on next Thursday and Friday before the exam (the exam is on Saturday, 21st September).

I will need to spend this entire weekend studying and also the Thursday and Friday and, hopefully, that should be sufficient to get me past this challenge that I posed to myself in a phase of mental state that could be stated as, well, 'challenged'.

Reference Links:

• Oracle
• OCA Certification

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Challenge 1 - 07-Sep-2013: Get OCA Certified

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Ok so this is quite a boring way to start. I mean I could have started off by learning the guitar or preparing for a marathon right? And, here I am challenging myself to compete an obscure OCA Certification. Hold on to your rotten tomatoes for just a little while longer while I attempt to foster an explanation.

I believe in starting any project off slow and small rather than large and loud. I've noticed that large and loud starts usually fizzle out very fast. Slow and small has a bigger chance of surviving the test of time and, more importantly, potential attention deficiency from the audience.

So what the hell is OCA anyways? It is Oracle Certified Associate. It is a certification that will prove to the world that I, Nainesh A Jadwani, can read and write Oracle's SQL and PL/SQL languages.

So where's the bloody challenge Nainesh? You ask. The challenge is that at my work place I have absolutely nothing to do with Oracle products coz I work on the mainframe platform. Nor am I expecting any future projects where I might get to work on Oracle products. The challenge is for me to learn something new that is unrelated to my current work.

Well, I have paid the fees for the examination which is on 21st September and I have started preparation. Yesterday, I was patting myself on the back with pride coz I felt like freakin' Columbus out to conquer new and unknown territory. The syllabus has quickly turned my optimistic smile up side down into a panic-stricken frown. I have to study 18 chapters of SQL and 21 chapters of PL/SQL in the next 10 days, and I have to practice for the exam for the next 5 days after that if I am to survive the exam on 21st Sept.

Publishing my situation on a blog will turn out to be a double-edged sword. The pressure of publicity will make me study that much harder. But if I fail on 21st then...gulp.

Ok then. Wish me luck. I have to go back and continue with my studies over the weekend (goodbye Sunday...sob sob).

Reference Links:

• Oracle
• OCA Certification

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Introduction

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When I first saw the TED video of Matt Cutts about 30 day challenges, I thought wow. And then I watched it again and I thought, I'm doing this!

So I just blatantly stole the light bulb (or rather I have attempted to clone it) and have started my own blog where I will record the progress of the various 30 day challenges that I am going to attempt. Some of them will be serious (like my attempts at completing certain IT certifications that I have been procrastinating since almost 8 years). Others will be just fun (like learning to play the harmonica or making a movie).

Below are some of the challenges I plan to try out in the next few months:

1. Get the OCA (Oracle Certified Associate) and IBM DB2 certifications
2. Write 4 (or more?) short-stories in 30 days. Or just write 1 20,000 word novel. 
3. Make a short film.
4. Learn to play a musical instrument like a guitar or harmonica.

Some of these challenges are something that I have been meaning to do since a long long time (like learning to play the guitar). Others are just downright ambitious (like making a short film).

I'd love it if you guys would accompany me with the various challenges over the months, and keep me inspired and motivated (and honest!) with your comments and feedback. :-)

In case anyone is interested in the original stuff that inspired me, below are the links:

The TED Video

The blog of Matt Cutts  -->  click here

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