My Network+ study plan after passing A+

Illustrative photo by User_Pascal on Unsplash.

In my last Network+ post, I wrote about how Networking 1 and 2 at the University of Cincinnati connect to what I am studying now. This follow-up is about how I plan to study: work through Jason Dion’s study packet, use YouTube practice tests, and turn my own notes into targeted flashcards with Gemini.

I passed A+ on my first try. Working through study material, answering practice questions, and focusing review on the things I was struggling with helped me get there. I want to carry those habits into Network+, while letting the material show me where I need more work.

I plan to use Jason Dion’s packet to give my studying a structure. Having coursework behind me is helpful, but recognizing a term from class is different from being able to explain it or apply it in a question.

As I work through the packet, I want my notes to capture both the concept and anything I cannot explain clearly yet. If I understand an explanation while reading it but struggle to describe it afterward, that belongs on my review list.

I want my review list to reflect what I am actually struggling with. That first pass will help me decide which topics need more attention.

After reviewing the material, I plan to use practice tests and question walkthroughs on YouTube. I want to pause before the answer is revealed, choose my answer, and explain why I chose it.

For questions I miss, I will go back to my notes and work out what caused the mistake. Did I forget a detail, confuse two concepts, or overlook something in the question? A correct answer that I guessed also needs another look.

That gives the next study session a specific purpose. Instead of replaying an entire topic because I got one question wrong, I can return to the part I did not understand and try explaining it again.

For a hypothetical missed question about DNS and DHCP, my review note could say: “I mixed up receiving network settings with resolving a hostname.” That gives me something more useful to revisit than just a question number or a score.

I also plan to use Gemini to make flashcards from my notes, especially the sections covering what I am personally struggling with. I want the cards to follow the gaps I find during practice.

A prompt I plan to use is:

Turn these notes into flashcards. Focus on the concepts I marked as confusing and the mistakes I recorded. Keep each card focused on one question, put the answer separately, and use only the information in my notes. Flag anything unclear for me to review.

I will review the generated cards against the study material before using them. If a card exposes a gap in my notes, I can fix the notes and revise the card. Alongside recall questions, I want cards that ask me to explain a distinction or reason through a small scenario.

A sample card based on the DNS and DHCP distinction from my previous post could look like this:

Question: A workstation receives an IP address through DHCP. Does that prove it can resolve an internal hostname?

Answer: No. Receiving network settings and resolving a hostname are separate checks. I would still need to check the client’s DNS settings and test the lookup.

That kind of card asks me to connect a concept to a troubleshooting decision, which is what I want to practice.

I may invest in Udemy practice tests later. I am also considering whether a practice-test pack covering the CompTIA trifecta, A+, Network+, and Security+, would make sense for my longer-term plans.

That is still a possibility, not a purchase I have made. I did not use Udemy for A+, so it was not part of my first-try pass. For Network+, I want to see how far the packet, YouTube practice, and my own flashcards take me before deciding whether to buy another resource.

My planned routine is straightforward: study a section, answer questions, record what I missed or guessed, and turn those gaps into focused review. Then I can try fresh questions to see whether I can apply what I learned.

Those are the study habits that helped me pass A+ on my first try. Network+ is my next goal, and I want my study plan to stay responsive to what I am actually finding difficult.