MCSI #010 - Five bad habits that are sabotaging your cyber security progress
At MCSI, we have the privilege of reviewing the work of hundreds of students every week. We engage in 1-on-1 conversations with dozens of students on a weekly basis through the various support features that we provide. After tens of thousands of interactions, we have identified the following five “most common bad habits“ which impede the success of students:
Not asking for help: We understand that you may be hesitant to ask for assistance when you are stuck. However, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of the support features we provide, such as the Discord server and Quick Questions. Asking questions regularly is a key element to success, so don't forget to use these features.
Not setting goals: Without well-defined goals, it is difficult to achieve success. Make sure to set achievable goals and plan out your work accordingly. Click here to read our guide on creating a study plan.
Non-compliant work: This issue is of great importance and is often underestimated. Many students do not fully adhere to the guidelines we provide, which are designed to help them produce work that is accepted by industry professionals. If the quality of your work does not meet expectations, it could give off the impression that your work is subpar.
Not mastering the basics: It is important to ensure that you thoroughly understand the basics of programming and troubleshooting before enrolling in our more advanced courses. We strongly advise against skipping any of the pre-requisite knowledge, as this can lead to issues further down the line. We recommend mastering the fundamentals of IT and cybersecurity before progressing to more complex courses.
Cutting Corners: While cheating is rare, it is not uncommon for students to try to cut corners. Plagiarism and completing only part of the specifications are common occurrences. To those who engage in such behaviour, it is important to note that these actions can limit your chances of employment in the cybersecurity industry. This field values honesty, integrity, uniqueness and veracity, and there are methods in place to identify those who do not adhere to these standards.
We strongly urge you to take this email into serious consideration. We recommend that you make every effort to eliminate these five bad habits, as they have been proven to be major obstacles to your progress. Our advice is based on the feedback and experiences of thousands of students, and those who have achieved the most success have done so by avoiding the pitfalls of these habits:
Ask for help, actively engage with the community
Set goals, break-up goals into milestones, milestones into tasks
Produce work that other people will respect and rejoice in receiving
Master the basics skills (e.g., OSINT, programming, OS internals etc.)
Produce honest and original work
When you are ready, this is how we can help you:
MCSI is committed to providing you with the skills and knowledge required to be respected in the cybersecurity industry. We create a positive learning environment that replicates real-world tasks, and offer multiple sources of support including Discord, Quick Questions, and email. Additionally, we will periodically contact you to assess your progress and determine if you require additional assistance. Whenever you submit work, our instructors will offer tailored advice and feedback so that you can continue to grow. This is the best way to ensure success.
This is what Professor Dunston says about our method:
