Flexible Semester

Java_Expert

I'm in third year Studying the Adobe and Oracle Java Associate Certifications for Flexible Semester. I'm finding there is a lot of difficult material to study with little or no support. Do you need to pass these exams to move into the next semester.?

neonitrix

if its anything like last year you have to pass the free exams and attempt the java one once at your own cost. I personally don't know anyone that failed our year due to failing exams for the self study flexible semester.

saying that dont let things slide just cuz your not physically in college until january you will find it very hard to return to code / study if you sit back and let things slide.

ps: the certification is worth the piece of paper but paying full fees to only attend 2nd semester is a bit of a scam, flexible semester passed me by on placement with no physical contact from lecturers regarding my placement

Tom_Cruise

Why do you have to the full fees for only one semester, is there a reason?

neonitrix

technically your a wit college student for the full year, but in reality your only attending the campus from jan - end may of 3rd year. you are free to use the facilities but you dont have any lectures or any real supports available while doing the flexible semester.

no one is going to walk you through the theory or practice needed to pass the certification. The biggest problem with the certification in my opinion is the lack of support available and the fail rates are quite high.

If you can at all try and get a placement for the flexi year it will pay you more in the long run and you will leave college with 3 - 6 months industry experience

I have 6 / 7 months as I started placement at the end of may after 2nd year and continued up until end of december and then returned to college for 2nd semester of 3rd year.

neo

Howlin1

For the adobe exams, if they are anything like the one I did two years ago then you don't really need to study for them (look over the UI and know how to do some of the simpler stuff). Do them once and you pass you pass, you don't then take note of the questions that you got wrong and learn them. Most questions were asked again on the next exam.

Java_Expert

I agree about the need to study the java for next year so I spend a few hours a day studying it. I was looking at the sample java questions and I found the questions difficult. Specifically looking at the java exam(associate) I don't feel confident that I can pass the exam when looking at my results over the years and I am not sure that it is worth paying 220 euros for. Worse scenario I fail the Oracle Java exam. Do I have to repeat the exam before I get the degree?.

Digital Society

No you dont need to pass the Java Exam to get your degree.

You just need to prove you did something during your time off. You should either do Work placement or Erasmus. Those certs arent really worth it compared to the other options. Bit late now but this is for others seeing the thread.

LuckyFinigan

The way it worked last year was you had to pass the Adobe ones, I don't think anyone from my course did the Java certs. The Adobe ones are handy enough, I'd recommend doing the practice exams on certiport, they will give you a good feel for the type of questions that come up. The flexible semester is a bit of a joke overall, unless you get full time placement.

Java_Expert

Is there any IT OR Software Systems Development students who have completed the Flexible Semester.? I find the financial cost of the Oracle Java Associate Exam excessive and am wondering are you required to attempt the exam and If I do attempt the exam how important is it to pass the exam to progress in to the next semester?

neonitrix

Java_Expert wrote: »

Is there any IT OR Software Systems Development students who have completed the Flexible Semester.? I find the financial cost of the Oracle Java Associate Exam excessive and am wondering are you required to attempt the exam and If I do attempt the exam how important is it to pass the exam to progress in to the next semester?

I said above I completed the flexible semester, if you are on a software or it course you have to attempt the exam, saying that i know of others that did the exams like the java certification and failed but still passed the year and got their degree, but there are no guarantees and its totally at the discretion of the college to let you pass your degree if you don't fulfill the flexible semester requirement.

The college has the following 3 options for the flexible semester: 1. gain work experience 2. erasmus study foreign 3. Certification. If you study for the certification exams you will pass them basically the book has all the questions that can ever be asked, but its totally with yourself the college wont supply any resources as such to help. Anyone I know that took the java cert exam during flexi semester and failed it admitted that they didnt study for it enough.