Frequently Asked Questions about my Classes42. Do I need to pay any extra money to access
Blackboard.com web site apart from your advertised course fee for joining
internet class ? Please also mention any taxes or hidden charges 41. If I miss a routine class for any reason can I still access that lecture later? 40. Can I see any Demo class before joining any course ? Have a look around the classroom. 39. I am interested in taking your Intermediate VB.Net course starting July 25 and have looked at the course outline. I was wondering (and could not find on your website) How exactly do your online classes work? I see there is a textbook for it, is it all out of that? Do you have a "project" like in your books? Are their lectures online we read/view? During a typical week, I will ask you to read 1 or more chapters out of the textbook. 38. I need more info on your classes Classes generally run 8 to 10 weeks, and are hosted electronically on Moodle.com, a scholastic electronic bulletin board, from which I lease a classroom for the duration of our course. Except for a 1 hour scheduled live 'chat' each week, all communication between you and me (and the other students) is done using an Electronic Bulletin Board---basically, a message board. Each week, on Sunday evenings, I post notes, assignments and projects for the following week. You access this material using the Electronic Bulletin Board, and post any questions and replies. Once each week, using alternating Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, we have a scheduled one hour chat using Moodle.com's Chat room. http://www.johnsmiley.com/main/training.htm 37. Is it too late to register for a course? Generally, I open registration for my courses several weeks before their announced start date and you may continue to register for most courses after they have begun. 36. Can you reduce your class costs--they're too expensive. Not everyone thinks so--many students comment that, in comparison to Technical Seminars, Trade Schools, and College and Universities, my classes are a bargain. In general, my classes are priced at $25 a week---I think this is reasonable. Interestingly, I've offered full and partial 'scholarships' to students in the past, and I've found that students who pay for my classes do much better. 35. Do you offer courses on VB6? Yes---you can check them out here. http://www.johnsmiley.com/main/training.htm 34. Please offer Data structure and algorithms using one of the languages (C++, VB.Net, VB or Java) I'd love to, however.... The courses you mention are traditional type Computer Science classes, and experience shows that only a small number of students would be interested 33. I'm lost with VB.Net. That's why you should take my Introduction to VB.Net class. With my class, using my easy to read and learn VB.Net book, you can't go wrong. 32. Do you offer SQL 2000 programming? In conjunction with VB.Net and ADO.Net, I do. This is part of the Intermediate VB.Net and ADO.Net courses. 31. What about books? And particular software? Books and software depend upon the course and the language you are learning. Just about all of the Introductory courses I offer use books I have written which you will need to purchase. As far as software, Java classes require that you download and install Java from the Sun Microsystems Website. Java is free, and there's nothing else to buy. C# classes require that you download and install the .Net Framework from Microsoft. The .Net Framework and C# compiler is free, but I must warn you that the .Net Framework requires a pretty heavy duty computer and Windows XP or above to run. You definitely want to check into this before signing up for the course. C++ classes require that you download and install the free C++ compiler from Borland. The compiler will run on just about any PC, so cost is minimal. The Introduction to VB.Net class requires that you purchase VB.Net Standard edition (about $100). VB.Net installs the .Net Framework onto your PC. The Intermediate VB.Net class utilizes ASP and ADO.Net, and the textbook presumes that you have access to either MSDE or a version of SQLServer. You can download a trial version of SQLServer 2000 from Microsoft, but like .Net, it requires a heavy-duty PC and Windows XP or above. Also, to run ASP.Net, you need either to have Internet Information Server (IIS) running on your PC, or Personal Web Server. 30. I am starting my masters program, so not sure how much time I would have to devote to this class. Just like any other course that you wish to seriously pursue, time is an issue you must consider (this is one reason I charge for my classes---I desire serious students who have the time to learn). In general, I estimate that you will need to devote at least 10 hours each week for your learning. If you have less time than that at the present time, it would be better to put off taking the class until you do. 29. Why aren't you offering any more VB6 classes. I am. 28. I'd LOVE to see something to do with PHP So would I--I'll consider it for the future. 27. Are your courses instructor lead or self paced? All of my courses are Internet-based class. There are weekly guidelines as to what you should be studying, but you can fall behind a bit without a serious problem, so long as you catch up by the end. So, in a way, the course is self-paced. The only time you will 'see' me is during our weekly 1 hour Office Hours chats. 26. Can the course be taken at night ? Because the course is Internet based, it can be taken any time. You don't physically need to ' be' anywhere, or logon at a specific time (except for the one hour weekly chats which are held at a pre-determined time each week. 25. How many nights a week is the course? See above. 24. Is there any completion certificate issued for completing the course? Yes, if you participate fully in the class (answer discussion questions, post answers to quizzes, and do assignments), you will be mailed a Completion Certificate. In addition, I also offer Continuing Education Units (CEU's) with successful completion. 23. Will I need IIS installed on my pc? For the Intermediate VB.Net class, you will need IIS or Personal Web Server installed. Also, although it's not a covered area on the VB.Net Certification Exam, the Bootcamp does tough lightly upon ASP.Net, so you would need either IIS or Personal Web Server for it also. 22. Will there be any grace period for dropping the class? You may drop the course up until the Friday before it begins. You will receive your fee minus a $5 registration fee. Once the course begins, I can't issue you a refund---although if you need to drop the course for a legitimate reason, I'll permit you to enroll in the next scheduled class at no cost. 21. What will be the mode of payment? You can pay either by credit card, Pay Pal, or by check or money order mailed to my business address at Smiley and
Associates 20. I am looking to take the Visual Basic 6 Certification test this year. This exam was retired in June of 2004--take the VB.Net Certification exam instead. 19. What's the difference between C# and C++? I'm afraid the answer is too involved to give you here. Suffice to say they are two different programming languages. C# looks a lot like Java. 18. Learning anything .Net is time well spent--do you agree? Absolutely. I think .Net will be the hottest technology we've seen since Java, and should keep me gainfully employed for the next five years. 17 I would love to take your class--how do I sign up? Registration links for classes that are scheduled are available via this web page http://www.johnsmiley.com/main/training.htm 16. I have never taken an online class before, are they as good as regular class? Actually, they can be better, but that depends upon you. If you are a person who needs a lot of structure (that is, you never learn anything new or study unless someone, like a teacher, is badgering you), then this course is not for you. On the other hand if you can learn and be motivated without someone badgering you, and you would like to learn at your own pace, wherever and whenever you want, and can deal with having live contact with your instructor just once a week for an hour, then this is the course for you. 15. I would like to see an outline for the Introduction to VB.Net and Intermediate VB.Net classes. I have syllabi available for review here. http://www.johnsmiley.com/main/training.htm Once there, click on the Syllabus link. 14. I heard that C# is a hot programming language. Hot is a matter of what hiring managers want---and are willing to pay for. Right now, we're in an IT recession (although we may be coming out of it). What language will be ' hot' when we come out of the recession is anyone's guess, but I think you can't go wrong learning C# and VB.Net--and getting certified in one or the other. 13. Does a person have to be a Visual Basic 6 programmer to learn VB.Net? Not at all--all of my Introductory courses presume no prior knowledge of any programming language--and I firmly believe that I can teach anyone to program. 12. I am interested in taking Intro to VB.Net and ASP.Net courses in the future. However, I will not be able to take these courses the next time they're offered. Will you offer them again? No problem--I'm not going anywhere. I've been teaching for 20 years, and I'll be teaching for the next 10. If you miss the next offering of a course, there will be another one in a few months. 11. I am not really sure which course I would like to take. I have an interest in your ASP.Net course, but I am also interested in Intermediate VB.Net, and in ADO.Net. In fact I was hoping that all this would have be covered in your Introduction to VB.Net class. Covering ASP.Net And ADO.Net in the Introduction to VB.Net course is asking a bit too much. For a quick look at these topics, check out my Intermediate VB.Net class---we spend about a week or two on each one. If you want to learn about them in even more detail, check out the dedicated ADO.Net and ASP.Net courses. 10. I would love to take the VB.Net intro class. Please email me and let me know when you will have it, if you do, I love the way you write in your books. ) The best way to keep informed of my classes is to check this web page periodically http://www.johnsmiley.com/main/training.htm and click on the 'Notify me' button. The next time the class is offered I'll notify you. 9. Although I have never used VB.Net, I would like to take your Intermediate VB.Net course because I am quite familiar with Visual Basic 6. Do you think that one needs to start with the Introduction to VB.Net class? Everyone (even those people who have just completed the Intro to VB.Net) will find the Intermediate VB.Net class challenging--it's just the nature of the topics. If you choose not to take the Introduction to VB.Net course, I greatly encourage you to pick up a copy of my Introduction to VB.Net book, and familiarize yourself with the changes to the environment and the IDE in VB.Net. 8. When is your VB.Net Database book coming out? I'll be working on a VB.Net Database book in the spring of 2007. Shortly after that, I'll start working on a C# Database book. 7. Dealing with com components in Visual Basic 6 is my biggest struggle right now is there any components classes you offer? I offer a course on Visual Basic 6 Objects---that's the closest I have to what you want. 6. When will you write your next book, perhaps an Intro to ASP? I'm not sure. 5. Hopefully, in the future you'll have a class for Intermediate C# I do. Check it out here http://www.johnsmiley.com/main/training.htm 4. I'm not convinced that on-line classes are the way to go. See #16 above. 3. I would take more classes with you if the cost per class were reduced. See #36 above. 2 Are you sure Microsoft is still offering certification in Visual Basic 6? No, the Visual Basic 6 Certification exam has been retired. You'll need to take the VB.Net Certification exam instead. 1. Do these prices include your book? No, my classes do not include the text book. Many of my courses use my own textbooks---the eBook version are very affordable at $13.95. |