Hi. Because you are new to Java, my suggestion will be that you spent plus/minus 2 months learning the language itself (syntax rules, how to program, etc).
The book HeadFirst java by Kathy Sierra/Bert Bates is a good starting point. There are also other good java books that you can get in the market at a fair price (i.e How To Program series by Deitel Paul & Deitel Harvey). Then, think of writing the Associate exam first (
SCJA). It will help you familiarize yourself with the exam structure, etc, and most importantly: gain more confidence.
Enjoy ;-)