ideal time

First up, hello everyone, since this is my first post

one of the major questions coming to my mind is, what is the ideal time to give the SCJP? i am a first year BE (IT) student. also, do you think the certification would give me an edge during placement interviews also?

thanks

Preparing for the SCJP will give you a huge edge in the placement process;
I attest to this from experience.

Theres never a bad time to do the right thing. I would suggest that get the certification as soon as possible. But for that you need to build a strong foundation. You cant build a multi storey building if you dont have a strong foundation. As you are in first year i suppose you might not have much programming experience. If you have then well and good.....If not make sure you do little bit of C++ and load object oriented concepts in your head.

Next start with a beginners book on java, i would suggest head first java. Study it throughly and get the concepts in your head perfectly.
Next take a SCJP exam guide. First start with Kathy seirra book and do it throughly start to end, dont miss out a single word. It is one of the best books
After that read Khalid Mughal , it is SCJP bible.
Coding is the key. The more you code the more you are clear with your concepts and it is the key if you want to score 90%+ in the exam
In the end practice with mock exams a lot of them are available in this forum and other sites on net

So i would say 6-7 months of consistent study will be enough. It all depends on how you apply your brain and the concepts.
Dont make haste to give the exam, that is what most new comers do. Take your own time. Dont give the exam until you are perfect with the objectives otherwise you may flunk.

And of course it will help for the placements. If certifications were not important for jobs then they would not exist and no one wud have done it.

And remember you are not learning java just for the SCJP you are learning it because you are interested in it.(thats what the attitude should be)

all the best for SCJP and your engineering career.

Harsh is coorect that the Mughal book is the right one -- much better than the Sierra/Bates book.

It's good to hear that you want to take the SCJP. I would say, if you have the time to study then definitley go for it.

I have posted some tips and hints which you may find useful: - My Path to SCJP Certification

thanks to all for you guidance.

ill start right away, as first year is pretty simple anyways.

victor kamat wrote:Harsh is coorect that the Mughal book is the right one -- much better than the Sierra/Bates book.

As you are in first year, clear your java concept with any good book eg complete reference by herbert schild(chap 1-11)
then move on to K & B(much easier to read then khalid mughal), then khalid mughal.
Gradual preperation is the key and donot forget to practice else you will forget everything.
All the best