I decided to go for my SCJP because the company I work for has introduced a new performance management system that lets the employees set measurable objectives at the beginning of a year. As I've played around with Java for awhile and we use a bit of Java at work, I decided why not make SCJP one of my objectives. My boss loved the idea. Heck, what better excuse at the end of the year to say,. "Hey Johannes, no pay rise since you did not pass your SCJP". As I love my yearly pay rise and Kathy & Bert's book got rave reviews all over the Java Ranch, and elsewhere, I decided to go out and buy their book.

Now let’s be honest, up to now getting my SCJP was simply an objective I HAD to accomplish. Deep down in my heart I felt like a kid that had to do his homework, until I read the intro of Kathy & Bert's book.

What did this intro do for me??

Imagine someone tells you about this high mountain and what a challenge it is to climb it. They don't attempt to lie to you, they tell you it is a HARD, MEAN mountain to climb, but they are nice people and they also give you a map, compass, and everything else you need to climb it.

First of all, they tell you how you should approach your preparation. They give some very simple but fantastic study tips, that I wish I knew when I was at school and which I will share with my 12 year old son when he is in a perceptive mood again.

And then they give some solid advice on how you should sit for the exam. Man, I never knew taking a exam was such a challenge. I always saw it as, sit down and write the damn thing. The way Kathy and Bert explained it in their book makes me want to go out there and beat the hell out of the exam. It's my opponent. He is there to challenge my knowledge and I will beat him like I will beat someone in a game of squash, which I never do by the way.

Lets face it we. All of us have to learn new computer languages from time to time. Most of these languages we learn by doing. Learning a computer language, often means only learning the instructions you need. One seldom has to learn and understand the "deeper", inner workings of a language. Sun forces us to do just that, if one wants to get your SCJP. Heck getting your SCJP is like getting a at primary school for knowing your work.

With the intro to their book, Kathy and Bert have convinced me that I want to know for myself that I really know the Java language and not simply a subset of the language.

Some might say I don't need a piece of paper as proof that I know my stuff, but I say it's all about climbing that mountain. Just smell the air when you stand up on the top and you've beaten it. Do it for yourself .

Good luck and have fun getting your SCJP. I know I will.

Kathy and Bert have kindly allowed us to make the intro available to our readers. So go read the INTRO and let them convince you to take up the challenge.

Please note that Bert could not find the final version of the intro, so I had to retype certain parts of it from my book, so please forgive the typo's - Johannes de Jong.