How to Get the Most Out of Drupal Training

It’s a simple question that we’ve all asked: “What can I do to make the most valuable use of my time during Drupal Training?”

Having only experienced Acquia training sessions for the first time this January, I have a few ideas on how to make training beneficial for you. As a marketer, working with Drupal was brand new to me, but the Drupal in a Day and Drupal Site Building classes helped me cut the confusion and start building my first Drupal site.

This isn’t grade school. Working together on your new site and discussing the topic via social media is highly encouraged, and you can make great contacts during your training.

Here are a few ways to get to know your Drupal classmates:

1. Use Hashtags!

Discuss the course material via Twitter and use a hash tag to converse with your classmates. This gives you a great outlet to keep you up to speed with the class, or to answer others’ questions when you get ahead in the training book.

2. Work Together

Work through the Acquia training book with a partner. I found this kept me on track during Drupal training and prevented confusion when I missed a step.

3. Tell Your Friends

Check in to your training location on FourSquare to let your friends know what you’re learning. You never know when an unexpected resource will come out of the woodwork.

4. Create a List of Lifelines

Have your lifelines at your fingertips when you step out of class. These include advanced members of the Drupal community, Drupal forums, and the Drupal Facebook page. (Add them if you’re not already a fan). The Drupal site has the best forum of Drupal users you could ask for.

5. Check Headlines

Keep abreast of Drupal news with sites like CMSWire, Mashable, and Wired. With these you can find out about Drupal camps, conventions, and important updates. Also keep a #Drupal stream in your Tweetdeck to stay up to date.

These are just a few tips for getting the most out of your training sessions. What have you learned from taking Acquia Drupal courses and what have you learned from teaching them? We want to know!

Remember, if you’re looking for training sessions in June, LevelTen has you covered. We’re offering the Results Oriented Web Jumpstart, Drupal in a Day, and Drupal Site Building June 11-15. You bring the laptops, and we’ll bring the lunch!

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