SCJP reading material

Question

What do you think of reading the "Head First Java" book in preparatino for the SCJP Certification exam? Its written by the same author that wrote "SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5 Study Guide". So I assume the contents/layout should be similar?

Answer 1

The entire Head First series is excellent IMHO,
though the style is a bit informal and downright "weird" (in a fun way)
So Head First may not be for everyone,
especially if you prefer a formal education style.
But as with all certification exams, do not expect that
reading one book alone, or taking one class alone,
will adequately prepare you for the certification exam.
You need to practice your Java skills. The books and classes
will provide you with an excellent head start. But when you
are finished with them, do something more. If you have an idea,
write an original program. But if no ideas, try re-implementing a
well-known program, e.g., a spreadsheet, a game, a chat client. etc.
Better yet, find an open-source software (OSS) project and
help out by contributing code. OSS project are always in need of help.
And put your ego aside, there is a lot of great practice to be had
implementing or fixing mundane thing like printer drivers, or file I/O.
Also one of the best ways to help contribute to an OSS project AND
get great practice writing Java code is writing unit tests.