A laptop showing an AI chat interface beside handwritten study notes, representing active AI-assisted learning rather than passive answer-seeking.

How to Use AI as a Study Partner Without Using It as a Cheat Sheet

You can ask AI for the answer to every Security+ practice question. You will pass the practice test and fail the exam. I am studying for Security+ right now. I use AI every day for it. The difference between using it well and using it badly comes down to one question: are you asking it to give you answers, or asking it to help you build understanding? Asking AI for the answer produces a correct answer. It does not produce retention. The moment you close the chat, the answer is gone. You have outsourced the cognitive work without doing any of it. ...

March 15, 2026 · Mario Martinez Jr.
A network patch panel with labeled ethernet cables and a glowing switch, representing hands-on IT networking fundamentals.

What Security Certifications Assume You Already Know

I got my Novell NetWare certification in the 1990s. Between jobs after that, I ran network cables and configured routers as freelance work. When I moved into IT full time, I was configuring the same routers. When I eventually moved into cybersecurity, I did not struggle with the concepts the way I watched others struggle. Not because I was smarter. Because I already knew what a subnet was, how routing worked, and what happened to a packet between point A and point B. ...

March 15, 2026 · Mario Martinez Jr.