I started out trying to self-study for my MCSD in Visual Basic 6.0. I was very experienced with MS-Access and had some experience with Visual Basic (4.0). However, I failed my first attempt at passing the Access exam, and things weren't looking well for VB. So my wife and I decided the best thing for me to do was go to a 'boot camp'. We setteled on AmeriTrain in Tysons Corner (now closed I believe). A few months later I certified as an MCSE. Weeks after that, I was an MCSD. I have since added the MCDBA certification and am in the process of upgrading my MCSD to .NET. I'm also considering pursuing the MCT certification. You can view my MCP transcript by going to http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/transcripts and entering my Transcript ID (678795) and the Access Code (SeeMEMCP).