IT Certifications

[dharmadrummer]

I'm looking for some advice on what certification I should study. I am currently in college for Information Technology- Network Administration and one of my instructors wants everyone to take a certification exam this quarter. I have a few certs picked out that I would like to obtain while in college but I'm not sure which one to go for first. They are MCITP (Windows Client), CCENT/CCNA, and CompTIA Network+. I have all ready taken a networking class that outlines the N+ cert and I am very proficient with Windows 7. For the MCITP, I feel like I only need to study for the Enterprise Infrastructure exam and the will also earn me an MCSA for Windows 7. Cisco certs are completely new to me but it looks like the CCENT material is very similar to what we studied in my networking class. After graduation I would like to be a network technician. Can anyone offer me advice on what exam I should study/take first? What things should I pay the most attention to while studying for a specific cert? Also, is CompTIA A+ a waste of time (everything I have read about it basically says that)?

[Whaler_99]

Microsoft certs are always good option - always jobs available in that field. Cisco certs are also pretty solid. The A+ is a waste, the exam is so outdated, but places like Best Buy and such seem to "require" it to work, like it proves you won't destroy a computer. Security Certs are also good to have.