I've seen a lot of people waste months studying for certs that don't move the needle. Here's the stack I'd recommend if you're a college student trying to land your first IT role:

1. CompTIA A+ (foundational)

This is the baseline. It proves you understand hardware, troubleshooting, and basic networking. Most helpdesk/support roles require it or something equivalent. Study time: 4-6 weeks if you go hard.

2. CompTIA Network+ or AWS Cloud Practitioner (choose your lane)

If you want to go the traditional sysadmin/networking route, Network+ is the move. If you're leaning cloud/DevOps, skip straight to AWS Cloud Practitioner — it's easier than people think and cloud skills are in massive demand.

3. CompTIA Security+ (the differentiator)

This is where you separate yourself. Security+ is increasingly required for government and enterprise roles, and it stacks perfectly on top of A+. Having this on your resume as a college student is a cheat code.

The key: Don't just memorize dumps. Understand the concepts, build a home lab, and actually touch the technology. The cert gets you the interview — the knowledge gets you the job.

I built PassTheStack because I spent way too long sifting through 500-page textbooks when I could've studied from 20 pages of focused notes. If that sounds useful, check it out.