From: Derek Small \(Fuse\) (dwsmall@xxxxxxxxxx)
Date: Tue Apr 25 2000 - 17:21:11 GMT-3
It appears to be turning into a custom to post a little blurb here after you
finally pass the examine so here is my "short" story.
I started working on the CCIE a little over two years ago. My first attempt
at the lab was about a 14 months ago. I did horribly, and was not sure I
was in the right line of work. I obviously needed more access to equipment
so I decided to take out a loan, talk someone into fronting me the same
amount, and started Fatkid.com. In the beginning I just hoped it would help
me cover my loan payments. By the time my next test rolled around I only
had a couple of routers assembled. Still, I thought was ready, based on my
last attempt. My second attempt was no more impressive, and I left for home
without getting to go on to day 2.
My confidence was pretty much shot at this point and I was ready to give up.
My employer at that time, only agreed to send me to the test two times.
After that the cost of the test, airfare, hotel, and everything else was my
baby. Still my wife and I had agreed that we would foot the bill for a third
attempt if necessary when I started the process.
By my third attempt I had all the equipment that you see now on Fatkid.com's
rack, had developed a number of scenarios and kicked into heavy-duty study
mode. The four weeks before the test I studied between four an five hours a
night, and all weekend long. My third trip to Raleigh would prove no more
fruitful than the previous two however, and again I went home after day one.
This time about $2500.00 poorer when all the bills finally were tallied up.
As you all know this process is a lot of work, and is very stressful, and
after three attempts and over a year of preparing, I still couldn't get past
day one. A week after I failing a third time, my wife asked me what I was
going to do. I said I just could not see putting us all through the ordeal
of preparing again, not to mention the expense. This process had now cost
us over $10,000.00 with no payoff in site. Fatkid was turning out to be a
lot of work and was just barely keeping the lights on, much less helping pay
for the equipment. I told her I thought I should just give up. She said
that she thought I would always regret it if I did, and encouraged me to
sign-up for the test one more time. This time I thought I would try San
Jose for a change and to see if I might have any better luck with a
different proctor.
I started preparing for the test four weeks before hand. I came home from
work, spent 10 minutes with my wife and new born son, then headed to the den
to study. I did this every night until the last week before the test.
Then, one week before the test, I quit my job and took another, with a
company that I though might support me more in my efforts. This allowed me
to take the entire week off before the test to study, which I did for
roughly 14 hours a day, for the next five days. When I left for San Jose, I
felt that I could not have been better prepared, and I was right. I knew
the material cold. I sat down with the test, read everything and instantly
started piecing configs together in my head. After reading through the test
there were a couple of questions that I needed clarified. I could see where
they may be asking for something pretty strait-forward, or they might be
trying to make sure you read carefully, and trip you up. When I presented
the proctor with my questions she flatly refused to offer any clarification,
beyond "if you read the question carefully enough, the answer to your
question is there". I took that to mean that they were, in fact, making
sure you read carefully, and interpreted the questions as specifically as I
could. I felt pretty good after day 1, but was pretty sure I had missed a
couple of points because the config that I came up with was pretty weird,
even though I thought it was what the test was asking for. I was certain I
would get to go on to day 2 however. The next morning I did get to go on,
and I smoked through the test. I had the day 2 config done in two hours,
and triple checked everything. I knew I got all 30 points. I came back
from lunch and was told that I was done, and would not get to go on. I was
devastated. I was told I had just enough points from day 1 to even make it
to day 2, and lost quite a few points on day 2 also. I could not believe
it. I knew this stuff forwards, backwards, and upside down. It was not
possible that I didn't even get to go to trouble shooting.
I was convinced that the CCIE was not within my abilities and resigned
myself to the fact that I would have to be content with a CCNP. My new job
was working out well, and the company was being very supportive, despite my
recent failure again at the lab. As delicately as possible new boss pulled
me aside after a few weeks, and told me that he was beginning to catch some
heat about me not having passed the CCIE. This was apparently a major
hiring point when he presented my resume to the regional manager with his
recommendation to hire me. I thought long and hard about my future with my
new company. They were willing to pay for the attempt, my wife was still
somehow encouraging me also, and the local office of the new company was
still struggling to establish a client base, which would give me large
amounts of time to study during the day. I decided to try the test one last
time. This time I would go back to Raleigh.
About a week before I had planned to start studying for the test, Darlene
called from Cisco (lab administrator for RTP) and said that she had a slot
that had opened up. It would allow me to take the test almost one month
earlier than I was scheduled for. Thinking it would take some of the heat
off of my boss, if I could actually pass the darn thing, I agreed to take
the test on April 23rd. When I told my wife the new date, she instantly
asked what about Easter? My jaw dropped. I had completely forgotten. But
now it was too late, as Darlene had already confirmed the schedule change to
me. Disappointed but determined, I prepared for the earlier test date,
which was only three weeks away.
I studied for the test during the day, and spent the evenings with my family
this time. I had also started reading a bible that my sister-in-law had
given me as a Christmas present. I am not a terribly religious man, and
have my own beliefs about God, but have always felt a certain amount of
hypocrisy discussing religion without having even read the bible. I found
that reading from the bible in the evenings helped take my mind off of Cisco
materials and kept me more relaxed in preparing for the test. My wife was
raised a devout church going Southern Baptist, but never forced religion on
me, and I felt like reading the bible might help bring the two of us
together more.
I left for RTP on Saturday with one binder of notes that I wanted to review,
and the bible my sister-in-law had given me. I studied on plane, and some
more at the hotel, but again read from the bible that evening to relax. I
went in to take the test on Easter Sunday, feeling guilty for not being with
my family, and for working on such a holiday, but I felt determined to make
it worth the sacrifice. Myself and one other person where the only ones
anywhere on the entire campus. The weekend proctor showed up, let us in and
went to prepare the lab. A few minutes later she returned. Denise earned
her CCIE in '97 and is the regular proctor on weekends. She was great! She
tried very hard to help us relax and proved very helpful during the test. I
worked through the lab on day 1 by lunch, and was convinced by the end of
the day that I had aced everything. I check, and rechecked everything, then
went back and re-read the entire lab again, checking my configs as I went.
That evening I was more confident than ever that I had done well and might
even pass the test this time. I came in on day 2, and Alan (the regular
proctor at RTP) began showing me things in my config that did not work, two
things I knew I had configured, but somehow where no longer in my config.
He didn't say exactly but I summized that I must have lost around 8 points g
ive or take. I was devastated, shocked and even thought about just leaving
once. Instead I fumbled through the second part of the test for an hour
before I finally regained my composure. I finished the last part of day 2
with five minutes left before lunch, so I did not get to go back and recheck
anything. Based on my previous attempts I was sure I had lost some points
on oversights, or typos. Finally Alan came to collect us from the
cafeteria, where he told me that I lost no points at all on day, and I would
have to wait for about two hours while he prepared my rack for trouble
shooting. I was floored. I had already planned to try to catch an early
flight home. I was also a basket case. I could not believe I was going to
get to that last part of the test. I went out to the car, got the bible I
had been reading and found a sunny place in the grass in front of the test
building. I sat and read, and put Cisco out of my mind entirely. Two hours
later I walked back into the test center and sat down to try to start
debugging my rack. I found and corrected every problem that Alan had put in
my config. I finished checking my work for the third time, just before time
ran out. Alan sat down reviewed my config, then stood and shook my hand and
congratulated me. I was speechless.
It had taken me two years and five attempts to meet the goal I set for
myself. I realized that I had not failed in my previous attempts because I
was not prepared well enough, but because I was not prepared well enough in
the right subject.
Incidentally the other person that started with my on Easter Sunday also
passed his test as received CCIE #5831.
Without a doubt, this group has been the best study aid I have found. I
think it is a must read for anyone working on the lab. I have never been to
a formal Cisco training class, only a few local ASET discussion group
meetings that Cisco does once-in-a-while. I did get a great deal of help
from the local Cisco SE responsible for channel partner training, Bob Carr,
and probably would not have passed the test without his help.
Thanks to everyone in the group!!! You guys rock!
Derek Small
CCIE # 5832
dwsmall@fatkid.com
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