From: Jeff Kesemeyer (jkesemey@bellsouth.net)
Date: Sun Feb 23 2003 - 17:47:08 GMT-3
Congratulations !!!!!!!
I have seen no one more deserving than you, I was very surprised when
you failed last time and knew it was a matter of taking it again.
Congratulations - now get your mother-in-law's money back to
her.
Jeff Kesemeyer
CCNP, CCDP, MCSE, CNE
www.bradshawlabs.com
"Your CCIE Rack Rental Source"
-----Original Message-----
From: nobody@groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody@groupstudy.com] On Behalf Of
kym blair
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 8:42 AM
To: ccielab@groupstudy.com
Subject: CCIE #11115 (longish)
GroupStudy Friends,
It was a longer road for me than for most ... two years since passing
the
written. I work long hours and drive 1-1/2 hours each way, so only have
time and energy to read a little on weeknights. Those who can study
during
the week can probably do it more quickly.
I always told my wife that the exam costs $3,750 and they let you pay it
in
three installments. My first attempt was April 2002 in Singapore. The
exam
was much easier than the IPExpert and CCBootcamp scenarios, but I just
wasn't ready. However, it was a lot of fun and it gave me confidence.
The big push that made me sure I was ready came in December when I spent
two
weeks at NMC-1 and NMC-2. I can't say enough about Fred, Bruce, and
Val.
They drive you from sunup to long past sundown with impossible tasks,
then
drop hints so you can succeed. What a confidence builder, not to
mention
skill builder. They'd repeatedly remind us to get something to eat, but
noone would want to leave their seat, so Bruce would sometimes order
pizza
for us (I think so he wouldn't be responsible for his students passing
out).
Then I spent the following two weeks repeating the drills at home.
Test day was to be December 26th, but I had lost my passport and
couldn't
leave Korea. Cisco Tokyo was very understanding and rescheduled me for
January for free. Well, my January exam was the killer-test-from-hell.
I
did worse than I had done last April. I figured the price for me just
went
up from $3,750 to about $12,500. I was so depressed. (Remember my
email
last month about trying to decide which building was taller?) I knew I
was
ready and didn't want to lose the edge, so rescheduled immediately;
Beijing
had an opening for exactly 30 days later ... Feb 21st.
My weak area was 3550 QOS issues. Someone from GroupStudy offered to
loan
me a 3550 for free, and he express mailed it internationally to me which
cost him $100! Unbelievable! His email address is (well, better not go
there). That was such a big help; I tested everything I had had doubts
about on the 3550. A couple people from GroupStudy started working with
me
on tough topics; what a help.
My third attempt was wonderful. The topics better fit my strong areas.
I
finished in four hours, but knew I had a small problem that needed a
better
solution. It took an hour to hit on just the right combination and I
knew I
had that piece nailed. I spent the next two hours reading every word
slowly
and carefully and rechecking my work. Good thing ... I found two items
that
I had programmed inbound instead of outbound, and a third that I had
programmed on the wrong router. Carelessness. Had another hour left,
so
triple checked everything and found no errors. The only points I could
lose
would be from an ambiguous requirement here or there. I checked my
email
three hours later and found the good news. I was hoping for a number
close
to 11111.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
(1) Don't try to get around buying equipment. Max out your credit card,
take out a second mortgage, and hit your mother-in-law up for some
money.
Sooner or later you're going to have to buy enough routers; make it
sooner
than later. Get about a dozen routers, one 3550 and one 2924, an ISDN
Simulator, and a pair of FXS modules. If your spouse gives you a hard
time,
tell them it was Kym's idea. Skip ATM ... too expensive, and easily
learned
with a couple weekends of rack time (let your spouse know of this
sacrifice).
(2) At first, study one topic at a time ... frame relay, vtp/vlans, rip,
eigrp, ospf, redistribution, isdn, bgp, multicast, voip, qos. Once you
have
each topic mastered individually, buy some quality (translation:
expensive)
scenarios and do them for time. Don't get cheap here (remind your
spouse
you've already made a significant investment). There are three or four
good
vendors, each with $500-600 workbooks. Invest in a couple. Keep
yourself
challenged. This is where you'll master the smaller but no less
important
topics like ipsec, nat, hsrp, dhcp, various qos, access-lists,
prefix-lists,
route-maps, vlan filters, etc. etc.
(3) Don't waste time during your early studies sifting through
GroupStudy.
Your time would be better spent on the rack your mother-in-law invested
so
wisely in. Near the end, you should pay attention to GroupStudy and
contribute as you are able. Thankfully (I can say that now that I've
passed), the lab keeps changing to keep up with emerging technology.
Whatever scenarios you purchase will be a little dated. They'll give
you
solid skills in all the core and many of the peripheral topics, but
you'll
be on your own for the newest topics. Voice, 3550, and QOS are changing
rapidly (not to mention the fact that the lab had some brand new 6509's
sitting there ... what were they for???). The tough questions are
presented
to GroupStudy by frustrated candidates and are debated heavily,
sometimes
without resolution.
(4) Don't rush your first attempt. You'll know when you're ready.
Everything on GroupStudy will seem easy, and you'll be knocking out
8-hour
IPExpert scenarios in six. If you have any doubts, save your
mother-in-law's $1250 plus travel money, and spend it on a 3550.
(5) If she can afford it, spend a week or two during the last 60 days at
NetMasterClass or CyscoExpert. Don't go before you think you're ready
to
sit the lab or you won't get the full benefit from the class. Being
away
from home in a pure study mode is fantastic. Hey, you might even be
able to
get your company to pay for it (my wife wasn't listening to me any more
and
my mother-in-law was just laughing, but the boss was still open to
suggestions).
(6) Use the CD as much as possible (IOS 12.2):
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/home/home.htm
Enjoy your studies. It should be a fun road. This is just the
beginning;
there is much more to learn (e.g., MPLS, deeper QOS, security, IP
Phones,
etc.).
I really want to thank a couple of you who cheered me up last month
after my
second attempt, and who helped me focus on the latest topics to finish
my
preparation. You know who you are.
Paul, you've served the community by maintaining and improving
GroupStudy
for so many years. May God reward you some day! Thank you very very
much!
Best regards,
Kym
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