From: Hoang Duc Phuong (kieu@hn.vnn.vn)
Date: Mon Feb 24 2003 - 00:57:14 GMT-3
Great experience and very well done !!
May I know where are you from, Kym. I'd like to hear your experience in
Beijing and Tokyo. (Air port, Transportation, Hotel ...ect ..)
Thank you in advance !
Finally, Congratulation !
Hoang Duc Phuong
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Larus" <tlarus@cox.net>
To: "kym blair" <kymblair@hotmail.com>; <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 2:10 AM
Subject: Re: CCIE #11115 (longish)
> That's one of the best "I passed" advice e-mails I have ever seen.
>
> Congratulations!
>
> Tom Larus
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "kym blair" <kymblair@hotmail.com>
> To: <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 8:42 AM
> 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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