From: Jason Guy (jguy) (jguy@cisco.com)
Date: Fri Feb 08 2008 - 12:36:48 ARST
Sadiq,
Congrats my friend! This is well deserved, and I know how hard you
worked for this. You beat the 20000 mark too! Take a break, and enjoy
life for a while.
Jason
-----Original Message-----
From: nobody@groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody@groupstudy.com] On Behalf Of
Sadiq Yakasai
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 7:11 PM
To: Cisco certification
Subject: CCIE #19963
Hey guys,
I cant believe its my turn to write this email now. Amazing what comes
your way when you are truly determined and would not let failing be a
failure, as they say.
So I have managed to get digitized yesterday at Brussels, after my
second attempt at the lab exam. Its been a rough ride! Juggling work
and studying for the lab exam isnt the most esiest of things to do.
I started studying for the lab exam in January 2007, just after
finishing written test and commencing with a new job back then. Pay
was good, but it wasnt directly with cisco line of products, which
kinda made it boring for me cos of what I had set out to get. I gave
up the job and took up a contract for 11 months, but this time working
on IOS day in day out! Pay was less, the country was more expensive to
live in, spent alot of money moving across the continent (needless to
mention the hunnies are not as sweet, hehe), but hey, I had a target.
Along the line when the going got tough, many times I questioned
myself about this decision that I had to make. But i sticked with the
plan!
Got me InternetworkExpert materials and got on with the plan. Watched
the CoD many many times each. At least 2 times before practice, and
one more time after practing to make sure I completely understood what
they mentioned. Most times, I would pick up new tricks and information
everytime i re-watched the videos. I did this for at least 4 months
and decided it was time to get on to the main labs. Did all the labs
and at least 15 more for the second time.
I scheduled the Assesor Lab exam and got a 65% on it. Wasnt the most
impressive performance, but it introduced me to a different wording
style of the exam which I found to be truly educating.
I went into the exam the first time in Brussels, with alot of
uncertainties of what to expect and the level of the difficulty of the
exam. I knew the technologies but was tripped off something really
trivial as I look back at it right now. I wasted soo much time which
affected my composure and eventually, i messed up much more that I
shouldnt have. I got zero on my BGP section the first time cos of a
misconfigured AS number (and the config for the part was completely
correct). - not a good thing. I came out with 65% overall.
Dissapointed by this, but I felt i was close for a first attempt and I
knew I was almost there.
I came back to the drawing board as many people in here suggest. For
my next attempt, I knew it would be more strategic than the first one.
I concentrated more on the weak areas and theories more than I did on
building the most complex labs and doing the most complex
redistribution, etc, which would typically take me hours to think
through and do. Mcast, Catalyst QOS and IP services were now my areas
of concentration.
Just 2 weeks before my second attempt on the 19th of OCT 2007, I
tragically lost my sister. I was shattered into pieces by this event.
Had to travel home to stay with family during this period and had to
cancel my lab attempt.
After a complete month of being away from anything technical, I
returned to the battle field. My boss at work had got in contact with
the guys at NMC and got a few mock labs to do with them. I found this
to be a truly enriching experience. I did 3 labs in total and they
gave me the slap i needed to fully wake up and face the beast again.
I went back to Brussels on the 6th of Feb. Knowing my abilities, I
have never a believer of reading the whole exam before starting, and I
didnt on the day because I think there is too much information to
take in by doing so. I like to read a section and do that section,
verify and move on to the next. However, I came across an issue which
i asked the proctor on and he adviced me to read the entire exam to
get the clue to the answer which I did got an answer to my question. I
knew right from the exam hall that I had done it this time. But if I
had not, then I probably would never be able to cos I thot I had done
all that I could do and believed I did the right thing. I clarified
with the proctors on every little point I needed clarification. NO
ASSUMPTIONS WHAT SO EVER!!.
I would like to thank all the gurus out here for your time and effort.
The Brians, Scott, Narbik, Tarun, Jason Guy, Hashiru Aminu (especially
for introducing me to the group), and all the rest of the gurus out
here for your support and time.
I would like to thank all the newbies as well for the fundamental
questions. Most times you realise its good to go back to basics when
you spend too much time solving the most complex of issues. It always
helped. I had a prof that always said, its better to ask the most
stupid question outside the exam than be caught up inside the exam for
not asking. So ASK when is doubt! There will always be someone to
answer your question
Know the DoC CD inside out!
Thanks
Sadiq Yakasai
CCIE # 19963
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