Re: CCIE RS milestone reached. Third time's the charm

Congrats Ints!

-- 
Regards,
Nish
http://twitter.com/nish
2011/6/1 Ints Meijers <ints.meijers_at_ml.lv>
> Hello,
>
> 30 May 2011 I passed CCIE RS exam in Brussels.
>
> This marks a year long work towards dream come true. Three attempts (all of
> them in Brussels) were needed for it to become reality.
>
> Self-paced "INE CCIE RS 4.0 Training Program" was with me all the way.
> Especially I want to thank INE for "CCIE R&S v4.0 Advanced Technologies" VoD
> series. These lectures helped me brush up forgotten topics and grasp new
> ones. I accompanied them with an online rack session (my own rack via remote
> TS) and tested each presented concept to further verify how the technology
> works. Troubleshooting bootcamp recording was a great help also. This I
> mixed with fulltime job, so no deep dive but anyway something always sinks
> in. INE Blog provided me with essential information on documentation
> navigation - this helped a lot! Your blog gave me insight to such depths of
> OSPF that I wouldn't have otherwise considered exploring (kudos to Petr
> Lapukhov). Originally I intended to thank INE through their designated
> webform (http://www.ine.com/success-story.htm) but didn't receive any
> response after submitting so either it didn't reach them or is still
> processed. Anyway I included my thanks her!
>  e since from my standpoint, thanking vendor which helped in your journey
> is a must. So if someone from INE reads this - know that you are remembered
> with good words/thoughts!
>
> In the beginning I read GroupStudy mailing list daily but couldn't keep up
> with it due to work intensity. No time for posting either. Social life also
> goes down the drain during preparation phase :)
>
> Ivan Pepelnjak site http://blog.ioshints.info/ gave a lot of insight in
> EEM, since Cisco official documentation left me a bit frustrated.
>
> A little about my journey...
>
> I started studying for written exam on April 2010 and passed it in June
> 2010 on my second attempt. First time I attempted it without studying to
> mark my readiness and came close. Of course I was hit bad with technologies
> that I don t use in my daily job. Having found out my weaknesses I focused
> on them and passed second time.
>
> Then I started preparing for the lab. Built my own rack and meanwhile
> listened to ATC VoD series while commuting. INE  R&S Lab Workbook Volume I
>  challenged me to think outside the box and  introduced me to different
> style of presenting information, where logical topology not always comes
> hand in hand with physical one. This helped me grasp lab topology much
> quicker than it otherwise would have been possible.
>
> First attempt was in 10 November 2010. I had an extra stress due to  first
> time . What I learned is not to make assumptions and consult proctor when in
> doubt. My proctor for this attempt was Istvan. I ran to him for help a lot
> that time :)
>
> Second attempt was in 07 March 2011. This time I had more experience. I
> understood how the questions are asked and how to interpret the diagrams.
> What I learned is that i need more speed, both in TS and configuration part.
> Also it revealed some still weak technology areas (means that I had to bring
> up documentation to implement a feature).
>
> And here it comes. A winning strategy which I fully exploited for passing
> attempt (already seen this suggested to candidates many times):
>
>  Notepad configuring .
>
> Yes - do all configuration in notepad. In the beginning you are frustrated
> because most of the time router rejects what you have pasted in console.
> Then you notice that you write an occasional  ?  to get a  hint  :) After a
> while you notice that SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) has risen and speed is
> improving from typing the same commands over and over again. In the end it
> pays back with required speed. If you are comfortable with technology you
> can type in shortened commands and do tasks even faster. But do that only
> for really familiar topics. I used notepad document to track each change I
> made on appropriate devices for each task. Thus I was prepared for power
> outage and/or HW failure. Also this enabled a rollback option, since it was
> easier to identify and remove previously added configuration.
>
> Before my third attempt I had an extra boost of morale and motivation. It
> came from a young lady which soon will receive an offer she can't refuse (c)
> Godfather :) Funniest thing is that she had no idea what this exam is all
> about and anyway supported me unconditionally. This helps a lot - that there
> is someone who cares. I wish to everyone that there is such person in your
> life!
>
> Third attempt was 30 May 2011. I used notepad for all configuration and
> tracking of activities. Scratch paper was used for tracking TS tickets. For
> configuration section I used scratch paper to note topics I want to review.
> Also I redraw partial topology for a quick reference. Notepad helped me to
> detect and correct a lot of silly mistakes made due to stress. In the end it
> proved to be a valid strategy which worked for me. All the time through the
> lab I had a feeling that it is hard but I'm making it. I had no high hopes,
> just did my best. At the end my head hurt and I felt like a squeezed lemon.
> Nevertheless I had most wonderful experience.
>
> Both, second and third time I got the same proctor: Said
> He is patient, helpful and forthcoming. Answers are given where due and
> politely rejected where you must come up with one yourself.
>
> All three times I stayed in NH Brussels Airport hotel. I can strongly
> recommend it since it is in a walking distance from Cisco office. This means
> that you can have a slow morning and not worry about commute. They provide
> you with a shuttle to/from Brussels national airport which also is a perk.
>
> Thanks for all the support (direct or indirect) you have provided me with
> during this journey!
>
> I wish everyone strength to continue walking towards this achievement :)
>
> Ints Meijers,
> CCIE# 29095
>
>
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-- 
Regards,
Nish
http://twitter.com/nish
Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net