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

Thank you so much for sharing. I directly quoted you on my blog. I am
finding the best tips from battle proven experts (not barring NDA) and
starting to keep a collection. This is for sure one that I will
reference again. Congratulations and best of luck on continued
success!

Marc Edwards
http://reno-ccie.blogspot.com

On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 12:09 PM, Paul Negron <negron.paul_at_gmail.com> wrote:
> Well done. Way to be persistent.
> --
> Paul Negron
> CCIE# 14856 CCSI# 22752
> Senior Technical Instructor
> www.micronicstraining.com
>
>
>
>> From: Ints Meijers <ints.meijers_at_ml.lv>
>> Reply-To: Ints Meijers <ints.meijers_at_ml.lv>
>> Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2011 20:25:40 +0300
>> To: <ccielab_at_groupstudy.com>
>> Subject: CCIE RS milestone reached. Third time's the charm
>>
>> 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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>>
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Received on Wed Jun 01 2011 - 15:11:53 ART