No matter what certification exam you are working towards, it is going to happen. At some point, you are just going to need a break from the studies. Even if you don’t feel like you absolutely require one, perhaps life events will dictate you put down the Terminal Emulator and relax a bit.
Personally, I have just experienced this in my pursuit of the CCIE Security. First, my instructor, Rohit Pardasani came to Tampa for a visit, then my employer, CBT Nuggets, hosted the trainers for a week of fun in Eugene, Oregon.
The key, and I really had to work on this, is to not let this break stress you out! It is very easy to start feeling anxious about your exam when you are forced to take a break. Fight this urge. Remember, we need to keep stress at bay as we prepare. We cannot risk anxiety creeping in as this will only make it more difficult for us to master the material we need to study.
Revel in the fact that your study break has recharged your study batteries and jolted your passion for practice at the Command Line!
I thought I would share a few priceless moments of my recent study breaks – I hope you enjoy the shots. Let me know how your pursuit is progressing in the comments area below!
Hi Anthony
My Name is Puneet Gupta and i am planning to go for CCIE R&S this year. I have started my study from May 15th , 2015.
I have eight years of experience in Netowrking in different fields like R&S , Wireless , NAC however i have never tried to go in deep on these topics .
Can you kindly suggest , how should i proceed and what strategy i should follow ?
Thanks & Regards
Puneet Gupta
+91-9911338977
Hello Puneet!
Check out the other posts in the CCIE Coaching section of this website. You will see from this that I recommend you start with the most detailed blueprint Cisco has to offer. You can also check out the excellent expanded blueprint that INE published on their blog (blog.ine.com).
Once you have this blueprint in a tracker – you want to lab each area and go into as much detail as possible. You can design your own labs, or use one of the many vendors that offer such labs for you.
Enjoy this journey!
Where did you meet Rohit? don’t you want to use vendor materials like IPexpert or INE has? I’m just curious where trainers like you seek for study materials or training.
Rohit and I have been friends for so long, I honestly cannot remember how we met!
I am not biased on any one vendors materials, and I will most likely use several before my exam data. Rohit provided just what I was looking for recently so I jumped on it. It was 2 hour WebEx sessions for one month. These sessions followed the blueprint in an Advanced Technology Lab type format.
With whatever vendor you might be considering – be sure they offer the materials and format that work for YOU!
Hi Anthony,
Just curious to know what reading material are you using for the CCIE Security? I’ve purchased the INE Security package about 2yrs now but lost motivation to study for it. I’m thinking about starting back but Cisco still hasn’t published an official cert guide for v4 of the exam so I’m not quite sure what to read.
Thanks,
Jason
I read the “Doc-CD” Configuration Guides when I need to fill in any blanks in the videos I am watching. It is dry as hell – but at least I will have access to them in the lab exam should I completely draw a blank on a complex configuration.