Amp's CCIE Quest

Where do I begin…

Last week was a complete and total waste as far as studying goes. I just couldn’t get things together. I felt like a child lost in the woods surrounded by lions, tigers and bears that are ready to pounce on me because I am looking like a deer caught in headlights. James Key who blogs over at Blindhog shot me a very encouraging email that helped me out tremendously. After getting back on my grind I ran into a buddy that told me about the Cisco Aset Program for Cisco Partners. The Aset Labs Program basically gives you 72 hours per month of remote access to Cisco remote labs and scenarios if you have passed your written, have a lab date in sight, and are a Cisco Partner.

Well I had my first 5-hour block of lab time today and officially got my behind kicked. I don’t mean I made a few mistakes here and there, no I was absolutely completely beat like an out-of-tune drum. The most challenging part is that you do not have any solutions to verify your work or to see where you went wrong. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not completely a bad thing, but it is challenging for someone like me just starting out on this journey.

Here are a few things that I know for certain:

1. I need access to a lab, even the smallest of labs, so I can practice the basics. I am a little rusty right now.
2. It is going to be imperative that I remain on a very focused schedule for my studies.
3. In order to be ready by October I am going to have to eat, sleep, drink, and have sex with CCIE Voice.
4. I have committed to staying at least 1-hour after work EVERY workday so I can steal an extra hour of studying.
5. I am going to read, re-read, and re-read what I re-read, from every book on the Voice Book List and the SRNDs, Case Studies, and Tech Notes.
6. Post questions on IPexperts mailing list OnlineStudyList like I am getting paid to do it. (So no rumors get started, I AM NOT and WILL NOT, be getting paid to post questions on that list. I am just saying I am going to be posting on the list as if I were getting paid.)
7. I am going to engage in physical exercise everyday. The stronger my body becomes, I will be better able to manage stress, and operate with an invigorated mind.
8. One of the most important things that I know for certain is that I must, scratch that, I WILL have fun along this journey.

So to my readers, please drop me an email or comment with your thoughts, your method to this madness, your encouraging or discouraging words (both are appreciated). Tell me what it was like for you guys when you started on your IE journey and how you all overcame these same obstacles that I am now facing. I believe that we are all family in this fight. I love how when one person passes we all feel a since of pride, and when one person fails we all feel anguish and a tinge of fear for our attempt. Talk to me family, I need to hear from you guys.

Amp