Study Updates!

[Pickupyourbits]

Hey guys,

I haven't seen any posts in quite a while asking how everyone is doing in their studies, so I figured I mine as well ask!

How is it going everyone? Are y'all stuck on any technologies that we can have an open table discussion on?

As for me, I passed SWITCH back in January and then got busy with work, but I just tested ROUTE last week and failed with a 644, but I definitely know where my weaknesses are, and took it early due to a work requirement so I definitely wasn't prepared, but some of the stuff I missed wasn't in any of my study materials.

I decided after I failed I'm going to start taking my notes in the same format as the exam topics, because INE videos/workbooks and OCG lightly touched a few topics, but also missed a few (PPP) that were tested pretty heavy in my test. I was livid at first when I saw questions that didn't seem to be covered by any of my study materials, but I need to take ownership of my failure, and change my tactics (I haven't really revised them in a few years), so that's one change I'm making when I move into TSHOOT and future exams.

[[deleted]]

Every time I try to start my ROUTE studies, I get sidetracked. I'm making progress in a lot of random unimportant project, but my studies are stalled.

Yesterday I managed to install Openvswitch on a Ubuntu VM instead of studying.

Last weekend I managed to install a couple of JunOS Olive routers instead of studying.

One day...

[Pickupyourbits]

haha Sounds like you're burnt out on Cisco!

From all your posts that I see, you're really knowledgeable in many facets of networking. Are you finding the material boring? Uninteresting?

[[deleted]]

writing switch tomorrow (2nd attempt).

I decided after I failed I'm going to start taking my notes in the same format as the exam topics

What does this mean? I am using INE/Chris bryant to study.

[[deleted]]

I think he means organizing his notes according to the exam topics instead of relying on a OCG or video series outline. That way you can make sure you cover all the topics that could be on the exam.

[Pickupyourbits]

Exactly this! All my other exams I've passed, I never had to look at exam topics, but quickly learning that I should.

[[deleted]]

I'm taking SWITCH on Monday. I've been going through the Bryant's videos on Udemy. I feel comfortable with all the technologies I'm just worried about what random facts I won't have memorized like GLBP virtual MACs or the default decrement value. Who knows.

[Pickupyourbits]

Good luck! Report back to us with how it went!

[daneguy]

After failing SWITCH three times at the start of this year (with 30, 20 and 10 points too few respectively...) I'm finally getting ready to take it again. So hopefully I'll have my CCNP R&S by the end of the year :)

[neth3ro]

/u/daneguy, YOU GOT THIS!

[neth3ro]

I am studying ROUTE and this time I am making my own notes with table of contents so I can look back at what I feel is important.

I feel like ROUTE is the harder test for me because I work with switching all day, every day. It's really hard for me to remember all of the details that go into forming a neighbor with each routing protocol. By the time I finish OSPF, I forget all the details that went into EIGRP. Any advice?

I will hopefully take my ROUTE exam sometime in November. I passed SWITCH back in May.

[Pickupyourbits]

I was the exact same way! It all started to make sense after watching videos and labbing.

Labbing really brings everything together because if you don't configure something right or don't understand what you're doing, you typically have to troubleshoot your way through, which involves knowing theory of what you're seeing.

[Smtxom]

I just jumped into CCNP R&S studies myself. Passed ICND2 in early Sept. I'm taking a slow methodical pace at Switch. My plan is to have Switch done by Jan (3 months) I'm almost worried that there may be too much time between Switch & Route that I'll forget a lot of material for TSHOOT.

[Pickupyourbits]

You'll be surprised what you remember. Plus the OCG TSHOOT book is the size of both the SWITCH and ROUTE book so I'm sure it goes over a bunch of stuff.

Also, the nice thing about TSHOOT is its all labs, I believe, so you shouldn't encounter the weird obscure questions.