Tighten Up That Saddle and Let’s Get Rollin’!
Posted by Aragoen Celtdra on 22nd October 2008
Last week was my first full week in a long time that I really buckled down and get some good quality studying. It felt like I was tackling just OSPF alone for a whole month. That’s not how I planned or envisioned it in the beginning, but I think the prolonged and scattered exposure to it helped me get a better handle on the subject. Ideally, I really should be spending that much time with all the technologies. But I’m a little torn between going all out studying for CCNP or reserve that energy for when I prepare for CCIE. If I spend a month for each it would take me… hmm… let’s see… about 7 months just for BSCI alone. 
My comfort level with the subjects should improve, though, because I haven’t even factored in the lab guide yet. But with the goal I have set forth to take the exam before the new year, I’m not sure where to fit the lab in. I will somehow.
I mentioned earlier that I had thought that I would be taking my BSCI exam by mid-October. At this time I’m nowhere near ready, nor feel prepared enough to take it. So based on where I’m at and my comfort level on the materials, I have pushed it back to December. I know, quite a huge difference in time interval from my original projection. But then you may also recall that I spent almost a month and a half working on a single-man VPN project for work for which I have gained very valuable experience. So the trade is more than fair.
Anyhow, I sat down last night and plotted down how I’m going to spend the next few months of preparation. Following is the general overview:
Oct 20 – 26: IS-IS
Oct 27 – Nov 2: Manipulating Routing Updates, Redistribution
Nov 3 – 9: BGP part 1
Nov 10 – 16: BGP part 2
Nov 17 – 23: Multicast
Nov 24 – 30: IPv6
Dec 1 – 7: IPv6 (if needed)
Dec 8 – 14: ODR, RIP
Dec 15 – 21: Review
Dec 22 – 26: Review
Dec 27: Exam
If you notice, my preparation runs right smack in the middle of the holidays so getting through this unscathed is a tall order. But I will, as I always have, try to maximize the time I get studying; keeping in mind that the coming holidays will have to sway a little bit towards quality family time over configuration manuals and cold steel (when they’re turned off 
). With the exception of the ODR, RIP, and IPv6, all the rest on that schedule is review. Therefore I expect to be more than ready by the time I take the exam. If I’m succesful with this schedule, pushing into the new year should fetch me a stronger momentum. Wish me luck friends!
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