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NetworkNewb

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nevermore

I took SANS MGT414 a few years ago and Eric Conrad was my instructor (he is also the class author).  I really enjoyed the class.  It was my first experience with SANS and the the preverbal "information through a fire hose" is a good description for this (or any other 6 day) course with SANS. They cover a lot of material, provide test strategies, and run through sample questions.  The class days were pretty long but at the end, it was completely worth it.  I invested about an additional 40-50 hours of self study at home over the following three weeks and I passed the CISSP on my first attempt.  I ended up going for the GIAC equivalent (GISP) two weeks later and passed that one on my first attempt as well.

In terms if you should take the class, my question for you is what is your immediate goal?  If obtaining CISSP one of them, then I think it is worth the investment.  If you have other competing items such as college classes or work projects, it may be desirable to hold off and wait until you are in a position to take the class and dedicate a few weeks afterwards to self-study to prepare for the exam.  If you wait too long, much of the information may go down to zero and you may have to start from scratch.