Memory methods

sexion8

What may I ask do some here do to memorize some of the things in regards to exams? Me myself, I jot down the summaries of most subjects I read, record them and play them when I have over a half hour of media. I burn it to CD and listen on my way to work. Place post it notes around... Right now, I tend to take the major points of subjects, convert it to an image, and use it as my desktop until I've memorized it. (e.g. hold times, characterstics, timers, packet information, rfc numbers and summaries) ... I use OpenBSD for my laptop's desktop with transparent terminals (http://www.infiltrated.net/openpimp.jpg), so most of the time in fact 95% of the time, I have NO CHOICE but to memorize what an LSA Type 5 packet is, or WRED is or something I find the need to memorize. What are some of the methods used by others?

Pash

good study methods, i will have to do the same sort of thing on my way to work although i think ill bore myself quickly

mikej412

I've tried lots of different things..... but since I do like the Cisco Press Flash Cards, I finally went with index cards and jotting down some of the important things for various topics.

Then for things like the states of a routing protocol, I'd either just remember the first letters and the "fake word" they formed.... or I'd come up with a mnemonic aid to remember it.

Also things like port numbers and protocol numbers are on their own index card. I've also got one for the network local multicast addresses. I've kept about 20 index cards and they are within arms reach as I study for the CCIE Lab.

sexion8 wrote:

or WRED is or something I find the need to memorize.

WRED made perfect sense to me when I first learned about it, but for some reason when I see WRED, I start to "sing in my head" -- "when the WRED WRED Robin goes bob-bob-bobbin along...." I think I might have even started humming it when I was taking the QoS exam.... good thing I was alone in the room at the time.

Kaminsky

I have spent quite a while studying this CCNA so far as I want to fully understand whats going on. not just memorise it but know and understand it so my study methods is probably quite slow.

I start off by having a good read through the topic. Then I start going through it again a topic at a time until I understand that topic. I hit on various other resources, including much higher level information than what I actually need, to find out more info on that topic which often gets me confused wading through waffle but eventually I narrow down on the core information and finally understand it.

I find that once I understand something, I need very little revision as it is there in my head, hopefully for good. I do little refreshers every once in a while and that is enough. Take subnetting for instance. Took me ages to wade through all the crap that is written about subnetting (add one, carry the two, pat your head and rub your belly wives tales) from all the different sources but eventually I got it down to it's core. Once a week I pop over to subnettingquestions.com and sure enough, it's all still there and I can hammer out the answers really quickly.

Probably not the best use of study time I geuss but I hate to think I have missed something. I too tried using the read/record method but my voice was getting so droney I was sending myself to sleep.

Paul Boz

I've found that the best way to study and prepare for an exam like the CCNA is to actually get hands on, practical experience with what the subject material is. If you've configured a vlan and set up inter-vlan routing you're much more likely to remember how to do it on an exam. Inversely, if you've never had practical experience with the subject material and it's all theoretical, you are more likely to have a difficult time applying what you know to real world situations (which is how the CCNA exams are laid out).

Simply put, use either real equipment or a simulator, but make sure that you've actually done what you learn.

sexion8

When I mean memorize, I take it some might have perceived it to be "Well let me memorize this book, this way I can know all the answers..." Not what I meant. In fact, I loathe reading and memorizing. E.g., administrative distances... They can all be changed, I'm sure on a simulated question on an exam someone would luck out if for example they interpreted:

D       10.15.20.0/24 [200/183736] via 1.1.1.1, 2d16h, ATM1/0.222

Oh yea! 200 is the default for BGP... Wrong answer

router(config)#router eigrp
router(config-router)#distance 200 ip

I'm sure there are alot of people out there who test under the premise of "If I just memorize the entire book..." No way shape form or fashion do I care to memorize not even one of my books. What I do care to keep in memory though are mainly RFC like information, or the comparisons TCP/IP | DOD model, LAPD, HDLC, LSA Types, differences between 224.0.0.4 and x.x.x.6, difference between confederations and communities...