Studying with a partner/group?

I am going to start hitting up the books pretty hard, and one of the other guys here at work is wanting to get together and study.

How do you study together? We're going to have the same material, I'm sure. Other than that, I am looking for ideas on how to study with a partner or group.

Thanks,
James

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Comments

CiskHo

My guess would be:
1) Each read a chapter at night
2) Discuss the topics read the next day.
3) Both participate in configuring features or technologies in that chapter, "This is what we plan to do and WHY we plan to do it."
4) Rinse and repeat.

Not sure how else you would study stuff like this as a group. There are several guys at my work who are all studying the exact same book/topics. No one has mentioned a study group yet though.... probably because we can't really sit around during the day discussing this stuff when there is work to do. I'm guessing that may change once we get a study rack up and running though.

One thing that may help is each try coming up with 1 question per night from the chapter you are studying. Try to stump the other guy. Could make for some good competition and some outside-the-box thinking...

johnwest43

A great way to study together (if you have a lab) is to have have one person setup the the lab ie eigrp or whatever you are currently studying. Have the other person break the lab ie change the config. Then have the person who setup the lab try to fix it.

Or have one person setup a lab with a couple of things missing or wrong in the config and have the other person try to fix it. I wish I had a partner to do this with its an awesome way to study for Sims.

(also a great way to prepare for a situation when one of your colleagues tells you they tried to change something on a router and now the network is down

)

Paul Boz

This whole forum is a group study. Seriously, if you read back the last 30 pages I'm sure you could pass a CCNA exam without a book.

ColbyG

I've always wished I could find a partner to study with. If you have the option, definitely take it.

I would focus on the same technologies and discuss them, see if both of you are on the same page, maybe one person understands things better than the other. Also, lab, lab, lab.

notgoing2fail

Paul Boz wrote: »

This whole forum is a group study. Seriously, if you read back the last 30 pages I'm sure you could pass a CCNA exam without a book.

LOL so true!!

I don't know if I would make a good study partner. I've never actually been part of any group. I think for me it would be more distracting.

I'd rather study myself, then write down any questions I can't comprehend, and come to websites like this for help....

peanutnoggin

Solid advice here so far... I would agree with most, study the material the night before, open up some discussions on it. Then if you have the lab, both of you setup the lab to accomplish a set goal to establish communications. Once you're both setup, try to dork up the other side and use your creativity to fix the issue. HTH.

-Peanut

Heero

I have issues studying in groups. I tend to go faster than most people, which makes me board when working with other people who are behind. One good thing though is that having to explain stuff to other people can be really helpful, because you dont understand something if you cant explain it well to others.

ZZOmega

Heero wrote: »

I have issues studying in groups. I tend to go faster than most people, which makes me board when working with other people who are behind. One good thing though is that having to explain stuff to other people can be really helpful, because you dont understand something if you cant explain it well to others.

I agree completely. It's too hard(not to mention impractical) to memorize the "Cisco" definitions, especially for everything you have to know for the CCNA. If anyone is looking for a study partner, I'm game to collaborate over Skype, Ventrilo, whatever you guys usually use. I'm somewhat close to the review point in my CCNA studies, with my weakpoints being WAN, IPv6, NAT/PAT, ACLs, Specifics of routing protocols, and IOS syntax. It's a lot I know, which is why a virtual study group sounds like a very good idea right now.

Regards,
Devon

thehourman

I am a lone wolf. However, if I have some questions or something I could not understand, I go here in the forum. So that's make me a semi lone wolf.

alan2308

The one thing that really made the CCNA Exploration classes worth is was the ability do discuss things with other people. There was a few occasions when I thought I really understood something but after talking about it with someone I realized that I had some holes in my knowledge.

Besides that, its a lot easier to just show somebody something than to try to walk them through it on a forum or on the phone.

Selfmade

i did the CCNA Exploration courses at my local community college. The best thing that came out of that was I now know 2 guys who I really get along with, one is a web designer, the other is starting his new job in IT on June 7th, That's probably one of the best things, you can network while you network.

All 3 of us have used each other to help us understand the material, we not only shared our information, but we also helped each other with labs, and understanding why something works or doesn't work.

The main benefit of having a partner, is if you both set up some kind of schedule, you're both forced to work at the same pace, and neither of you wants to let the other down. And if one of you doesn't understand something, the other can explain it or you both can look up the answer together.

Plus it's good to have company . . .

mikej412

Selfmade wrote: »

The main benefit of having a partner, is if you both set up some kind of schedule, you're both forced to work at the same pace, and neither of you wants to let the other down.

I'd have to agree that this is probably the main benefit

If one person does work faster and gets ahead, they can assume a teacher role and help pull any of the slower members along.

Also "misery loves company"

Selfmade

mikej412 wrote: »

I'd have to agree that this is probably the main benefit

If one person does work faster and gets ahead, they can assume a teacher role and help pull any of the slower members along.

Also "misery loves company"

Let's just say I wish I was in your company while you were going through all those exams, i'd have the same certifications!

How long did all that take you?

Local Native

You know ...

I wouldn't mind getting a Google Wave group going, where we can post random questions, share answers, or topics of trouble in real-time.

If anyone is interested? I'm studying for ICND1.

Coolhandluke

I'll give google wave a go, im studying for ICND1 also. only problem might be the time difference. Im in the UK.

ZZOmega

I've never checked Google Wave out, but that seems like a really good idea. I feel as though my ICND1 knowledge is enough to get a CCENT, but since I'm doing the 640-802 path, I need to buff up on my ICND2 stuff! Are there any other ICND2-takers out there? :P