How do you keep everything fresh?

Since you've taken the CCNA, how do you keep yourself from losing information until you land a job in the field? I find myself losing some of it already just playing around with my home lab.

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Comments

down77

The same way a musician gets to Carnegie Hall... practice practice practice! There are plenty of sites out there that feature challenges, topologies, scenarios, etc. that you can throw into a test lab (physical, Dynamips, etc) to keep your skills fresh. A number of people also use the momentum from passing their CCENT/CCNA and apply it towards the pursuit of a Cisco professional series exam and further their mastery of concepts. Whatever you choose, make sure to regularly practice your skill-set.

One site (of many) to get you started:
GNS3 Labs :: Cisco Router Simulator Network Labs & Topologies For CCENT, CCNA, CCNP & CCIE Candidates!

stuh84

Yeah, I gotta agree on the momentum approach, complete the CCNA then get straight into the CCNP, thats what I did and I've not lost a bit of it. However I do work in the field, but even so, its definitely helped a lot.

fly351

Practice!

I am sure it gets easier as time goes on, but for now just keep practicing!

networker050184

If you don't use it you lose it man. Keep up the reading and labbing. Sometimes I feel like I've forgotten so much, but it comes back to you pretty quick the next time around.

spartangtr

stuh84 wrote: »

Yeah, I gotta agree on the momentum approach, complete the CCNA then get straight into the CCNP, thats what I did and I've not lost a bit of it. However I do work in the field, but even so, its definitely helped a lot.

Jump into the CCNP before even getting a network job?

Heero

if you've learned something at some point and then forgot it, when you are forced to revisit the material it generally is very easy to relearn, and takes a fraction of the time. Don't be too worried about losing it because you don't really lose it, you just kinda lose that top layer and you need to refresh a little bit.