Is it better to focus my studying to one topic at a time.......

master it, and move on to the next topic, or study multiple topics at once?

Like, right now im taking a cisco networking course at a school. We started almost 3 weeks ago and have done nothing but subnetting, which i don't mind at all...hell, im surprised at how quicky im grasping it. He even said im doing really good(which made me feel all warm and fuzzy lol). But I feel eager to learn more at once, if i were to study more topics i would have to do it on my own time because my instructor wants us to master subnetting before he moves on to something else. I don't want to get to the point where im getting things mixed up and confuse myself if i were to learn more than one.

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Comments

DoubleNNs

W/ the assumption that you have textbooks and a syllabus - if you can handle the pace, feel free to read ahead.

I used to go ahead in college classes I enjoyed or found easy. It did nothing but benefit me.

Jon_Cisco

If you know the structure the class is going to take I would read ahead.
I would be careful about using a different resource then your instructor. I always like more then one source but you do run the risk of getting things mixed up if you are studying out of order.

I am in the Netacad III class and had planned to read Odem's book while taking the course but it didn't work for me. Now I plan to read the books immediately after finishing the class and schedule the exams for the week after I finish each book for CCENT and CCNA.

Good Luck

dpsmooth15

I feel there is a difference between, "grasping it" and Proficient. The Class C subnet address is easy, learn the 2^# and 2^#-2 like its your social security number. Get on subnettingquestions.com and if you can get the first 14 right ( the first time), move on. If not pay attention in class. I will say that………If I did not have a intense relationship with subnetting, I would of FAILED the CCENT. And if anyone lacks that knowledge and proficient in everything else, they still will FAIL.. Just advice.

jahaziel

I would move on. It only benefits you. I would do what dpsmooth15 said about subnettingquestions.com. What helped me with the CCENT exam was to "brain-****" my subnetting table to the erase-able board they gave me. Saved me time and headaches throughout the test. With that being said. That does not mean I can't subnet in my head I just prefer paper to be sure I'm right.

DoubleNNs

Yeahh, regardless of how good you are at subnetting, I think almost everyone writes at least their powers of 2 on the erase board to make things easier.

xnx

I'd advise people to learn subnetting properly, to the point you can do it within 5 seconds or so. At the end of the day subnetting is like being able to count from 1-10 in the networking world.

You should learn your masks well enough so that you can start from /24 and quickly count up 128,192,224,240..