My Dilemma...

Well, yesterday I passed the ICND2 and am now CCNA. I started studying the Authorized self study guide for BSCI. The thing is I am starting an MBA in this november, classes start in 4weeks and the program is very time consuming. It is unlikely that with a non cisco/IT job I will have time to study for the CCNP.

I already took the equivalent of the GMAT here in my country and I did very well, but I think the right thing to do if I want to change careers is to get the CCNP and afterward devote some time to the MBA.

Im tentatively on my journey to the CCNP. I hope to be able to master the material and pass one exam every 90days. I already went though more than 60pages of the book and the material is very interesting and clear some doubts I had while studying for the CCNA.

A friend who happens to be a CCNP, CCSP is back on the cisco track (Nortel hired him and now his cisco certs are about to expire) and he told me he was going to do the BSCI for recertification. He has lots of equipment available, and that takes out one of my biggest concerns.

Is the 90days/exam too much or could I do it in even less time? My plan is to styudy at least 7hours/week. Read the self study guide. Then study TCP/IP routing at least the part on EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP and whatever part it covers from the BSCI. After im done with those I might consider the CBT nuggets' which is supposed to be very good.

How is that for a plan?

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Comments

wat08

AlexMR wrote:

Is the 90days/exam too much or could I do it in even less time? My plan is to styudy at least 7hours/week. Read the self study guide. Then study TCP/IP routing at least the part on EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP and whatever part it covers from the BSCI. After im done with those I might consider the CBT Nuggets' which is supposed to be very good.

How is that for a plan?

I like it. I'm doing 1 exam every 3 months as well but I'm sure you could cut down your study schedule if you wanted. I'd scrap that CBT Nuggets videos though. Since you're on a tight schedule you might as well stick to the Cisco press books for the fundamentals and advanced topics.

dynamik

The thing I like about the Nuggets, or just quality CBTs in general, is that they prepare me for the material covered in the book. After about 100 pages into the ICND2 book, I realized everything was starting to run together and shifted over to the Train Signal CBT. Now that I'm done with that, I'm flying through the written material and retaining a good deal of it.

Daniel333

CBT first all the way. Just increase the speed of your media player by about 20% to save time

dynamik

It's funny. I've actually gotten accustomed to 1.8x. If I start up a video and it defaults to regular speed, my instructor always sounds a little "slow"

kryolla

dynamik wrote:

The thing I like about the Nuggets, or just quality CBTs in general, is that they prepare me for the material covered in the book. After about 100 pages into the ICND2 book, I realized everything was starting to run together and shifted over to the Train Signal CBT. Now that I'm done with that, I'm flying through the written material and retaining a good deal of it.

If it wasn't for CBTnuggets I wouldn't have gotten this far. I tried to read the book first and just couldn't understand the technology but after watching the videos the book started to make sense.

mikej412

An exam every 3 months is a nice sustainable pace.... but you may need more than 7 hours per week.

Maybe 7 hours of reading per week, and add at least 3 hours lab time on Saturday and some review and prep time on Sunday evening.

But once you get into studying for an exam you'll be able to adjust the time up or down based on how comfortable you are with the exam topics. If you find the material easy, you may be able to move up an exam. And if you find something difficult, move the exam back. Just try to be consistent in your study and allow for periodic review of the topics you've already covered.

CBTs are good as supplemental study material (if you're a video person). If you still have time for exercise in your schedule, you may be able to "double up" and do CBTs while working out.

jbaello

7/7 = 1 hours a day, when I get studying I spent 3 - 4 hours a day, I am not sure about BSCI I have not even passed CCENT, but whatever the case might be those CBT will make you hitting those lab hard which is AWESOME

AlexMR

Mike and jbaello, I am trying to be conservative with the 7hours/week. Usually when i sit to study it's for about 3hours. I started BSCI yesterday and I must say this is very interesting. The approach to the concepts in this guide (authorized self study) is dramatically different from the CCNA. I am reading the chapter 3 "Configuring the EIGRP" and everything now sounds so clear. In an attempt to not go beyond the objectives of the CCNA the authors of the CCNA preparation books give just too few details IMHO...this is so interesting it's hard to keep on topic!

Back on topic

, I think I should give this a go. I have a lot more than 7hours/week to study. I think I could easily study for close to 20/hours/week, but as I said I am trying to be conservative to get a better idea of what a reasonable timeframe is.

In the end I know it islikely that I wont be taking the exams when I feel I am ready, because i want to be very prepared to avoid failing to the extent that is possible, but I also need to go as fast as possible and not waste time because I really want to start working in the field. That would make the studies so much easier.

Thanks for the replies.

_maurice

I find that watching a nugget, and then reading the associated chapter from the ciscopress book helps clarify the topic.

As for exercising while watching the nuggets, I couldn't concentrate. I kept rewinding.