Issues w/ Odom

I took a CCNA course 8 months ago and read both Odom books back to back. I then put off studying for 4 months while I got buried at work. I was laid off so now I have all my time to devote to studying again. Although I feel like I am playing catch up. I have tried numerous times to read and reread Odom and I just can't get through it like I did the first time.

I went ahead and scheduled my ICND1 for Sept 25 to force myself to get back in the game. That hasn't worked so far instead I find my attention whittling away after Ch. 4. Instead I have been working through labs in the Cisco sims, brushing up my subnetting on subnettingquestions.com and watching INE videos.

I have Exam Cram 2nd edition but was saving it for ICND2. What should I do, continue my struggle with Odom, start Exam Cram instead or get Lammle? I have 31 days to your CCENT but I feel guilty not going back over Odom first.

I feel like I understand most of the theory it is just memorizing the minutiae again.
I just feel so frustrated and most of this is to vent but if you have advice it is welcomed.

Thanks for reading if you got this far.

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Comments

sizeon

Sounds like you are overloading your brian. You can easily pass the CCNA just with INE videos and lab work. Just do 1 topic per pay.

azaghul

Having come to the data world in my late 40's after spending my life in TDM voice, I know what a struggle it can be. Its like I'm trying to catch up 20+ years (in the space of 2), so I appreciate your pain.

After glazing over when I got the the ISO model in books or CBT (and thinking....what, lets read/watch that again, then thinking....what?), I ended up taking the Network Academy path. This gave me a renewed interest in learning, and now too much Cisco is never enough.

Not sure how you found INE, but if you can find them, get the CBT Nuggets to round out your studies. The trainer is enthusiastic and infectious in his enthusiasm.

As you have done a CCNA course, I'd suggest watching the videos to refresh your memory, use the books to fill in the blanks and take some of the online exams to gauge your progress. Rinse and repeat as required...

MickQ

When I was studying for the CCNA, I remember thinking that Odom was very dry. A typical Cisco book.

I had another book (Lammle) which was great at teaching the concepts. Once I had these down, I went back and read Odom again and found it a joy because of all the detail. You might be pleasantly surprised, too.

In short, get another book to read and get you back into the swing of things.

cb3dwa

i have ine and dont like it, i think cbt nuggets is much better,

it might not go into great detail but i find getting the basics right and the detail comes naturally

this is only my opition but if you watch the cbt first then read the book it will sink in much better

saying that i failed the exam

MickQ

From what I gather, you need to be very quick on the subnetting calculations, and practice the switch and router commands on lab kit so that you remember them during the exam.

Illumanati

bud08 wrote: »

I have tried numerous times to read and reread Odom and I just can't get through it like I did the first time.

I went ahead and scheduled my ICND1 for Sept 25 to force myself to get back in the game. That hasn't worked so far instead I find my attention whittling away after Ch. 4. Instead I have been working through labs in the Cisco sims, brushing up my subnetting on subnettingquestions.com and watching INE videos.

Classic reason why you should read and make it count by taking the exam the first time you read Odom twice. PM me, I did the same thing and am having to enroll in a Cisco IV refresh to shake my routine up and get a lather going with the books. You need something to shake that loose. Just like a bird has to dip food in water to swallow it, you and I need some "spoon feeding" to shake the rut. My advice would be find someway to breakthrough this mental block because that is all it is and it can be a bugaboo for you. Some have said a simple class is overkill but I say it can be a port in a storm.

MrBrian

I think that's the problem with reading too much without mixing in practical labs. Even with the CCNA you should be practicing doing the commands and working on basic labs. When I went through it I used packet tracer, which doesn't support 100% of the commands by far, but it should be more than enough to get CCNA. And like MickQ said, make sure your subnetting skills are on point, as this will allow you to move quicker and focus on other things than math and numbers during the exam..

Illumanati

azaghul wrote: »

After glazing over when I got the the ISO model in books or CBT (and thinking....what, lets read/watch that again, then thinking....what?), I ended up taking the Network Academy path. This gave me a renewed interest in learning, and now too much Cisco is never enough.

This is EXACTLY what I am hoping for and feel will happen for me during my Cisco IV net acad course set to begin and last for 8 weeks is a renewed burning desire and interest in learning!

jimmyhelu

William Odom, writing for NiemanWatchdog.org, wrote that while President George W. Bush wants to ... understanding of political, human rights,

bud08

jimmyhelu wrote: »

William Odom, writing for NiemanWatchdog.org, wrote that while President George W. Bush wants to ... understanding of political, human rights,

Huh?

Yea, I wrote out a schedule (with labs, chapters and INE videos, also found dancourses on youtube) and hope to stick to it. I already feel better having a schedule. However, I think I am going to shelf Odom. If I spent 1/2 as much time studying as I do worrying...I would slay this exam.

j.petrov

I like the layout of the Odom books better than the Lammle CCNA book. I find that if I watch a video, either transignal/cbt nuggets then read the corresponding chapter in the Odom book that I absorb a ton of information. I take notes on both and then do some labs to get the commands down.

In any case you definitely want to have subnetting down cold for the ICND1. I ended up having about 25 mins left when I finished and I think it was due to my ability to subnet very quickly.

It sounds like you shouldn't have a problem with taking the test for late september.

Good luck!

Illumanati

bud08 wrote: »

I wrote out a schedule (with labs, chapters and INE videos, also found dancourses on youtube) and hope to stick to it. I already feel better having a schedule. However, I think I am going to shelf Odom. If I spent 1/2 as much time studying as I do worrying...I would slay this exam.

I agree that a game plan and sticking to it is paramount to success way before you do it enough for sitting the exam! I agree that Odom just brings out the worry warthog in me but what if, what if I combine it with something easy like a Cisco NetAcad class then I wonder if Odom could catch fire. This is my plan for why I enrolled in a Cisco IV- to kick off deep desire and interest!

bud08

Update: After I stuck to my study schedule, I finished Odom's CCENT guide today. I did two Chapters a day while writing notes and skipped the IP Address/Subnetting chapter 12 (I have subnetting down through Jeremy's method and it is what I prefer) and the final prep chapter 18. I am really happy I did review it again. There will little tidbits that I had completely forgotten.

Anyway, thought I would update. It was a fast read for sure but I had read it before. Now I will just supplement with 31 days before CCENT.

I did move my test date up Sept 20. I feel really good about the ICND 1.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

MickQ

Good to hear. Best of luck with your exam.

Network_Engineer

Build a home lab that will motivate you to finish an entire track of Cisco!

lantech

Doesn't sound to me like it's the book that's the problem. It sounds like you have been having a little trouble finding motivation to get back to studying. I'm glad you found it though.

As far as any video being enough, I would say it isn't. They are great over views but they do lack some of the detail you'll need. That's if you want to do more than earn a piece of paper and actually have a good foundation with which to build on.

Ivanjam

I just could not sustain the level of focus required to overcome the distraction of Odom's irrelevant Flintstones analogy. I suspect that I am a person not totally averse to a little humor in a textbook but ridiculous stories just turn me off from even the most reputable of tomes.

showbo

bud08 wrote: »

Update: After I stuck to my study schedule, I finished Odom's CCENT guide today. I did two Chapters a day while writing notes and skipped the IP Address/Subnetting chapter 12 (I have subnetting down through Jeremy's method and it is what I prefer) and the final prep chapter 18. I am really happy I did review it again. There will little tidbits that I had completely forgotten.

Anyway, thought I would update. It was a fast read for sure but I had read it before. Now I will just supplement with 31 days before CCENT.

I did move my test date up Sept 20. I feel really good about the ICND 1.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

Very nice man. Glad you buckled down and got that book out of the way. My ICND1 is Sept. 28th, I am on Chapter 11 of Odom, already read Lammle and watched the CBT nuggets videos. I do like CBT nuggets, but unlike most here, it wasn't 'great' for me. I learn more by reading, than watching a video. However, with that being said, I will watch CBT's ICND2 videos just for another reference.

Good luck on your pass, however I doubt you will need any luck!

neotesla

bud08 wrote: »

... skipped the IP Address/Subnetting chapter 12 (I have subnetting down through Jeremy's method and it is what I prefer) .

Hmmm. That's what I thought until a day or two ago, after "mastering" Jeremy's technique (including reverse engineering the addresses). Then I did some tests that I could find (mostly from the web, including one that is made for iPhone), and it turned out that some of my subnetting answers were wrong.

Now, it is totally possible that I didn't quite "master" Jeremy's method (as I had thought I had). Whatever's the case, given the central role of subnetting in the ICND1 exam, I've rescheduled mine, pushing it by 2 weeks. I was supposed to sit in a week (a day after you will). I will now give the TechExams IPv4 subnetting instructions a go, to see how that works for me.

bud08

Well after getting spanked today by the Boson exam that comes with the Odom book, I am considering moving my test date.

I used subnettingquestions.com and continually get the questions right so I feel my method is sound. It really isn't strictly Jeremy's way. I used his plus dancourses.com's video explanation made it click. When I started to understand the answers I forgo learning any more techniques or alternatives to keep it in my head. I am just working on speed not tricks. Good luck finding your way. I thought for a long time I would never get subnetting because just one way didn't work for me, but after combining the sources...magic.

neotesla wrote: »

Hmmm. That's what I thought until a day or two ago, after "mastering" Jeremy's technique (including reverse engineering the addresses). Then I did some tests that I could find (mostly from the web, including one that is made for iPhone), and it turned out that some of my subnetting answers were wrong. Now, it is totally possible that I didn't quite "master" Jeremy's method (as I had thought I had). Whatever's the case, given the central role of subnetting in the ICND1 exam, I've rescheduled mine, pushing it by 2 weeks. I was supposed to sit in a week (a day after you will). I will now give the TechExams IPv4 subnetting instructions a go, to see how that works for me.

bud08

Failed! I got a 775. Apparently I am woefully inadequate with wireless and security topics. I wasn't too surprised but to miss it by so little...I would have rather bombed it. Grr. Argh.

lantech

Hit the security and wireless topics while still going over the rest of the material and try again in a couple of weeks. Don't give up, it's something you can pass.

MickQ

You'll get it. You have the subnetting and the rest of it, it seems. Keep up the good work and you'll nail it.

bud08

Passed! 100% in security this time but only 50% in wireless again. I want to pass the CCNA before the New Year. So excited. I would highly recommend Bryant's guide. It helped for that final push.

Going to go celebrate.

jsb515

Congrats! way to stick with it and make it happen.