Yeah Jay. Great Job! Congrats!! On Wed, May 9, 2012 at 6:45 AM, Johan Bornman <[email protected]> wrote:
> Thanks and well done. > > > > Johan Bornman > Integrated Systems Consulting (Pty) Ltd > Cell: 082 783 3635 > > On 09 May 2012, at 5:44, Jay McMickle <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Thanks: > > I thank God. This has been a dream of mine for 6 years, and he solely > helped me attain this! I don’t want to start a religion roll as we are all > from different parts of the word and have different religious backgrounds.. > However, give God a year of your faith and belief and see if things don’t > change! > > Secondly, my wife and family for dealing with me. It’s been a constant > 2 years of knowing that I need to get home and lab. I thank those that > have helped me on the forums, and especially Narbik. He gave me a personal > relationship through my training, and even hung out with us until the wee > morning hours during bootcamps to chat with us about anything and > everything. He really does care and it shows in his work. Finally, I > thank my employer. Without their support, I would have had to quit my job > to get this accomplished in 2 years. > > > > Materials used: > > Global Knowledge CIERS1 bootcamp > > CCBootcamp MPLS for CCIE candidates (taken at Cisco LIVE) > > INE (video only) > > IPExpert Blended Learning Solution (Vol1 and 3 only, video on demand, > audio on demand) > > CCBootcamp ALM bootcamp > > Narbik CIERS1 (attended twice) bootcamp, Advanced workbook, bootcamp 4.0 > workbook > > > > Hardware used: > > I was using 2800/3800/3560’s hardware cabled for each vendor. > > > > Products that didn’t work: > > CCBootcamp workbooks- I attended a CCB in September 2011. The > instructor (Rahim) was great and very knowledgeable. I attended a > bootcamp, but quickly cancelled on day 2 due to the workbooks alone. There > were so many typos, that even the instructor had to work through the > workbooks to find that it mentions the wrong routers as part of the > restrictions. This made me start to doubt myself- not a good way to learn! > I’m sure the owner will come after me again for this posting, however, he > did not follow up on his promise to rectify the situation (by receiving a > beta version of the new workbooks) and I’m advising students away from your > products as I said I would. I have a few more examples of the bad business > practices, but I will spare you those details. WORST WORKBOOKS EVER! > > > > Dates: > > - April 30, 2010- Passed CCIE R&S Written > > > > - May 3, 2010- Global Knowledge Bootcamp, CIERS1 (San Jose, California) > > > > - July 2010- Passed CCIE Security written (Free test at Cisco LIVE) > > > > - July 2010-Dec. 2011 > > I was averaging 15 hours a week of rack time over 4-5 days a week. > > > > - June 2011 > > I attended Narbik’s CIERS1 bootcamp. WHOA. That’s a lot to take in, > but amazing training. The man is a walking IOS dictionary and can rattle > off 7 levels deep of IOS commands. I learned his theory (not verbatim) > that if you need a sh run or to use a “?”, you aren’t ready for the lab. I > carried this with me throughout my studies after that. Narbik taught me to > look at the requirement or question, think about what technology is at > hand, and if it’s a global, or interface command before starting in on a > solution. Great advice! > > > > - Nov, 2011 > > I attended Narbik’s CIERS1 bootcamp for the second time. I was better > prepared and did much better on my assessment labs. I felt close to ready, > but Narbik informed me that I wasn’t ready. Yet, I still had to make my > attempt at the Lab to qualify for the Lab Safe program. > > > > - Dec. 13, 2011 > > My first attempt at the CCIE R&S lab. I got a 50% (avg) on the config > section, and an 18% on troubleshooting. I didn’t expect to pass, but I was > forced (so to speak) to take the lab by the end of the year to qualify for > the “Lab Safe” program (free second attempt). > > > > - Dec. 15- 2011 > > Kicked my labbing into high gear, and focused on the technologies I > didn’t know well. These were mainly IP Services. > > > > - Dec. 20, 2011-March 20, 2012 > > Stepped up my lab times to 25 hours a week. My method was this- Run > through IPX VOL1 for the technologies I saw that I didn’t know well. This > was about 12 topics. Run through IPX VOL3 Mock labs very slowly. In fact, > I sometimes took 16-20 hours for a Mock lab because I was looking them up > on the DOCCD, and playing with different options to actually break the > solution and finding a second solution as an alternative. This was a key > building block for me. I want through Narbik’s Adv. workbooks and Bootcamp > 4..0 workbooks. I especially liked Narbik’s workbooks for the reason for > the solution. If I didn’t know something in-depth, Narbik’s workbooks were > my direct solution. All of the vendors workbooks were still weak in IP > Services, especially EEM an OER. I know that Narbik, and I’m sure the > other vendors will as well, have updates to their workbooks as this has > been mentioned time and time again. I believe Brain with INE has > > committed to releasing something soon. > > > > - March 20-April 30, 2012 > > Kicked my labbing into high gear. My job allowed me to work from home, > so I was averaging 30 hours a week (7 days a week) without any days off > from labbing. Those last 5 weeks were rough! I was staying up late at > night, drinking Monster energy drinks, and chasing them with Red Bull > energy drinks! Up until midnight/1am, and getting up at 6am, taking my > girls to school, going to the gym, and then heading back to the house to > lab/work. The last week before my lab, I actually took a week of vacation > and turned off my email and didn’t answer my work phone except at breaks. > > > > - May 1, 2012 > > Passed CCIE R&S Lab in San Jose! Although they say to stop labbing and > relax your mind, I don't work like that. I labbed until midnight the night > before the lab in my hotel, and labbed for an hour that morning. This is > partially because my mind was conditioned to do that (lab late), and I > wanted my mind alert and fingers ready that morning for the lab. I didn't > feel it was proper to show up and not have the mentality for the wording of > the lab. *NOTE* You could have cut the tension with a knife in the waiting > area prior to the lab at Cisco's San Jose's office. I couldn't help but > crack jokes! Probably my way of dealing with nervous situations. Also, it > took 10 hours for my email that I passed! AHHHHH! Why was it that when I > failed I knew in 2 hours? Needless to say, I got zero sleep that night! > > > > *My tips to success* > > When you lab up, take your time to learn a technology. When you learn > it, go to a different vendor and work their technology based labs. Go > through them, fix it, and break it. Get fancy with it and find another way > to do it (because there is always another way and you might get a > restriction that will throw you for a loop). > > > > Preferred vendors (there is no single vendor), and why- > > Narbik-Workbooks are in different degrees of difficulty, they build upon > each other, and have a VERY detailed explanation to learn from. After > paying for his bootcamp and attending, you can re-take the bootcamps if > seats are available for free. With the amount of information delivered, I > highly recommend taking it at least twice! > > > > IPExpert- VERY hard, right out of the box! But, their BLS has video’s > that help understand how, but not why. It’s up to you to learn the > technology prior to working their labs. The VOD is a “death by slideshow” > that didn’t help me at all. I did thoroughly enjoy their video on demand. > I have a lengthy drive to work each day, and these came in handy to some > extent. But, once I found myself solid on a technology, and I was done > with Narbik’s workbooks, this is where I went. This is for the advanced > student that feels they are ready, but in my opinion, not a learning tool. > > > > INE- Their all access pass is great, and offers you discounted rates on > their CCIE workbooks. Their video’s are REALLY good. For a lot of > candidates, INE is a good choice as their hardware is 1800/2600 model > routers and less of a financial impact. > > > > Cisco 360- I don’t care for the workbooks, but their assessment labs are > good to get a feel of the lab interface, and gives you an idea via a score > of where you are. If you can score high on these labs, you will do good on > the labs. But, I saw technologies on the lab that I did not get tested on > within the Assessment labs. > > > > I hope this helps you. Now, onto CCIE Security! Re-cabling my racks > now for IPExpert and Narbik's layouts. ;) > > > > God Bless. > > > > Regards, > > Jay McMickle- CCIE #35355 > > > > > > Regards, > > Jay McMickle- CCIE #35355 > > _______________________________________________ > > For more information regarding industry leading CCIE Lab training, > please visit www.ipexpert.com > > > > Are you a CCNP or CCIE and looking for a job? Check out > www.PlatinumPlacement.com > > > > http://onlinestudylist.com/mailman/listinfo/ccie_rs > _______________________________________________ > For more information regarding industry leading CCIE Lab training, please > visit www.ipexpert.com > > Are you a CCNP or CCIE and looking for a job? Check out > www.PlatinumPlacement.com > > http://onlinestudylist.com/mailman/listinfo/ccie_rs > -- Happiness is !!!!! -- _______________________________________________ For more information regarding industry leading CCIE Lab training, please visit www.ipexpert.com Are you a CCNP or CCIE and looking for a job? Check out www.PlatinumPlacement.com http://onlinestudylist.com/mailman/listinfo/ccie_rs
