From: Joshua Lauer (jslauer@hotmail.com)
Date: Fri Apr 21 2006 - 10:38:19 GMT-3
Larry,
Congrats! Enjoy the free time I'm almost sure you'll
have more of!
Josh
CCIE#16024
CCNP, CCDP, CCSP, CCIP, RHCE, INFOSEC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Roberts" <groupstudy@american-hero.com>
To: "'CCIE Security Mailing List'"
<security@groupstudy.com>; <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 8:00 AM
Subject: Now its my turn
> Well, finally I get my chance to write this
> e-mail. On the 19th of April I officially became
> CCIE 16084. (Security)
>
> Its been a long road for me and I have paid the
> light bills more that once or twice for Cisco.
>
> First time was 4 or so years ago. I wasn't ready,
> but I didn't have a clue how to study for the lab.
> At this point I had never even heard of groupstudy
> and I don't think anyone even offered a workbook
> at this point. I failed, but it was
> semi-respectable.
>
> Fast forward another year and its time again. This
> time I think that I'm prepared. and I go in and
> give it a good shot. Turns out I wasn't. I had a
> couple questions that I didn't understand what
> they were wanting.
>
> Fast forward another year. I know I'm ready at
> this point. I have subscribed to groupstudy and
> really started digging into the material. I take
> the lab and I'm sure I nailed it. I get my results
> and its my poorest showing yet. I finished early,
> reviewed my work and still failed. At this point
> its no longer material thats getting me, but
> rather the questions.
>
> Fast forward 2 months. My written is about to
> expire and I need to get this thing done. The
> format has changed and now the lab is
> pre-configured. R&S points were gimme points so
> now I'm a little nervous. I go in and nail the
> lab. I'm convinced I pass. I almost celebrate.
> Then I get the result...Fail. In my lab the IDS
> sensor wouldn't save the config. I get my results
> back and I get 0 for the IDS stuff. If I
> calculated correctly I was within 3-4 points of
> passing and the IDS stuff killed me. I was smart
> enough to ask the proctors to grade me IDS stuff
> before they do any work on it, so either they
> didn't or I missed something. Who knows.
>
> Fast forward 1 year and 3 months to April 19th
> 2006. I have been working at Cisco since last
> August. Its baptism by fire! When I started
> working at Cisco I decided then and there that
> this certification was mine. What I needed was a
> new approach. My last two attempts I had failed
> not because of a lack of knowledge, but because I
> didn't get what they were asking for or I didn't
> give them *EXACTLY* what they asked. I finally
> broke down and purchased a workbook and decided to
> get some training. With my IPExpert workbook in
> hand I sat down and started going over each
> section. At the end I would look and compare my
> answers to what they had. Each line was analysed
> to see why they used the commands they did.
>
> For me, the workbook made the difference. Yes
> there were errors, but being able to find those
> and even better, be able to tell you WHY they were
> wrong is what told me that I was ready. I know
> that Wayne is updating the material now and that
> those books will be even better. They really do
> make the difference...
>
> What I'm trying to say is DONT EVER GIVE UP. It
> took me 5 times to get it, but nowhere on my
> number does it mention how many times I took it to
> pass, only that I passed! Its also more than
> knowing the material. You need to read the
> question and analyse every word. When I was going
> back over the test to review I found words that
> would alter something I did. If I hadn't done that
> I wouldn't have passed. And finally BUG THE CRAP
> out of the proctor. Its what he is there for.
> I seeked clarification or definition at least 15
> times. I wasn't going to fail because I didn't
> understand what they were asking for.
>
> Last but not least I want to thank my loving wife
> and my now 7 month old daughter for showing the
> patience to let me get this out of my system. I
> promise to no longer be "the man that lives in the
> basement".
>
> Larry Roberts CCIE 16084
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
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