I’ve only been at this 3 weeks, and am finding it hard to stay motivated. I’ll have a really good week of studying/videos/labbing, etc. but then the weekend rolls around (today for example), and I have little desire to sit here and read about HDLC, PPP, and everything that goes along with it.
I think it’s more of the overwhelming amount of information one tries to absorb during this time, versus not enjoying the material. Sure, some of it’s pretty dry, but all in all, I still find most of it enjoyable. It just feels that even thought I’m making good progress (I think…), there’s so much more to absorb, remember, regurgitate, repeat, etc. This material has to become part of who you are, not just a collection of memorized facts stored away for future use.
I think that’s the part I have a hard time with…trying to determine which specific facts about the technology/protocol are important to remember permanently, versus which facts are needed, but easy to correlate with the task/question at hand during the written and lab exams. I know that I understand the concept and how a protocol works, but I worry about not remembering that one random fact.
The more I read about some of the OEQ horror stories, the more I become concerned. I can’t imagine putting in all this time, just to be shot down for 4 lousy questions. Sure, the concept of the OEQ is well-intentioned, but the results seem to be discouraging. I know there are people that still pass, but as time goes on, the OEQ’s weigh heavily on my mind.
I think part of the other issue is that the network I manage on a day to day basis is very small, and most of the CCIE topics are generally not something I can use/implement daily. I’m sure there are many out there in a similar situation, so how do you stay motivated? What gives you that extra kick to keep going? Coffee is having limited success for me at the moment….*sigh*
