BlueWolf's Howl

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December 30, 2005

More Books

Okay...I know I haven't read the first batch yet, but... That really good deal (50% off on Cisco Press books) ends tomorrow. And, of course, today is payday and I have a little bit of overtime money from my adventures a few weeks ago... So I used the OT money to get the rest of the books I need for the CCIE.

I went to the page for the CCIE written test and checked the book list. The only books I don't have are the Flash Cards (which I'm still debating getting) and a "First Step" book on wireless (which I think is a bit too basic for me). So when that batch arrives, I'll have a complete CCIE Study Library. Then all I'll have to do is read and understand everything within those pages. Sounds simple, eh? I'm giggling as I type this because it is such an oversimplification of the process.

The books I already have are overwhelming to look at... I have them piled in a corner of my desk and it's quite a stack. And more will be added soon. Once I get the delivery, I'll take a picture and post it. I'm sure you'll get a good laugh out of it. I'll wait until I pass the written test and then I'll laugh with you. But for now I'll be smiling that I got such a good deal on them.

Out of the 18 books, 13 of them were purchased at 50% off. If I had to buy each book at full price, it would cost over a thousand dollars. But then again, it's not a cost - it's an investment. And I am looking forward to reading all of them.

I'm not seeing any other way for me to attain this certification. There are no 'classes' that I could take to prepare for the written exam. There are a few courses for the hands-on lab available. One I saw cost over 7 grand and was a 10 day course. [Which is a little out of my price range... both in time and money] But, I'm not seeing too many classes to prepare for the written exam. Although CCPrep has a 5-day written bootcamp for only $3495. Yeah, like I'd be able to afford that! It's cheaper to flunk the $300 test the first time and find out directly what you need to know. [Also note - the class is only given in Tampa, Florida six times a year. And you must be a CCNP to attend.]

Okay, enough pipe dreaming for today. Time to get back to the here and now and open up that CIT book again. Ahhh...much better. I guess it's good to keep looking forward at the book mountain - it makes the current load seem so much lighter!

Posted by BlueWolf on December 30, 2005 08:36 AM