So yeah, to start, I’ve had to make some modifications over the last couple of weeks. Some personal events got in the way, but I think I’m finally making progress in my studies. Technically, I’m still in my first week of studying, but that’s because, as I was using ChatGPT to tailor my daily study plan, I noticed some discrepancies in the information I was receiving. It didn’t quite align with the Official Cert Guide (OCG) and Kevin Wallace’s videos. Tracking down the topics in the book to match with the videos became cumbersome, and I found myself drifting back to my old note-taking habits. So, I decided to make some changes to my study plan once again.

It took some time, but I ended up with a sort of hybrid approach. I still have ChatGPT lay out my study plan, but now it spans four months instead of three. I’m also simply following the exam objectives and tackling each one over a two-week period.

On days one and two, I go through Kevin Wallace’s videos and take handwritten notes for each of the sub-objectives of the exam topics. After that, I read the corresponding chapters that align with those sub-objectives.

For my reading notes, I use an application called RemNote. It’s a powerful note-taking tool that allows you to create structured notes (known as “Rems”) and organize revision notes, ideas, and research in one place. The best part is that it automatically converts notes into flashcards. RemNote is built around three key study strategies: active recall, spaced repetition, and organization.

For the remaining days, I’ll focus on reviewing the flashcards generated from my RemNote notes. This will allow me to quickly reinforce the topics covered in previous lessons.

On my lighter study days (Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays), I plan to include lab time as part of my lessons, requiring me to “do something”—such as configuring and troubleshooting. For this, I’ll be using Cisco Modeling Labs (CML), which eliminates the need to find my own equipment or IOS images. I’ve heard great things from those who have used CML for CCNP training, so I decided to give it a shot.

Cisco is also running a 24-hour promotional sale for Pi Day on March 14 at 8 AM PST through March 15 at 8 AM PST, offering a 25% discount on their learning products. I’ll be purchasing a one-year license for “CML – Personal,” which provides access to 20 nodes with IOS images. I’m not sponsored by Cisco, but I thought this was good information to share for anyone following along on my journey. My goal is to start labbing by week three.

Click here for more details about Cisco’s Pi Day promotion.

My next updates will cover, in more depth, the topics I’m studying at that moment. Until the next post!