From Android development to obtaining the CCIE, my WOLF-LAB preparation experience

Before learning the network, I have been engaged in Android development-related work. I usually have more contact with Java, Kotlin, App development and project function implementation. Although it also belongs to the IT industry, it is still very different from the network direction. After a few years of work, I feel more and more that technology cannot be limited to one direction. Nowadays, many systems cannot be separated from the network. Some problems encountered in the development process will eventually involve servers, network communication, security policies and other contents. In order to broaden my technical direction and also want to learn network knowledge systematically, I began to understand CCIE.

When I first came into contact with WOLF-LAB, I saw students sharing their learning experience and examination results on Xiaohongshu. Later, I read a lot of relevant content and also consulted some questions about the course and preparation for the exam. AFTER COMPREHENSIVE COMPARISION, I FELT THAT WOLF-LAB'S CURRICULUM SCHEDULE, TEACHER'S TEACHING STYLE AND EXPERIMENTAL ENVIRONMENT WERE MORE SUITABLE FOR ME, SO I DECIDED TO START LEARNING HERE. When I first started learning, it was really not easy. Because I used to develop Android, I am not familiar with many network protocols and device configurations. Some contents feel clear when you listen to them in class, but when you actually operate on the rack, you will still encounter many problems. Especially at the beginning of the experiment, the command is not familiar and the configuration order is easy to make mistakes. Sometimes just one command is missing, or a parameter is written wrongly, which will lead to the whole result. In this situation, you can only check the configuration little by little, re-understand the principle, and then continue to troubleshoot. However, with the progress of the course and continuous practice, you can gradually find some feelings. The teacher's lecture will not only tell us how to configure it, but also explain why it is matched like this and where to start after a problem. This is still very important for people like me who didn't have much network foundation before.

During the whole preparation period, WOLF-LAB provided exactly the same rack as the exam. Judging from my actual use, the number of racks is sufficient. As long as the time is arranged in advance, the usual practice and pre-exam sprint can be fully satisfied. I think rack practice is a very important part of the whole preparation process. It is not enough to just look at the course or memore the commands for a lot of knowledge. You must actually operate on the machine. Only when you do it completely by yourself can you know what parts you don't understand, which commands are unfamiliar, and which problems are easy to ignore. At the beginning, the speed was very slow when making the rack, and there was often a problem stuck for a long time. Sometimes I check it many times, but I can't find the problem. Later, I practiced more times, and I gradually became familiar with the structure and configuration logic of the question, and I had more ideas for soring errors than before. During the exercise, I will record where I often make mistakes, such as which knowledge points are easy to confuse, which configurations are easy to miss, and what order should be checked after failures. When reviewing later, focus on these contents. This is more effective than simply repeating the questions.

When the exam is approaching, I am still nervous. On the one hand, I am worried that I am not fully prepared, and on the other hand, I am also worried that there will be some problems that I have not encountered during the exam. Before the exam, the teacher helped me analyze the areas that needed to be paid attention to according to my practice, and also reminded me of the schedule and operation details of the exam. The teacher is patient with the questions I asked. I may have asked some questions before, but when I am not sure again, the teacher will help me analyze them again. In addition to technical guidance, the teacher will also remind me not to delay too long on one problem, to ensure the overall progress first, and then check later. These suggestions seem relatively simple at ordinary times, but they are still very helpful after actually entering the exam.

At the end of the exam, the most obvious feeling is that I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The whole process of preparing for the exam has not always been smooth. In the middle, there were also times when I couldn't do the questions, the configuration repeatedly reported errors, and I felt that my progress was very slow. Especially from Android development to the network direction, a lot of knowledge needs to be learned again, and there will indeed be some discomfort at the beginning. But after sticking to it, if you look back, you will find that you have been unfamiliar with the network configuration from the beginning, and later you will be able to complete experiments, analyze problems and solve problems independently. The improvement brought by this process is not only to get a certificate, but also to give me a more systematic understanding of network technology. Through this study, I also know better that CCIE is just a stage result, not the end of learning. The certificate can prove the efforts during this period, but when you really get to work in the future, you still need to continue to learn and accumulate practical experience.

Finally, I would like to thank the teachers of WOLF-LAB for their help during the study and preparation for the exam. From course learning, rack practice to pre-examination guidance, the teacher gave me a lot of support. I also want to say to students who are preparing for the exam or preparing to study CCIE that it doesn't matter much if the foundation is different. I used to develop Android, and the network foundation was not good at the beginning. As long as you study carefully according to the curriculum, practice more on the computer, and summarize problems in time, you will gradually make progress. This experience of preparing for the exam was very hard, but the result also proved that the previous efforts were not in vain. Next, I will continue to study and really apply the knowledge I have learned to work and projects.