VMUG - Learning to Learn - Experiences and Tips for Certifications and Tech Skills

1. Learning to Learn
Experiences and Tips for Certifications and Tech Skills

2. Who’s @ChrisWahl?
VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX)
• Data Center
• Network Virtualization
Writer
Host
Instructor
@ WahlNetwork.com
@ DatanautsPodcast.com
@ Pluralsight.com

3. Networking for
VMware
Administrators
It’s a pretty good book
100% of royalties are being donated
to the Alzheimer’s Association

4. Have you ever thought about
how your brain works?
Let’s start with multi-tasking

5. Do you consider yourself a
great multitasker?

6. Do you consider yourself a
great multitasker?
If so, you’re wrong. Your brain can only think
about one thing at a time. It can do amazing
things like design rockets that fly to the moon
and invent cupcakes, but it can only think about
one thing at a time.
Complete Human Performance Podcast
http://www.completehumanperformance.com/multitasking-myth-podcast/

8. Context-switching
Switching back-and-forth between different tasks, rather than doing
them at the same time

9. You are single threaded
But really great at it!

10. Read, Plan, Do, Teach
Strive for the highest retention values

13. What many folks do:

14. What I recommend:

15. Create a Study Sheet
Read the blueprint: cover to cover, top to bottom
Write down a list of objectives
Track your progress

17. Set the Date
Work with a finite, specific timeline

19. Modern Online Training
It’s really, really good

24. Labs and Cloudy Things
• VMware Hands on Labs (HOL)
• VMUG EVALExperience
• Cisco Virtual Internet Routing Lab (ViRL)
• Cisco CloudLab
• Graphical Network Simulator 3 (GNS3)
• EMC e-Learning
• F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition (VE)
• Ravello Systems Virtual Lab
• Public Cloud (AWS, GCE, Azure)

25. The Time Crunch
Retaining what you learn in the shortest amount of time

27. Consider your “Time Bank”
How are you spending your time?
Are you spending it wisely?
Have you committed to priorities efficiently?

29. Pomodoro Technique
No distractions
Short bursts of intense focus
Frequent breaks

30. Focus
(25min)
Break
(5min)

31. Decision Fatigue
Humans have a finite store of mental energy for making decisions

32. How does it work?

33. Focus
Focus
Focus
Focus

34. http://tomato-timer.com/

35. Focus
Focus
Focus
Focus
Focus

36. Feedback Loop
How are you doing?
Do you need to push back your exam date?
Or even push it forward?
Revisit the blueprint?
Change to a different exam?

38. Share Your Experiences
Scared? Lean on the Pratfall Effect

39. Those who never make mistakes are perceived as less likeable than
those who commit the occasional faux pas.
Messing up draws people closer to you, makes you more human.
Perfection creates distance and an unattractive air of invincibility.
Those of us with flaws win out every time.
The Pratfall Effect
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratfall_effect

40. Visit WahlNetwork.com for Deep Dives,
Home Lab Tips, Reviews, and More!
Check out “Networking for VMware
Administrators” by VMware Press
Over 30 hours of my video training
content is on Pluralsight.com
Subscribe to the Datanauts via iTunes or
RSS at DatanautsPodcast.com
Thank you
slideshare.net/christopherwahl