Adarq.org

^ ha that would be cool. i would have lost a lot of stuff from my net+ and ITIL-F certs... the Sec+ cert stuff is still fresh in my head as the CISSP just expands on it. I haven't been keeping up with my net+ or ITIL-F cards. screw that, especially net+, i hated that one. hated the networking topics in the CISSP textbook as well, though it wasn't nearly as deep.

However i plan to continuously review my CISSP cards long after i pass the exam until I get a good job. Reason being is that I'm learning all this stuff not just to have the credential, but to actually LEARN. I will kill it at interviews for entry level positions with my breadth of knowledge. that job i almost got at the bank? Half of the stuff they asked me i learned from sec+, the rest from my master's degree!

In total I've made over 900 cards for this CISSP textbook lol. also this cert covers lots of information that my courses in my final semester this september will cover (lots of stuff on risk management, incident response, intrusion detection)




Next steps:

- memorize the final chapter tomorrow
- do ~200 real test questions a day and score myself
- put all the questions i get wrong in a deck and memorize them
- After about 5 days of this, complete the cybrary CISSP video course. 2hrs a day for 7 days.
- Sit the exam at the start of september if i feel ready. if i don't, i'll read a whole other textbook and take the exam at the start of october.

Week 124

Saturday - 08/13/16

-= Workout Log =-

Seated Calf Raises
90 x 5              >> 45sec rests.
150 x 8 PR
150 x 5 PR
150 x 4 PR

Seated Cable Rows
200 x 5                 >> 2min rests.
220 x 3
240 x 5
230 x 5
220 x 5

Lateral Raises
35's x 5                   >> 60sec rests.
45's x 3
50's x 9
45's x 10
45's x 8
40's x 8

Machine Calf Raises Non-Stop
520 x 15 PR                 >> 45sec rests.
520 x 10 PR                 >> Machine maxes out at 495lbs but i held a dumbbell too.
495 x 10 PR

Weighted Pull ups
BW x 5                         >> 60sec rests.
+30lbs x 4                    >> 9 rep PR. I've done +75lbs x 8 before though. Why was this so hard?!
+60lbs x 9 PR
+60lbs x 2
+60lbs x 1
BW x 7

Negative Dragon Flags
5            >> 60sec rests.
5
5

Back Extension Machine Rear Delt W Flyes
40's x 15

-= Study Log =-

Textbook #1
Read chapter 19 of 21

Review Questions
Chapter 19 (22 cards)

Real Test Questions
Learned 0 cards (350/2,300)

Read a chapter. May get a head start on chapter 20 today. Made the cards for chapter 19 but haven't memorized them yet. Too lazy right now. Entire textbook will be completed tomorrow (chapters 20 and 21) thank goodness. Going to the beach the day after that

About to go lift so I'll update in a couple hours.

Edit: lifted and updated

Last two chapters: Software Development Security and finally Malicious Code and Application Attacks
Going to get a headstart on that first one today so that I don't have too much to read tomorrow.

^ ah man working from home would be awesome. that would be my dream. not sure how i could work from home in cyber security without having programming skils, but oh well.

consulting is my goal. i'd like to go on my own after having several years of experience and credentials (masters degree, CISSP, CISM, CISA, CGEIT, CRISC). Theres a ton of certs I want lol. I would like SANS GIAC certs too, but they cost a ton... i would only do those if my company paid for it. There isnt much learning material for them out there either, it's mostly just bootcamps that i wont pay for myself.



Also, spaced repetition is just ridiculous. Wish i knew about it in undergrad, it just puts learning on easy mode. There are so many reasons spaced repetition works it's not even funny. Here's what i like explaining to people:

1) if you're just reading your outlines, how do you know if you know something? Only if i take your outline from you and ask you a question! The stuff you know, you'll answer. The stuff you don't, you won't answer. You want to study stuff you dont know as well. By only reading notes, you lack a good way to measure what you don't know. Sure, when you read certain things the answers will jump out at you and you'll be like "yeah i know this stuff." But maybe they jumped out at you because you read over it and recognized the answer, rather than arrived at the answer in your head and THEN reading it on paper

2) if you turn all of your notes into questions, then you will know if you know something. The stuff you can't answer, just study those more. The stuff you can answer, put them aside for later. it identifies your weak areas more accurately than reading over notes. this leads to efficiency because you will fill in a lot more blanks (leading to higher scores) focusing on your weak areas.

3) the mere act of answering questions instead of reading notes helps you retain information better! Active recall ftw. so not only are you more often studying the stuff you dont know (which is more efficient than studying everything equally) but you are learning it at an increased rate, regardless of how much studying you put into it.

4) the kicker is to take all these questions and put them into a spaced repetition software for long term memory retention. this will automatically make you more often study the stuff you dont know as well, so theres no math to be done. Just answer the questions that come up at you.



however, i like to add in techniques to the above. the above is just a structure or something. what about... HOW should i structure my questions in my flash cards? which is better to ask:
(A) Q: What color is the sky? A: Blue
(B) Q: What is the blue thing above called? A: The sky
You can reverse questions like that. I guess i could just include both in my flash cards, but then i'll have a ton. i wonder which is more efficient for learning.

I also like to include images in the flash cards. some questions i will make for myself will ask me to draw something, or to write out an outline.

This job would be perfect for me:

http://jobs.jobvite.com/careers/strozfriedberg/job/ocwE3fw9?__jvst=Job%20Board

I'm definitely applying. One of my older professors knows people there. He's writing me a letter of recommendation for it. Hope it goes well.

Definitely going to do a crash SQL course after passing my CISSP.

Week 124

Tuesday - 08/09/16

-= Workout Log =-

Weighted Pull ups
BW x 5                         >> 2min rests.
+25lbs x 4                    >> Going to stick with this weight for a while. Goal is a strict 100x5 in 6mo or so.
+50lbs x 2
+75lbs x 1
+90lbs x 4 PR
+90lbs x 2
+90lbs x 1
 BW x 7

Lateral Raises
35's x 5                   >> 60sec rests.
45's x 3
50's x 9
45's x 10
40's x 8

Seated Cable Rows
200 x 5                 >> 2min rests.
220 x 3
240 x 5
230 x 5
220 x 5

Negative Dragon Flags
5

-= Study Log =-

Textbook #1
Read chapter 12 of 21
Read chapter 15 of 21

Review Questions
Chapter 12 (52 cards)
Chapter 15 (19 cards)

Real Test Questions
Learned 20 cards (350/2,300)

Pretty good sleep last night. I feel very stress-free being unemployed. I have also re-gained my focus. I used to not be able to read for long at all while studying for these certs. I wrote about terrible brain fatigue I had a while back while getting my net+... I'm learning twice as much now and I don't have that brain fatigue/fogginess.

Edit: Got pretty tired by the time I lifted. I noticed I get dead tired at around 6 or 7pm. It's when all the studying catches up to me, plus I leave to walk home 2.5mi away from school.

Putting the real test questions on hold until I complete the textbook, which I plan to do on Sunday. After that I'll shoot for 100 to 200 test question a day and track my scores.

Week 124

Monday - 08/08/16

-= Workout Log =-

ATG Squat
135 x 12                >> Man this sucks. 5 reps next workout, then increasing 5lbs per workout.
135 x 8
185 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 1
315 x 3

Bench Press
45 x 10             >> 2min rests.
95 x 8               >> Guess I have to drop down and work back up huh? Next working going with 200lbs.
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 1
245 x 1
235 x 2
225 x 2
225 x 2

DB Lunges
60's x 6/leg PR

Incline DB Bench Press
80's x 8                    >> 2min rest.
80's x 5

Romanian Deadlift
225 x 3                 >> Close to my PR of 385x8
315 x 1
385 x 5

Seated Calf Raises
115 x 3              >> 45sec rests.
150 x 7 PR
150 x 5
150 x 4

Machine Calf Raises Non-Stop
495 x 25 PR               >> 45sec rests.
495 x 15 PR
495 x 10 PR

-= Study Log =-

Textbook #1
Read chapter 11 of 21

Review Questions
Chapter 13 (51 cards)
Chapter 11 (128 cards)

Real Test Questions
Learned 20 cards (330/2,300)

Got through the two longest chapters in the book already. Today's chapter had 128 freakin cards I have to memorize! So much info!

Also, I see online that there are starting to offer cyber security internships... going to add an internship "i did" at a company my friend works for on my resume and i'll get cracking tomorrow with applications.

Week 123

Saturday - 08/06/16
188.0lbs

-= Workout Log =-

Seated Cable Rows
200 x 5                 >> 2min rests.
220 x 3
240 x 5
230 x 5
220 x 5

Lateral Raises
35's x 5                   >> 60sec rests.
45's x 3
50's x 8
45's x 8
40's x 12

Weighted Pull ups
BW x 5                         >> Long rests between maxes, then 60sec rest.
+25lbs x 3                   >> Lol.
+50lbs x 10
+50lbs x 1
+50lbs x 3
BW x 7

Rear Delt Incline W Flyes
45's x 1                          >> Getting tired of these. Looking to find a replacement soon.
50's x 5

Weighted Captain's Chair Knee Raises
50 x 8                   >> 60sec rests.
50 x 8                   >> Biceps kept cramping on my dragon flags so I did these.
50 x 8

Negative Dragon Flags
5                       >> Managed to do a set without my biceps turning into eggs.

-= Study Log =-

Textbook #1
Read chapter 9 of 21

Review Questions
Chapter 10 (38 cards)

Real Test Questions
Learned 30 cards (290/2,300)

Finished chapter 9 today (did 10 yesterday). So I'm about halfway through the textbook:



I'll be damn proud of myself when I pass this exam. Spaced repetition is saving my ass too. I can't believe I can still recall the answers to the questions I made even from the first five chapters with over 85% accuracy. The real test questions I'm able to answer with about 98% accuracy when reviewing them. What really matters is how accurately I answer them my first time around though (which has been about 70%). I'll start measuring that once I complete the textbook. But hey, I'm planning to learn over 2,000 test questions so there's a good chance some of them will show up on my exam, so that 98% review accuracy will still come in handy!

Regardless, taking practice tests is not just an assessment. And it's not just for memorization incase the questions show up on my exam.
Practice tests = analyzing the question to figure out the answer = reinforcement of concepts = learning method.