Last week before my lab, I attended the IPExpert R&S bootcamp in San Jose. Jared Scrivener was our instructor for the week. Days started at 9am and ran until about 5pm, at which point they provide you with a lab to do. My days were basically from 9am till about midnight. You can choose to do the lab in class or back at your hotel (if you have internet access).
I prepared for the bootcamp in such a way that I was expecting to get my butt kicked. I spent the week prior studying about 16 hours a day.
The bootcamp was a really great confidence builder for me it turns out. I realized throughout the week that I was really ready for the test as I felt very comfortable with 95% of the material. There was one lab that spanned 3 days, and two labs that were a full eight hours each. I honestly preferred the 8 hour labs as I thought they were much more applicable
I really can’t stress enough how important it is to make sure you are prepared for the bootcamp before attending. I think everyone should have completed all 20 or so of their technology-based labs before attending (at a minimum). The bootcamp is either going to be a reality check or a confidence builder. I was surprised to see people attending that either didn’t have IPExpert labs or had done very little hands-on practice. The most important thing you need on your side is confidence in my opinion. If you go in there expecting someone to teach you everything you need to know, you’re going to be mistaken. You really have to do your part for this and use the bootcamp as a confidence builder and take advantage of the one-on-one time with the instructor. Jared is a great instructor and the time I had to talk with him really helped me to get my mind right. If I wasn’t prepared I would have walked out realizing that I have a lot of work to do. If the bootcamp is the first time you have done an IPExpert lab, you are in for a rough ride. Some people prefer a bootcamp first to figure out where they are at. Personally, I prefer to do the work ahead of time and use the bootcamp to polish things up and get clarification. I think taking the test within two weeks of the bootcamp is the best approach. I took mine the Monday after.
Their building in SJ is really nice and super close to the airport. The training rooms are fine too. I would have preferred more vertical desk space, but not everyone is 6′ 6″. Lunch was provided each day with free drinks throughout the day. There were 7 people in our class which I think is a pretty good size. There is a ton to cover so smaller class sizes are a good choice on their part. They gave us lots of nice free stuff (Shirt, book bags, etc.). Their VP Matt Brooks stopped by too, which was cool.
Overall, I had a good experience and thought it was vital in earning me my number.