Studying in style, back in the USA

Home study setup (click for full size)

I’ve been back in the US for a little more than a month and continuing on my CCIE studies.  My four months in Thailand were great, but I still need a few more months of solid practice and studying to be fully ready for the CCIE lab.  One of the questions people often ask is how do I actually study?  Above is a picture of my computer set up at home.  The components and where I purchased them are listed below

1.

• Sheet music stand from Guitar Center
• New Apple iPad running iBooks and viewing the Internetwork Experts Workbook Volume 1 Solutions
• Sketch book with topology drawings – you can buy these at any stationary or art store

2.

• Samsung 24-inch monitor - resolution 1920×1200 with questions on one side, YouTube study music in other half (Lindsey Stirling if you’re curious)
• DVI to HDMI adapter from Monoprice - only $2.42 !!

3.

• Core i7 Lenovo laptop upgraded to 8GB RAM – GNS3 with RelativityDrive’s configs, Remote Desktop Manager running the consoles
• Zalman NC1000 laptop cooler – The Core i7 runs a bit hot with everything running in GNS3, so a laptop cooler is a nice thing to have

Since I study several hours a day, it’s very important to maintain good posture and health.  I stand up while studying and the laptop and monitor are set on top of wooden cubes and  a table to keep everything at eye level.  I stand on a Costco anti-fatigue mat.