how do you study for the CCNA?

I dont know what im doing wrong ive read the first 5 chapters of CCNA1 at least 3 times, and i participate in class ALOT. i challenge all the time, i wake up at 5 in the morning just to study cause i wanna get good grades. Not just pass that isnt reassuring. i wanna get a stable goood grade. Its depressing all that hard work and i get a 68 on my test. test was on like subnetting really. (chapter 8-10 in CCNA1) . (not the ccna, but a class test)...
could you please post ways that you study cause i wanna try it.
i mean im not dumb by all means.
im 18, and a Windows computer tech. will get my MCDST or possibly the MCSE Certification. But for now i really want my CCNA wicked bad and i dont expect it to be handed to me by all means.
im just curious how you all studied. and how much do you actually retain.

thanks all

*hopeless*
ESA

Hi, i'm a swedish student that read CCNA at the university. This is how I usually study, I had around 90% on all tests. I go to all the classes and listen and take notes during class. Do all the labs and try to understand the results not just do them quickly to get home earlier. Before an exam I read all the material twice and do all the questions. After that I do all the questions over and over and read from the sections where I miss answers on questions. This technique has worked very good for me.

Hi,

I finished my CCNA 1 and got 96%.

The best way to study is to have a study partner.

Ask each other questions and resarch the answer together.

Ask the tutor a 101 questions - tutors love giving advice.

You can also take notes down when in a lecture, but you should always take notes down wherever you are. At home, in the library - write it down. Don't type it or anything like that. Get it in your wrists.

Make your own diagrams, exibits, and tables.

And finally, make you own summery, read through the chapters and write down anything you think is important - with a pen - don't type. Like I said, get it in the wrist.

Hi.

Im a ccna instructor, and all participants are telling you are the true.

But be sure not just to read, and re-read again with no sense, try to understand what you are reading.

as I tell my students, "suppose you are the router" and logical processes the router does have sense.

luck.

Hi

It took me around 4 months of continous studies.

I suggest practising a lot on a router simulator.

Reading Cisco Press Books and Probably Test King will be useful.

Hi

It took me around 4 months of continous studies.

I suggest practising a lot on a router simulator.

Unfortunately, simulators won't show you what happens when you disconnect a LAN cable. While simulators are great, and I use Boson all the time, they just won't do what actual hardware will do.

Reading Cisco Press Books and Probably Test King will be useful.

Test King's are brain dumps. You'll not only be hurting yourself, but de-valuing the cert itself. Sure, you may pass the exam and get your CCNA, but when you get that first interview, you'll be found out in the first 5 minutes.