The official CISSP study guide has more than 1300 pages. Before you pass the exam, it tastes your reading patience level with bland language.
I had two choices.
Read fast with skimming and skipping. Or read word by word from the first to the last page.
I chose later.
I read it like a novel. I didn’t take any notes. Just read.
I read a second time and paid attention to key concepts. I applied this approach – How To Absorb Textbooks Like A Sponge.
I underline essential stuff. I took handwritten notes. I took time to draw digital sketches. I started sharing my learning on LinkedIn. It took the longest to complete the book. I loved it.
I mostly spent time on practice questions. I often returned to reading only to address weak domains and concepts that required clarity.
My reading experience was different every time. Naval Ravikant put it best when it comes to reading speed and iteration.
“The smarter you get, the slower you read.”
“It isn’t 10,000 hours that creates outliers; it’s 10,000 iterations.”
You don’t need to read CISSP ten thousand times. But you got the idea.
It’s ok to slow down.
It’s ok to read slowly.
It’s ok to pause, take notes and think.
Get obsessed with one concept. For example, read the first twenty pages of Google to learn the difference between least privilege and need to know.
Make your CISSP journey more than a reading. I draw sketches. If any concept reminds you of a joke, make a video and publish it on YouTube. Or record the audio.
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