Starting a new academic year
A new academic year has started. Well, not today, but a month ago.
Geez, time flies.
It is strange how every academic year feels like the first one but with the knowledge of the previous ones. It is like a new game plus, but with the same character and more skills: scared of the unknown, but with the knowledge of the past.
Anyway, here’s the story: I’ve started some brand new courses. I always have been curious about the world, especially for the things that are related in my field of study.
Informatics is divided into many branches, but I think the major ones are:
- Backend programming: the part of the software that is not visible to the user, you know, “the magic under the hood”
- Frontend programming: the part of the software that is visible to the user, the “part that the user sees”
- DevOps: the part of the software that is related to the deployment and the maintenance of the software, fundamental skill for a developer, but also for a system administrator
- Security: the part of the software that is related to the security of the software, the “part that keeps the software safe”
During the years, I’ve explored many of these branches, I’m currently working as a backend developer and DevOps, but I’ve always been interested in the security part. It is fascinating how a software can be secure or not, and how a software can be exploited by a malicious user.
Because, after all, user is the most unpredictable part of the software.
Knowing how to write a good and a bad software is a fundamental skill. Knowing how to break it, it is even more important because you can understand how to protect it and how to write a more secure software.
The rabbit hole
Yesterday I got up in the morning, and started to study like a fool. I was highly demotivated: this is related to the fact that I’ve attempted a couple of exams in the past, and I’ve failed them. I’ve studied a lot, but I’ve failed them.
I was demotivated, but I’ve decided to try again.
This time is different: I’ve started to study two courses, one about the security of the software and the other one is about malware analysis.
It is impossible to explain how much I’m enjoying them: the stuff is exactly what I was looking for years, but I never dared to study by myself, because I was scared of its complexity.
Well, they are not easy: they are definitely not easy, but I don’t think they are impossible, and being in an universitarian environment, I can ask for help if I need it or if I’m stuck, while alone at home, I cannot ask for help, and I’m stuck with my thoughts.
So, until now, I’ve been studying a lot, and I’ve learned a lot of things.
Everytime I’ve finished a lesson, I had a dopamine rush, and I wanted to know more about it, in particular by consuming videos and articles.
It would be a good idea:
- to write some articles about security and malware analysis, what I’m learning, to not forget them
- update my notes with the new things I’m learning
On Curiosity
I will never understand why I get in love with things I don’t know. When I grasp a new concept, I feel like I’m in love with it, and I want to know more about it, but this is applied to every unknown field and leads me to a rabbit hole of curiosity.
Unfortunately the time is limited, and I cannot explore everything I want with the depth I want.
I’m a curious person, and I will always be.
xoxo, Damiano
p.s. very soon I will start in reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, and I’m curious to know more about it. I will write an article about it, for sure.
p.p.s. I’m so happy that I’ve finally have found some time to write an article: it makes me feel good.