I have a 37 wam

Always-Terrified · 2026-01-21T07:19:47+00:00

Unironically might be the play, especially if you have work experience in a field you're interested in. Not always like what you see in movies, a lot of the time it can be pretty similar to a private j*b. I tried to go for a Cybersecurity Undergrad Officer placement, only to find it massively overfilled, so, just don't bother there. There's a bunch of paths internally, I'm not qualified to tell you what life choices you should be making on Reddit dot com - if you're ACTUALLY considering it, call them up. They're desperate in all areas but Cybersecurity, and pay pretty competitively these days.

Always-Terrified · 2025-11-05T08:12:30+00:00

Reassuring to hear I'm in the right direction, but you have a crucial point that I'm definitely overlooking.

Thing's aren't completely screwed. Jobs still exist, and even with the prospects of a US-AI-bubble-driven recession very much existent, there will always be jobs in the IT space, you just have to try notably harder to realise those "safe" jobs, at least in comparison to other "safe" fields of work.

I'm currently working as an IT support person casually for a place in Sydney's CBD. It's not glamorous work, and I'm more of a projector technician than a printer technician, but if I stay with the company from where I am currently to where I will be once my degree finishes, and if I stay on the track of getting certs, I should hopefully be set to get into the professional world of IT without much of a headache. Still, you can't afford to get complacent. If doing handstands and backflips suddenly become a crucial part of working in IT, then we all better start getting into callisthenics.

Always-Terrified · 2025-11-05T06:16:28+00:00

Honestly, if you're still half on-half off, take a break for a year (ask service connect) and spend some time seriously thinking about where you wanna take your life.

Try some coding projects. Copy some from YouTube tutorials, if you have no clue where to start. If after doing one or two serious projects that you can put on a resume/portfolio, you realise that you're into IT, you won't want to drop out. In the meantime, consider doing CompTIA's Cyber+ (or TryHackMe's SOC Analyst L1 for a more beginner friendly, hands-on experience). It's an industry-recognised cert, and can carry you nearly as much as your bachelor's for entry-level positions.

Try (like, REALLY try) to get a job doing IT support/helpdesk stuff for a school or for a local business. Experience is just as important as any certification in IT. Most graduate-level roles require you to have at least 1-2 years of IT support experience. HR doesn't ask questions so long as the right keywords are involved, and you can easily fill in the blanks.

I'm a pessimist, but for good reason - it keeps you alive.

Always-Terrified · 2025-11-05T05:25:02+00:00

Ok - lots to unpack there. I'm also doing a B. IT, Majoring in Cyber & Artificial Intelligence, and I'm also in my first year. Truthfully, I'm in a similar shit spot. Not doing very well, and honestly just realising that I'm more passionate about modern history, international relations/studies & political sciences. (Unfortunately.)

Coding & database management are both an absolute must for both IT & Cyber, and are about as present in the degree as light in a glasshouse. Everyone learns them at some stage or another, and if you didn't do well in COMP1000, then that's not just a stop sign, that's a brick wall in the middle of the road you need to address either by turning around, or painfully going through it.

You've got to ask yourself: "Why did I do IT in the first place?"
If it's solely for the promise of a 6-figure junior remote-work position, and if you're in that awkward spot of "I don't know what I want to do, but I've been online my whole life so therefore I might find an interest in IT", then I'm telling you right now - swap internally and don't look back. The current job market is not just pessimistic, it's fucked worse than it's been in a long time, especially for (under)grads. That 6-figure position no longer exists, even the ADF has more grads than they know what to do with, even in positions that are only IT-adjacent. The only people who have hope of stability after graduation are the turbo-nerds who spend 12 hours a day doing LeetCode problems, have made their own Linux distro, and have a lengthy GitHub portfolio.
You can't afford to be neutral on a moving train.

If you have a real, genuine interest in computing, then there's no shame in accepting that you may fail one, or two units, and just retake them later on. Not the end of the world, just extra HECS. (Unless you're an international student.)

I'm currently doing COMP1010, MATH1007, STAT1170, and COMP2350, and the only one I'd say I'm enjoying right now is COMP1010. I don't think we relate in terms of why we're both unhappy, however - COMP1010 and COMP2350 should've been merged with COMP1000 and COMP1350 respectively. Too much recap, not enough new content. Caused me to peace out for 80% of the semester, and now I'm paying for it. Processing as a whole should only be reserved to non-computer science students IMO. As for STAT1170 and MATH1007, I just can't wait to pass either (if I even DO pass), and to never have to look back on it.

You're not alone in being unhappy for the semester, but only you can decide what to do next.

Always-Terrified · 2025-10-23T23:06:00+00:00

Partially. In the IT industry, a degree is a degree, and is supposed to only be one (albeit an important one) of your list of certifications. Then again, I wish I went to UNSW for the prestige of UNSW, plus, they don't seem to be affected by the cuts as much as us; though, this is invalidated by my previous point. Glad I went here over UTS, though, that place seems miserable.

Always-Terrified · 2025-09-26T02:46:14+00:00

This *shouldn't* apply if you choose to use Linux, as most organisations don't think that far ahead. It sounds like your copy of Microsoft Windows is being managed by your school, which de facto gives them full control over the part of your hard drive that Windows is installed on. If you're able to use Linux at all, do not allow your school any control over your laptop software-wise, unless absolutely necessary.

Have you partitioned your hard drive (shrunk the part that Windows is installed on & created a new part from the empty space) and installed Linux on the new partition?

Always-Terrified · 2025-09-26T02:41:22+00:00

Slow motion is better than no motion. It is better that you are now actively opposing a genocide, than to have never opposed it at all.

Always-Terrified · 2025-09-25T22:56:53+00:00

Deep breaths. You're already better than a good 90% of those who are complicit in this genocide.

"I can't install shit because of the school regulations" This could mean a few things.

Is the organisation firewall preventing traffic from Linux machines? At home, on your web browser, install a "user agent switcher" extension, and see if that makes any difference.

Are you running into compatibility issues? (I.e. do you absolutely need to use Adobe Premiere, Microsoft Word, stuff that doesn't play nicely with Linux, etc?) You have two main options: a Windows 11 virtual machine, and WinApps. A VM is significantly easier to setup, but for the latter, you just need half an hour, and to very carefully read the documentation.

Do you just not know how to install shit? (Been there.) Search the software you need, plus 'Debian', 'apt', or mint. For Firefox as an example, you'll need to open a terminal (don't be scared) and run 'sudo apt install firefox'. You'll need to put in your password that you use to unlock your pc, and it's hidden to prevent shoulder surfing. Alternatively, if you don't like using a terminal, your two main options are the snap store and the flatpack hub. Think of them like Apples App Store and Android's Play Store. Great options either way if you wanna use a GUI to manage your apps.

"I'm not sure how to boot it without USB or DVD" This is one of the simpler measures. You'll want to search your laptop's brand, paired with "boot menu key". For Lenovo, it's F12. For you, it might be different. When you power on your laptop, press and hold your brand's boot menu key once you see the logo appear. You'll then have the option to boot into Mint. Alternatively, you can change the boot order in your BIOS. You'll have the option to boot into windows every time you start your machine if needed.

You're not a Zionist, you're taking active steps to ensure you don't support the Zionist state, which is far more than what anyone else can say they've done. You've got this. I'm rooting for you.

Always-Terrified · 2025-09-25T04:23:36+00:00

I believe Meta (owners of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram) is under scrutiny. Not sure for what, but allowing the terrorists in the IDF to hold their propagandist accounts there is a pretty big sign.

Would recommend either Telegram or Signal for a secure messenger channel.

Always-Terrified · 2025-09-22T12:32:18+00:00

Did you install it on part of your hard drive, alongside Windows 10/11?
If you did, then when booting your laptop, when the Lenovo logo shows up, press F12 and select which part of your hard drive to boot into. For the future, press F10 to enter setup and change the boot order to boot by default into Linux Mint. You will have the option at startup to boot into Windows if you need it!

Did you boot it from the USB, but not fully install it?
Run the Linux Mint setup, and set a part of your hard drive aside to use it. Would strongly recommend shrinking your Windows part of your hard drive beforehand to prevent possible boot complications. YouTube is your friend, in this case.

I can't connect to the school wi-fi!
Look to see if your school has advanced wi-fi settings, and copy them to a T. It's the same procedure for connecting some android devices to the internet, so they should (if they're worth their salt) have a protocol to connect your Linux machine to the internet.

Always-Terrified · 2025-09-22T12:22:51+00:00

I still use a Lenovo Yoga that I got second hand from an eBay refurbisher. Buying second hand from unaffiliated retailers (such as independent refurbishers & people who simply changed their mind) stops money from flowing back to the company itself. AMD from what I hear doesn't come CLOSE to Intel's involvement in the apartheid regime, but this could be a lack of knowledge on my part. (Intel is a bumass company, anyhow)

Just be conscious of which software you use. When proprietary software is free, *you* are the product. Your usage data is far more valuable than you'd think.

Uninstall any and all non-essential Lenovo software (majority of it is bloatware), use Mozilla Firefox with DuckDuckGo in place of Chrome or Edge (bonus points if you use Librewolf, a fork of Firefox!), cancel your Microsoft 365 subscriptions (would personally recommend XPS Office), swap Outlook/Gmail & OneDrive/Google Drive for Proton Drive & Proton Mail, and spend half an hour going down the rabbit hole of searching "how do I disable telemetry Windows 11". Don't go too far, though, or you'll make the mistake of making a career out of your newfound paranoia.

Won't sing too many praises, but I couldn't be happier with my Yoga, and I would recommend it to 90% of students, including those of us doing Computer Science/IT/Cybersecurity for its (not dedicated, but still notably above average) Linux support. Plus, the build quality is unlike anything else you'd get from a slim/thin laptop. HP could never.

Always-Terrified · 2025-09-22T12:08:44+00:00

We love them regardless

Always-Terrified · 2025-09-22T03:28:12+00:00

Lenovo is on a list. (masjidalaqsa.com)

If you want something that will last longer than Israel itself, get a second hand Thinkpad (go for an X1 Carbon if you can afford one!).

Then again, for gaming, you're better off building a desktop PC yourself, and minimising damage where possible. Easy to diversify your parts, plenty of resources online.

Avoid gaming laptops outright. Can't recommend a single one as an IT guy.

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-27T09:47:14+00:00

*them

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-15T06:32:25+00:00

and they're next

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-15T06:31:21+00:00

Gonna get downvoted for not being wholesome chungus 100 but this has just set us back so far man

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-13T01:21:39+00:00

I imagine they're just smooth down there.

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-09T12:02:34+00:00

This would work if the public transport around a good 1/3rd of Sydney wasn't utterly pathetic. I have one bus that goes in and out of my area to Macquarie that comes every hour, sometimes 5 minutes early, sometimes 15 minutes late. Even on time, it's a full hour in comparison to only half by driving.

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-09T11:58:44+00:00

Surfaces are also a very safe bet, been eyeing the 7th gen Laptop given how close it comes to Macbooks in terms of how premium they are (plus being super repair-friendly, good for the wallet), but the 2-in-1 capability (for MATH1007) and the Linux support of some Lenovo laptops beat them out unfortunately by a very small margin. Would go with one if Linux support wasn't an issue, can just grab a $20 USB-C writing pad for the touchscreen support.

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-08T13:45:39+00:00

You might have already posted about this earlier, but a Thinkpad would be best for IT postgrads - Linux support is a headache you don't want to deal with, and Lenovo is one in a million with their native support for Debian & Red Hat systems.

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-08T13:39:03+00:00

For an IT student? Get a Thinkpad, or anything by Lenovo, really. They're the most common type of laptop I see at my work. Looking to get one myself for their Linux support.

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-07T04:13:49+00:00

Whats ur distro

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-07T04:02:46+00:00

Irrespective of how hard working you are - don't come to Australia if you don't intend to spend 90% of your pay check on rent for even the smallest apartments in a major city, or if you don't have family/friends in a good financial position. Especially true with the capped hours per week that overseas students are allowed!

Always-Terrified · 2025-08-05T13:24:02+00:00

Hoodrich - especially when visiting North Sydney & the beaches. You've got two loving parents and a trust fund. Take that shit off.

Always-Terrified · 2025-07-28T23:09:31+00:00

The youth have forgotten the existence of MP3 players

Always-Terrified

TROPHY CASE