Sepetember 2025
I’m sure a lot of you are in the same place I was a few weeks back. I had been learning front-end development for a bit and was making progress, but it just wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped. Don’t get me wrong—it was still fun. I enjoy creating things, especially seeing all the little lines of code I spend so much time writing come to life.
But I decided I wanted to reenter the world of cybersecurity, which I had started exploring years ago. I enjoyed it back then and realized I wanted to be a part of it again. I dove into research: What was the best path to take? Should I go back to school for a degree? Or just pursue certifications? I watched video after video on YouTube, trying to figure it out.
What really solidified my decision was a video by Josh Madakor. He recommended a podcast that would quickly become my obsession (and still is, because I haven’t caught up yet). It’s called Darknet Diaries by Jack Rhysider. The storytelling-style journalism dives deep into events in the history of the internet and cybersecurity in particular. Listening to it made me realize I wanted to be a part of that world—it fascinated me, inspired me, and energized me.
Even with all this research, I found myself in what I’ve heard called “research hell.” I was watching video after video but never actually starting anything. Then, one day, I came across Google’s Cybersecurity Professional Certificate on Coursera. The platform is self-paced and reasonably priced, and on a whim, I decided to just sign up on a Friday off. That was it—I started.
Since then, I’ve been tearing through the course material because I genuinely enjoy it. All of this is a long-winded way of saying: the best thing I did was start.
If you’re in a similar place—researching endlessly and unsure of your next step—my advice is simple: just start something. Find a course or program with decent reviews and meaningful content, and begin. Taking action, even imperfectly, is far better than staying stuck in research hell. There’s something empowering about filling in your information and officially beginning your journey.
I’m excited to keep going. My plan for the next few posts is to share explanations of the courses I’m taking, what concepts I’m learning, and eventually, the exercises and projects I complete.
Until next time, keep learning.