A Small Moment

Outside of all the labs, notes, and late-night debugging…

The weather has been surprisingly nice lately.

There have been a few mornings where I just sat by the window with a cup of coffee, thinking about everything I’ve learned over the past few weeks.

It’s funny how those quiet moments make everything feel a little less overwhelming.

Sometimes stepping away from the screen for a while is exactly what I need before diving back into another module.

Those moments remind me that this journey isn’t a race.

It’s something I genuinely enjoy.

And honestly…

I wouldn’t trade it for anything right now.

Learning to Think Outside the Box

It’s been a while since I last wrote here.

A lot has happened over the past few weeks.

There were moments where I genuinely felt like I had lost it.

Not because I wanted to quit, but because the CPTS path can be overwhelming.

The deeper I get into it, the more I realize just how much there is to learn.

Some modules are straightforward.

Others leave me staring at the screen for hours wondering, “How was I even supposed to think of that?”

And honestly…

I think that’s the point.

The Process Isn’t Supposed to Be Easy

When I first started, I thought I just needed to learn commands.

Run Nmap.

Read the output.

Exploit the machine.

Move on.

It doesn’t work like that.

Every module forces me to stop thinking in a straight line and start asking better questions.

Why did this happen?

What am I missing?

What assumptions am I making?

The answer usually isn’t another command.

It’s a different way of thinking.

Notes Finally Started Making Sense

One thing I really struggled with was taking notes.

At first, everything felt messy.

I’d copy commands without understanding why I was using them.

My notes were all over the place.

But over time, that started changing.

Now, every note I write feels like a conversation with my future self.

Instead of writing what a command does, I try to write why I used it, what I learned, and what I should remember the next time I see something similar.

That small change has made studying so much easier.

My Focus

I’ve also made a decision.

For the next few months, I’m going to give less of my energy to college and more to becoming the security professional I want to be.

That doesn’t mean I’ll ignore college.

It just means I’ve decided where my priorities are.

Right now, my main focus is:

HTB CPTS
PortSwigger Web Security Academy

Those two alone will probably keep me busy for quite a while.

And honestly…

I’m excited.

Thinking Outside the Box

One thing I’ve learned so far is that methodology is important.

Having a checklist is important.

Being systematic is important.

But sometimes…

You have to step outside your own methodology.

Sometimes the answer isn’t on your checklist.

Sometimes it’s the one thing you didn’t think to try.

Those moments can be frustrating, but they’re also the moments where you grow the most.

Every time that happens, I don’t just solve the problem—I update the way I think.

And that’s probably the biggest lesson CPTS has taught me so far.

Life Outside the Screen

Life hasn’t exactly been quiet either.

College has its own chaos.

Assignments.

Schedules.

People.

I think a few people even have some kind of beef with me.

Haha…

It is what it is.

I’m learning not to let those things take up too much space in my head.

There are bigger goals waiting for me.

Until Next Time

I still have a long way to go.

There will be more confusing modules.

More moments where nothing makes sense.

More nights where I question whether I’m actually making progress.

But if there’s one thing I’m starting to believe, it’s this:

The days where you feel completely lost are often the days where you’re learning the most.

So…

I’ll keep showing up.

One module.

One lab.

One note.

One lesson at a time.

See you next week.