2024 Learning Goals

It’s that time again. Time to write about what I want to learn this year.

So, I probably hit around half of the things I said I wanted to learn last year. I did an update this fall which you can read here. I don’t really consider this a failure though. My priorities shifted throughout the year and I expected them too, and I expect them to again. This post is mainly meant to be a starting place.

Last Year

The big things I hit last year were Linux, self-hosting, digital privacy and security, and personal finance. I also learned a bit more about computer hardware, mostly through upgrading and fixing some laptops.

Linux and self-hosted software

Despite not being an official goal I set at the beginning of 2023, this is probably what I am most satisfied with myself for learning. It really feels like I went from zero to hero in Linux (still far from an expert though [yet]), and made 2023 my personal year of the Linux desktop.

I went from only basic awareness of Linux from what I learned in school and through needing to use Docker sometimes to now having switched to Linux full time for all my personal computers and running a few Linux servers for my own needs.

I love it. It really feels like a “where has this been my whole life?” moment. I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to my hobbies and interests, I want to be able to manipulate every variable if I so desire, so the customization, control, and power Linux gives the user was a game changer for me. I will definitely write more about my experience with Linux in future posts.

The only reason I really got into Linux in the first place was when I discovered self-hosted software. Again, control freak, so as you can imagine when I discovered people were hosting free and open source applications on their own hardware instead of relying on Big Tech and “the cloud”, I thought it was awesome and immediately wanted to get started. From there of course I need an operating system to run all these applications, which of course lead me to Linux and then discovering Debian and their mission.

It was down the rabbit hole from then on and out.

Personal Finance

My relationship with and understanding of money has completely changed this year. Rather than money just being something to spend, often on frivolous things, I’ve learned the importance of building true wealth as a means of achieving financial freedom and security. Saving and investing have become a priority rather spending my paycheck on things that do not add value to my life just because I have the money to.

Practicing meal prep instead of eating out for lunch everyday at work it has also been hugely beneficial and saves a ton of money, and I hope to take it to the next level this year.

2024

Finally talking about what I want to do in 2024.

Writing/blogging

I want to learn how to write better! Write better documentation, how-tos, blog posts, stories, whatever. To achieve this I will practice by just writing and publishing a lot more posts on this blog, even if they’re bad. I will try to do it on a regular schedule of at least a post every week or two, plus whenever I feel like it. If I do this right in 2025 I should be looking back at these first posts and cringing out of my mind. If you aren’t cringing at past you then you aren’t learning 😉.

A Systems Level Language

C, C++, or Rust. I’ve decided to table learning a Functional Programming language (at least for now) and to prioritize learning something system level, especially as my interest in operating systems and lower-level stuff increases by the day.

Building a PC

Building a PC is back on the menu. I would really, really like to build myself a hopefully budget friendly workstation PC this year. For a few reasons: I want to learn more about PC hardware (the learning goal), I want a truly performant and completely upgradeable computer, and for fun (duh). Something that could play games would be cool but I’m not really a big gamer anymore; hence why I said “workstation” and not “gaming PC”.

Networking

I wish I took that networking class in school. But I hope to make up for it by expanding upon the homelab stuff and the basic networking knowledge I’ve gained from the previous year.

I would like to configuring a D.I.Y. router from scratch. I’ve been looking at getting a Qotom mini PC for this and using vanilla Debian, but if it is for whatever reason too unreliable I might give pfSense or openWrt a shot.

Ethical Hacking / Cybersecurity

The world of hacking and cybersecurity has become so fascinating to me over the course of 2023. I would really love to get deeper into that world, pick up some books, do some bug bounties, etc. Obviously, all ethically and white hat.

Electronics?

I would love to get into electronics, and to learn the fundamentals like transistors and circuits as well as tackle some hardware projects. I am not sure if I will be able to make the time for that this year though. I’ll check in on this in the summer.

Something analog hopefully

All this tech stuff is cool and fun but lest we forget that we humans need to touch grass sometimes or at least getting away from the screens. I could try and get back into homebrewing beer this year or something else not involving a computer.

Conclusion

This is just an initial list to give myself a place to start this year, I tend to change my mind a lot so this priorities will very likely change. I might edit this post for just make future posts about it. Peace.