Network segmentation, virtualization, and lots of learning
As a CS student, I've built a homelab to learn networking and systems administration hands-on. It's been running for about 18 months now (with decent uptime when I don't break things while experimenting). This project has taught me more about enterprise networking than any textbook could.
This project taught me that enterprise networking concepts aren't just theoretical - they solve real problems. I've learned more from breaking things and fixing them than from any textbook. Getting VLAN routing wrong taught me more about network segmentation than any lecture could. Plus, I can now confidently troubleshoot network issues (mostly because I've caused most of them myself).
Modern web application development and system integration
As a CS student diving into software development, I'm building real applications to understand how everything fits together. It's been a journey of connecting the dots between frontend, backend, databases, and deployment - with plenty of "why isn't this working?" moments along the way.
Turns out software development is way more about problem-solving than just writing code. Every component I build teaches me something new about how applications actually work in the real world. The gap between "it works on my machine" and "it works everywhere" is... educational.