Self-taught CS path after university doors closed – looking for advice (Cuban context)
Posted by blue_hat2@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 15 comments
Sorry for the long post.
To give you some context, I'm Cuban. A few days ago I was studying for the university entrance exams, but they've been cancelled and admissions will now be based only on GPA. This means it's going to be very difficult – not to say impossible – for me to get into Computer Science or Software Engineering. Most likely I'll end up in a degree I don't really like.
Personally, I want to study, learn, and go hard into CS, and then build a career in a specialized field: AI for Defensive Cybersecurity.
Since the traditional path has been closed for me, I have to go the self-taught route. Here's my current plan:
· Use OSSU (Open Source Society University) as the backbone of my education, dedicating 4–6 hours a day to it.
· Read technical books in my free time (from free-programming-books, e.g., C, Git, Python, ML, Operating Systems, Cybersecurity, papers, etc.).
· Build and contribute to projects on GitHub.
· Take Coursera and edX courses from tech giants like Google, Meta, Microsoft, Red Hat, IBM, Amazon in key areas (AI, Cloud, Cybersecurity, Linux, etc.).
Is this a good idea? If so, what would you recommend? I have discipline, my main limitations are internet and hardware, but I'll do everything I can. I have light foundations in programming, cybersecurity, and Linux.
MR_LAW11@reddit
Honestly, I think your plan is stronger than a lot of people entering CS degrees with no direction. OSSU + books + projects + Linux/cyber foundations is genuinely solid, especially if you already have discipline.
The one thing I’d change is trying not to do everything at once. OSSU alone is a huge commitment. I’d probably focus on strong fundamentals first (programming, CS basics, Linux, networking, operating systems, Python/C, Git), then slowly specialize into cybersecurity and AI once the base is strong. Since your interest is defensive cyber + AI, understanding systems and networking deeply will matter way more than rushing into ML courses.
Also, don’t underestimate projects. Even with hardware/internet limits, a few good GitHub projects and consistent learning over years can absolutely compensate for a non-traditional path. I’ve seen self-taught people do really well because they were forced to become intentional learners.
Evening_Phrase4656@reddit
your focus on fundamentals first is spot on - trying to juggle AI and cybersecurity right from start would be overwhelming even with good internet. i'd add that documenting everything you learn in simple markdown files or basic blog posts really helps cement knowledge, plus shows potential employers how you think through problems
the hardware limitations might actually work in your favor since you'll get really good at writing efficient code and understanding resource constraints, which lots of CS grads never learn properly
blue_hat2@reddit (OP)
You’re right. My plan is basically to use OSSU as the fixed learning structure and then complement it with technical books, papers, and open-source projects.
Honestly, projects are probably where I perform best. I tend to absorb theory pretty quickly, and I really enjoy designing systems and architectures — or at least I think I do For example, I have a personal project called Vulture that I had to pause a few months ago because I was developing almost everything from my phone using Termux, which became really uncomfortable, especially while also trying to keep up with school. Your comment actually describes almost exactly the path I’m trying to follow: strong fundamentals first, specialization later. Right now, my biggest limitations are mostly external (hardware and internet access), not motivation or discipline.
two_three_five_eigth@reddit
Short answer, you need a CS degree to break into the market. I don’t see that changing.
I’m unfamiliar with the Cuban system. If you do not like the degree just don’t got to college. You may be better served studying abroad.
blue_hat2@reddit (OP)
Yes, exactly. One of my long-term goals is to secure an international scholarship, but to even stand a chance, I need a rock-solid foundation to demonstrate my potential. While there is a slight chance here in Cuba to get assigned a different major and try to transfer into CS later, it’s a massive bureaucratic gamble. If it fails, I’d be stuck studying something I don't care about. That’s why I want to build these strong foundations now—as my safety net. Regarding the US, top tier schools like MIT, Stanford, or Harvard are incredible and do offer financial aid for international students, but their acceptance rates make them a statistical lottery. Europe generally offers more varied paths and regional grants for international students, which is why I'm leaning towards it. I just want to make sure that whatever door opens, I am technically prepared to walk through it.
two_three_five_eigth@reddit
I’d focus on exiting Cuba first. I’m not sure you’d even be legally allowed to attend an American university as a Cuban citizen.
blue_hat2@reddit (OP)
Yeah, that’s one of the reasons why I’m currently more focused on Europe.
The advantage of the U.S. is that my father and some relatives are there already, which could help a lot compared to moving completely alone to a foreign country with no support network at all.
Right now I’m mostly trying to prepare myself technically first, because regardless of where I eventually end up, I know strong skills and a solid portfolio will matter.
two_three_five_eigth@reddit
I’m guessing Cuba works like some of the Soviet universities where major is determined by HS GPA and you don’t really get many choices.
Get out of Cuba first, that fixes the other problems.
blue_hat2@reddit (OP)
Yeah, that’s basically how it works here.
University admissions used to be based on a combination of high school GPA (50%) and the average score from three entrance exams (50%). But now that admissions are based only on GPA, that extra filter is gone — the one that at least somewhat measured who could actually prepare for university-level work under pressure.
What makes it frustrating is that I’m one of the few people I know whose grades are actually pretty representative of my academic level (~96.2). A lot of students end up with heavily inflated grades because of favoritism, personal connections, or cheating during exams. Because of that, getting into something competitive like CS is probably unrealistic now, even with strong grades.
Honestly, leaving Cuba feels increasingly important, but I still don’t really know what the path looks like yet. I’ve been researching countries like Italy, Belgium, and Spain because people say there are more viable opportunities there for Cubans.
From what I’ve seen so far, Italy might be the most realistic option, although personally I’d eventually love to study or work somewhere like Norway or the Netherlands as well.
For now, I’m mostly focused on building my skills and preparing myself technically so that if an opportunity appears later, I’ll actually be ready for it.
grantrules@reddit
Maybe you need to set your sights lower than MIT and Stanford? There are 2000+ colleges in the US.
blue_hat2@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I’ve definitely thought about that too. When I mentioned MIT or Stanford, I meant them more as examples of universities with strong financial aid for international students, not as the only options I’d consider.
Realistically, I’m completely open to more “normal” universities if they offer good education, financial support, and accept international students. That’s probably the more realistic path anyway.
I also think being Cuban makes my situation a bit more complicated than that of the average international student, at least in terms of logistics and opportunities, so I’m trying to think carefully and long-term about every possible path.
Worldly_Analysis_664@reddit
Set yourself goals,
Read the foundation books:
The C programming language Git for dummies OSTEP Any others u want too.
As you say GitHub contribs are good but I’m sure for uni if they will care?
I would think uni might care more for uh school grades and maybe projects.
Luckily you dont need super string internet or hardware to program anything.
If anything I would set of a virtual machine you can use to build anything big on my server.
blue_hat2@reddit (OP)
That would honestly be incredibly helpful. I’ll definitely keep your book recommendations in mind. I already have some technical books in Spanish, but I’ll also read the ones you mentioned.
And regarding the VM/server offer, I’m genuinely interested. Having access to something like that would help me a lot more than you probably imagine. If you want, we could talk privately and figure out what kind of setup or usage would make sense. My hardware and internet connection are extremely limited. My normal mobile data speeds are usually around 50 KB/s download, sometimes 120–400 KB/s if I’m lucky, and I consider that “fast.” Very rarely I’ve reached 1 MB/s.
As for hardware, I’m working with an old Pentium B980 laptop with 4 GB of RAM — a dual-core processor running at around 2.4 GHz, which is obviously very limited nowadays. Still, I’ve been using Linux for over a year now, and honestly it has taught me a lot already.
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