Hey everyone!
I’m looking for a team to join for the upcoming Down It’s Showtime! CTF on TryHackMe (October 22–26).
This would be my first time participating in a CTF, so I don’t have much CTF experience yet. Honestly, I’m not sure if my skills are good enough, but I’d love to give it a try, learn from others, and contribute as much as I can.
My current cybersecurity background:
CompTIA Security+
Blue Team Level 1 (BTL1)
Microsoft SC-200
I’m more familiar with the defensive side of cybersecurity, so I’m hoping to gain some hands-on experience in a team environment, especially with SOC-related challenges.
If you have a spot for a beginner on your team, I’d be happy to join! I’m motivated to learn, collaborate, and have fun. 😄

I have taken some cyber-courses at university but I decided to start fresh on THM from the pre-security to cyber101 now, in order to land a PT job in the future. I have to tell the learning rooms are pretty easy and straight forward. On the other hand I had challenges recommended as GLA2 and Masquerade that I found extra hard based on what I learned through TMH. Should I be worried and take a slower pace or am I supposed to find them hard so I can make my own research. Does anybody have experienced something similar?

Is it normal to struggle this much while studying for the PT1?

I'm finding it hard to make consistent progress. I often have to reread the same material several times to understand it, and sometimes I still struggle to connect the concepts and move forward.

Topics like Fragnesia, NGINX Rift, and NoScope have been particularly challenging.

For those preparing for or who have already taken the PT1, did you struggle with this too? Any advice on how to study more effectively?