mlu

For someone who used to be very proficient in Java, what would be a good way to get back into the language again?

I used to work professionally with it until about 2011/Java 7 - then pursued a university career (machine learning, data science, etc.), and now will likely get a job which again requires me to use Java. What resources would you recommend looking into for getting back on track? I'm interested especially in

- new language features introduced since back then

- popular frameworks everybody uses nowadays

- software projects that use modern Java (and may need contribution)

- any recent books about modern Java development

Looking forward to your suggestions!

Soon, I will finish my PhD (CS, some machine learning, some bioinformatics) and the question what to do next is becoming more and more present in my head. There are certainly enough companies which would fit my profile, however recently I started thinking of working in a nonprofit organization (NPO) where I can put my knowledge into action for a good cause. My main problem here is that I don't know what's out there and if there's anything at all that would fit my profile.

Therefore, my question to HN: If you're working in a NPO, what do you do there? What's your background? How did you get there? And so on... :) Of course, I'm mainly interested in those who have a higher degree in CS/related, but I'm certain there are many other exciting stories!