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Your machine is not going to automatically work exactly like the computers we've set up in the different labs in Memorial. Most of the assignments we give are designed to work on those machines. We've set them up to help get to the heart of the material we want you to learn instead of getting bogged down in technical details. It's beyond us to help you get your computer to work exactly like the lab computers; if you get stuck, please go to the lab to complete your work. (I recommend getting after-hours access to the building during any semester where you're taking a CS&T course.) Nevertheless, here is my attempt to answer questions about setting up your computer like the lab machines.
First off, sweet! Second off, you're probably having some difficulty because the unix-like terminal that Macs and Linux distros use is different from the DOS command prompt. I recommend trying out my terminal tutorial. It's a bit long, but it'll get you used to all the basic navigation commands and ready to go for using your terminal in class.
Depending on your OS, you'll need to follow different directions to make this work. We use Python 3, so follow these directions:
Thankfully, Matt Ferland wrote a pydoc Windows installation tutorial.
You might need to download the Java SE JDK (Java Development Kit) to your machine. (You don't need to grab the JRE; it's included in the JDK.) Unfortunately, after you've done that (or if you already have the JDK downloaded) Windows doesn't automatically include the directories where these are located in your default path. Use this Java tutorial to set the PATH and CLASSPATH environment variables on your computer. Here's a tutorial specifically for Windows 10, if you're using that.
When you add the java directory to your PATH variable, I recommend moving it all the way up to the top in case a path to another directory for other Java stuff is in there as well.
If you want to use Java version 8, you can download the Java 8 OpenJDK here.
It sounds like your versions of java and javac aren't the same. This could be because the environment variables are pointing to two different places. Here's a StackOverflow Q&A about this that might help.
The Z drive on the lab machines is a remote drive used to access turing. You can also map a network drive to turing yourself. You can follow these:
If you're trying to do something across a network connection to campus that isn't working, you probably need to VPN in to campus. Here are ET&S's VPN instructions to help you get connected. A VPN is also a great tool to use to help get extra privacy from untrusted connections you encounter while traveling.
If you have a laptop, I highly recommend taking it to the help desk in the library. If you have a desktop in your room, I recommend either calling or chatting with the help desk.