IF you can run Windows in Virtualbox with a mounted volume on the hosts for data, just keep up with VM snaps to have a clean system, not programmatically manageable from a config like NixOS but keep the system clean.
IF NOT then use ntfs snapshots extensively to being able to recover and keep data on a *nix host well managed.
Windows have proprietary automation but being designed as an "endpoint OS", meaning a value-less thing you deploy mostly in a default state without much customization there is not much you can do at a domestic level. BTW if an Uni in 2024 demand Windows specifically to students I doubt can be really a good choice...
IF NOT then use ntfs snapshots extensively to being able to recover and keep data on a *nix host well managed.
Windows have proprietary automation but being designed as an "endpoint OS", meaning a value-less thing you deploy mostly in a default state without much customization there is not much you can do at a domestic level. BTW if an Uni in 2024 demand Windows specifically to students I doubt can be really a good choice...