Surviving it for me would depend on where I am initially when it starts, if I am in my home, with decent food/water supply, You could wait it out a few days. let things calm down before you venture outside. If your out somewhere well, depending where your at could be good or bad. It also depends how the infection is spread, if its airborne like in the walking dead/fear the walking dead, then anyone who is bit (which activates the virus which kills the host), or dies, has to be shot in the head, or otherwise have their brain destroyed or else they will just rise up. If its this type of infection spread your going to have a very hard time, as there will be people dropping dead from any number of things, and where its airborne, they will add to the zombie amount extremly quickly.
If its not airborne, humans will have a much easier time surviving. Zombies won't be created as fast which means they can stem the tide if they get it under control early. I mean real early, as in the first day it starts, kill all the zombies so it can no longer spread. But people who die later won't turn as they aren't infected. If there was a zombie apoc with our tech and what we know about zombie lore from all the shows and movies in the current day, we most likely already have the skills to survive pretty much. Enough people in modern countries has seen enough zombie movies/shows on average to know how to ID one if they seen one. As for guns, using one out in the open is prob the safest bet, as the zombies won't be able to zero in on you fast if your moving as they are slow. Shooting at them from yoru window though? Stupid move, as your just going to attract them and then they will attract more with the noise eventually they will get inside. What makes zombies lethal is the fact they need a head shot to be killed, and they often come in huge numbers so people get cornered. If were dealing with running zombies, your only option is to climb things to get away, as you'll never outrun a zombie, they can run forever, you can't, they will eventually catch up to you if you don't climb things as zombies can't climb.
As for how long i'd survive it depends, Did it start when I was in a safe location where I have supplies to last a few days? if so I'd prob hide out there the first few days. I'd wanna keep quiet as they are drawn to noise, but this only really applies if i'm on the ground floor, if I am in a apt building at least 3-4 floors up, you can be a bit louder with the noise as even if they DO hear it, the zombies aren't going to be able to get to you. My first worry would be food and water, especially water. dehydration will kill a hell of a lot faster than starvation will. As for weapons, the average home would have several things you could make use of if you got some tape or rope of some kind. I would also try to find some people, as saftey in numbers is a thing, i'd probably wait to look for others till my supplies are low and I am forced to go out, after the first few days anyone still alive knows what it takes to survive.
Sadly, like in the shows once zombies become less of a threat people will start causing problems for other people, and other people will become the main threat. Which is where TWD/fear the walking dead is right now, the zombies are pretty much just background noise now a days, and the show is all about the problems dealing with people in a situation like that.
