newb here , so im installing ubuntu alongside mint do i need to partition? if so any advice on how would be great and is there anything else i should do?
thanks

Ensure you have sufficient unallocated space on the disk and let the installer figure it all out for you - that's what they are designed to do. Unallocated means just that - not part of a partition, but empty disk space.

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Yes, if you are using UEFI booting. Both OS use the same string for GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR= in /etc/default/grub, so there will be overwriting/conflict WRT booting from /boot/efi/EFI/ if you do not customize. Whichever you install first should be customized before installation of the other begins. If Mint is installed first, I suggest GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="mint19" or GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="linuxmint" and updating the Mint bootloader before beginning Ubuntu installation. After doing so, ensure the BIOS is updated by checking with efibootmgr. If it reports both mint19 or linuxmint and ubuntu before Ubuntu is installed, use efibootmgr to remove ubuntu. Once the second is installed it would be wise to customize it too, so that when a future boot repair or reinstallation is required that this conflict won't be overlooked or forgotten.

Mint and Ubuntu are so similar that I wonder why you plan to install both these two rather than one or the other and something else more different.

FWIW, for nearly three decades I have done 100% of partitioning and formatting in advance of beginning any OS installation. This requires of the installers "partitioning" phase no more than specifying which partition to mount where. I'm in control, rather than some random mix of OS installers' partitioners and formatters.

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Erk - yeah, that's pretty ugly. I just checked a Mint system and sure enough it's as mentioned. I've not installed Ubuntu in forever, so have just ignored the "ubuntu" label for Mint.

As for pre-allocating partitions, I also do it, but consider it just introduces unnecessary complications for a less experienced user.

good point about installing both mint and ubuntu, correct me if im wrong but i feel like theres more compatibility with ubuntu even tho they are both the same in my head im thinking theres maybe different coding at some point where when i downloaded previous applications it didnt work correctly.
now my problem was with intellij ide im trying to teach myself python and this app isnt working for shit its frustrating that there isnt and support from them other than saying itll be released in the new update basically fuck off. now im sure theres a way around it but with my knowledge and lack of resources lol ughhh im trying tho