A few years ago, I started my Computer Science degree with a very simple plan.
Study well. Get a good CGPA. Get placed. Graduate.
That's pretty much it.
Now that I've graduated, I realize there was a lot more to college than that. And honestly, there are quite a few things I wish someone had told me when I was just starting. So, if I could go back and talk to my first-year self, this is what I'd say.
1. CGPA isn't everything, but it does matter
For a long time, I thought CGPA was everything.Then I realized it wasn't.Your CGPA doesn't tell the whole story about how good you are at programming or how well you'll perform at a job. But at the same time, don't completely ignore it either.
It can matter for internships, placements, scholarships, and higher studies.
So yes. Take your grades seriously. Just don't spend your entire college life chasing a number.
2. Build projects. Seriously.
I wish I had understood this earlier. There were times when I finished an assignment, submitted it, and forgot about it.
But when someone asks, "What have you actually built?", that's a very different question. You don't need to build something revolutionary. Build small things. Break them. Fix them. Make them better.
A project you actually understand will teach you much more than a project you copied from a tutorial just to submit it.
3. Don't underestimate internships
I used to think internships were mainly something to add to my resume.
They're not. Working on real tasks teaches you things that universities assignments sometimes don't. Deadlines,teamwork,unclear requirements, debugging someone else's code, communicating with people, and figuring things out when nobody gives you the exact answer.
If you get the opportunity to intern, take it seriously. You might learn more than you expect.
4. DSA matters
I know. Nobody wants to hear this one. But if you're planning to apply for software engineering roles, DSA is something you shouldn't keep postponing.I made the mistake of treating it like something I could deal with later.Then placement season came.And suddenly, later became right now.You don't need to solve hundreds of problems overnight. Start early and practice consistently.
5. Learn to communicate
You can be technically good and still struggle if you can't explain what you're doing. During interviews, presentations, internships and group projects you have to explain your ideas. And communication isn't about using complicated English.It's simply being able to explain your thoughts clearly.I wish I had practiced that more during university.
6. Learn Git and actually use GitHub
Don't just know that GitHub exists because your professor mentioned it.
Use it. Put your projects there. Learn commits, branches, pull requests and the basics of working with Git. You'll thank yourself later.
7. Talk to people
Networking sounded like a very serious word to me at first.
But honestly, it can simply mean talking to your seniors, classmates, developers, professors or people working in areas you're interested in.
Ask questions. Learn how other people got their internships. Share what you're working on.Just don't spend four years surrounded by people and never talk to anyone outside your usual circle.
8. Don't wait for placement season
This is probably the biggest one.
Don't wait until your final year to suddenly decide that you need projects, DSA, a good resume, internships and interview preparation.
You don't need to have everything figured out in first year.
But start early.Even one small step every semester is better than trying to do everything during placement season.
9. And please don't learn 15 technologies at once
This is something I still have to remind myself about.
One week it's Python.
Then AI.
Then web development.
Then cloud.
Then DevOps.
Then some new framework appears and suddenly I want to learn that too.
Technology never ends.You don't have to learn everything. Pick something you're interested in, spend some time with it, build something and then move forward.
Looking back
I don't think I did everything perfectly during college. I definitely made mistakes, changed directions, and figured some things out much later than I should have.But that's probably normal.
Graduating with a CS degree doesn't suddenly mean you know everything about Computer Science.If anything, graduation made me realize how much I still want to learn.
I'm now exploring AI/ML, AI agents and different areas of technology, and this time I want to document the journey instead of waiting until I feel like an expert.
So, if you're just starting your CS degree, don't worry about having your entire career figured out.
Study. Build things. Talk to people. Try things.
And please don't wait until your final semester to start.
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