Hello everyone,
I am a computer science student majoring in Netcentric Computing, and I have recently graduated. I am currently looking for a job, but honestly, I’m not sure how to even begin.
Throughout my course, I have completed many projects using frameworks such as ReactJS, Laravel, Node.js, and even IoT projects using Arduino IDE connected to my systems. Also using github, Digital ocean, Hostinger to deploy my projects.
However, there is something I want to be honest about. Most of our course assignments only required the projects to work in order to pass. Because of tight deadlines and the number of projects, students were often forced to use AI to help complete them. That said, this does not mean that we fully depended on AI. At least for me and my friends, we used AI not just to generate code, but also to learn the framework structure, how APIs connect, data types, and how everything fits together.
I believe I understand frameworks and how they work. For example, if I didn’t understand how MVC works, I wouldn’t be able to build a decent Laravel project. However, I struggle when it comes to explaining certain terms, syntax, debugging, and some deeper topics. Because of this, I feel that my fundamentals and basics are weak—even though I can build projects and tweak them based on what I want.
What confuses me is that, despite lacking strong fundamentals, I still know where to tweak things: which files, which blocks of code, and which parts of the system to modify. I think this comes from how our course was structured.
Before working on framework-based projects, we learned C++, OOP concepts, and HTML. These gave us a basic understanding of programming. We also learned Laravel concepts such as models, views, controllers, SQL, CRUD operations, and database migrations—but we were never properly taught PHP itself. So most of the PHP coding came from AI, guided by our understanding of the structure.
The same thing happened with React and Flutter. Because of this, I can’t confidently code from scratch in those frameworks, unlike C++, OOP, or HTML. Even then, I don’t think my proficiency level is what the industry expects.
For now, I’ve made a plan. I want to focus on JavaScript, React, and Node.js, using W3schools and youtube tutorials since these are used in most of my projects. My goal is to truly understand these three so I can confidently state them on my resume and explain my projects in more detail. I’ve started learning JavaScript fundamentals, and it feels good so far. I’m planning a 3-month “training arc,” so that i can write code confidently and after that, I’ll start applying for jobs.
What I want to ask fellow developers is:
- Is anyone else in a similar situation?
- Is my choice good or I should be other things?
- Should I continue learning more fundamentals, or is there a company that looks for someone like me?
- Should I learn other frameworks or focus deeply on these first?
Thank you for reading, and I really appreciate any advice.
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