Intro:
If you are reading this, I assume you are either attending or planning to attend college as a Computer Science major. I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science in 2024 and experienced both the highs and lows of being a CS major in the US. CS majors witnessed the full cycle of life from COVID to post-COVID times. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to enjoy the highs due to some mistakes I made, and I want to share these with my fellow CS students. I will list all the mistakes I made during my college life. But the good news is, you only need one “yes” to change the course of your life. Despite all my mistakes, I still managed to secure a full-time job. Sometimes it’s luck, sometimes it’s hard work. Let’s begin.

Background:
I finished high school in Bangladesh and came to the US with my family two months later. No, it wasn’t on a student visa — I have a green card.

Mistakes I Made:

1. Not Starting Early:
In my first two years of college, I only took general studies classes like math, physics, and chemistry. I consider this my first mistake because I didn’t develop any technical skills during that time since I hadn’t started the core courses. I was procrastinating on the technical courses, leaving them for my last two years. As a result, I didn’t create any projects, acquire skills, or apply for internships. For the record, those two years are the best time to get a good internship as a CS major.

2. Don’t Change Your End Goal:
DO NOT CHANGE YOUR END GOAL. What do I mean by this? Computer Science has a wide range of career opportunities: AI, software development, data analytics, data engineering, cloud, automation—the possibilities are endless. You should ask yourself, “What do I want to be?” Get this answer as soon as possible. My advice is to figure it out by the end of your first year. For example, if you decide to become a cloud engineer by graduation, you can narrow your focus and prioritize the necessary skills and courses. The CS field won’t feel like an ocean anymore; you’ll have a clear path. You can change your goal if you don’t like it but don’t allow yourself to change it after your second year. Humans tend to give up when things get difficult.

3. Don’t Be a Generalist/Don’t Try to Learn Everything:
Do not try to learn everything—it will slow your growth. Stick to one end goal. However, don’t be too specific either. For example, don’t become too attached to a single tech stack. If you choose software development as your career path, don’t just become another React engineer. While it’s important not to change your tech stack frequently, you should still explore different frameworks and understand the complete process of making software. Software development is not just about coding—it involves planning, coding, deployment, and maintenance.

4. Don’t Focus Too Much on Grades:
Do grades affect your chances of landing an internship or job? I’d say no. Good grades are nice, but what’s considered a “good” grade? In the US, I’d say a GPA of 3.2 to 3.5 is sufficient. Grade inflation is noticeable, and companies are aware of it. A GPA of 3.9 or even 4.0 is no longer as impressive as it once was. What’s impressive is acquiring the necessary skills while your peers are still deciding what they want to do after graduation. Focus on building personal projects while taking classes. You don’t need to get an A on every assignment. I know this is hard to accept, but don’t focus too much on grades. Instead, focus on your personal development. The goal is to become skilled in your chosen career path, not just to have a high GPA.

5. Not Having Strict Study Days:
As a college student, time management is crucial. Most students take four classes per semester. Ideally, you shouldn’t attend college more than three days a week—four days at most if you can’t manage. Try to schedule your classes on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. The reason for this is to minimize the time spent on campus. You can dedicate one day for socializing and networking. The point is to escape the chaos and give your body and mind some rest. You also need strict personal study time, separate from group study or classwork. You should have two designated study days where you dedicate at least eight hours to personal study.

Summarize:

• Strict study time every day.

• Two dedicated study days (minimum of 8 hours each).

6. Not Setting Personal Deadlines:
You need deadlines for your personal development, not just for college assignments. These deadlines should be related to your career goals. For example, if you want to become a cloud engineer, set a reasonable deadline to complete the AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification within 2-3 months, along with personal projects. Use the Agile method to track and plan your development.

7. Ignoring Important Theory Topics:
Many CS majors ignore topics like design patterns and system design during their studies. However, these are critical when you enter the industry. While in college, you might think coding is all that matters, but in reality, your code will be ineffective in a production environment if you don’t follow best practices. When working on personal projects, consider design patterns and the best practices for whichever tech stack you are using. You don’t need to do this when you’re just starting, but once you’ve completed two beginner-level personal projects, start following best practices and documenting your work.

I could talk more about these topics and will probably write more in the future. If you’ve made these mistakes or are making them now, ask yourself, “What is my end goal? Why am I going to university?” Fix these problems, even if you’re just one day away from graduation. The best time to start developing yourself is now. Stay focused, and stay consistent.