A proactive young man at the beginning of his college journey reached out to me, letting me know he was considering computer science. He asked for my advice, and here’s how I replied:
“To answer your question, I would say:
Invest in relationships, especially those that are genuine. Find people with whom you can develop healthy and effortless relationships. It makes a difference to feel like you have a ‘home away from home.’ Whether or not people around you are taking the initiative, be proactive in connecting with others! :)
Ask questions. Embrace the many new horizons around you and explore the things that interest you. Talk to professors, classmates, friends, club members, or researchers about aspirations you have or activities you want to join. Ask about their experiences, and take the time to learn and get involved when you can.
As far as computer science goes, if you’re starting college without prior experience like I did, it may feel like others are more comfortable with the material in your first few years—and that’s totally okay. Don’t compare yourself to others; it’s not worth it. Try your best, go to office hours, connect with professors, and ask questions (even the ones you think are “dumb”). Doing so will help you perform better on assignments and exams.
Don’t procrastinate on homework! Especially if your major is computer science, start as early as possible. Often, you’ll need to solve issues you encounter with your work, and fixing these can take hours or even days. So start early, go to office hours if needed, and be patient with yourself.
Find peers in your major/concentration that you can lean on. This might take a few months or even a year or two, but finding people who can remind you of deadlines, study together, and freely ask questions will help immensely. Making these connections isn’t always easy, but with time, you’ll find your people.
Seek summer internships or research opportunities. As a freshman, this might feel challenging, but your career development office, professors, and upper-level students are excellent resources to help you get started.
Explore the different paths you can take. You can become a software engineer, consultant, product manager, researcher, and more. You’ll also find a variety of fields to dive into, like Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Cloud Computing. Notice what you enjoy as you go through your classes, internships, and/or research experiences. No pressure—this will get clearer along the way. But, if you have ideas or interests, take initiative and get them off the ground if needed. The world is literally your oyster.
If you decide to pursue software engineering, start familiarizing yourself with interview prep material once you’re comfortable with at least one coding language. This might be in a few months or after a year or two, but preferably by your second year’s second semester, start solving problems on leetcode.com to get familiar with coding challenges. Then, when you’re preparing for interviews, intensify your practice for a few weeks before interview time.
Lastly, take it easy. Don’t stress too much. Try to live in the moment as fully as you can. Everything I’m suggesting here will unfold as you progress on your journey.”
Cheering you on!