Re:Ask HN: I'm an incoming freshman to college for a CS majo...
by jackklika on Monday June 01, 2020 @01:49AM
(#23375755)
- Find your school's computer club / computer society / IEEE-CS / etc and join it. If it doesn't exist, create it. Try to apply for a leadership position on your second year. Use this opportunity to engage with local businesses or run events.
- Try to spend time with people a couple years older than you. The people you meet in college and make relationships will probably show up later in your life in unexpected ways.
- Study hard and go to office hours. Listen to professors and try to catch them outside of class. Find out what they're most interested in.
- Learn about many parts of CS, not just coding java applications. Learning linux and stuff covered in the "MIT Missing Semester" will help you so much.
- Have some fun, go to parties, get in trouble once or twice. Try to make memories and stories you can tell your kids.
- Join some club completely unrelated to engineering -- philosophy club, conservation club, dance, etc. You'll be seen as a boring person if all you learn about is CS. Go to some film screenings, attend protests, do toastmasters, and read some interesting books.
- Try to spend time with people a couple years older than you. The people you meet in college and make relationships will probably show up later in your life in unexpected ways.
- Study hard and go to office hours. Listen to professors and try to catch them outside of class. Find out what they're most interested in.
- Learn about many parts of CS, not just coding java applications. Learning linux and stuff covered in the "MIT Missing Semester" will help you so much.
- Have some fun, go to parties, get in trouble once or twice. Try to make memories and stories you can tell your kids.
- Join some club completely unrelated to engineering -- philosophy club, conservation club, dance, etc. You'll be seen as a boring person if all you learn about is CS. Go to some film screenings, attend protests, do toastmasters, and read some interesting books.