Sophomore Year, CS degree, what can and should be doing right now? I'm a little lost.
Posted by No-Medium7231@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 8 comments
I'm a little lost, i don't have too much coding experience and I'm trying to teach myself on the side but I don't have a lot of free time due to school, work and because I have this fear that I won't be good but what should I be doing so I can be ready to land a job in the future, I only have 2 years left. I don't have any external guidance so if you guys can give any tips, resources, critical thinking books, information, internship knowledge or anything really that'd be awesome so l can create some sort of guide and hopefully like you guys helped me, I can help someone in the future. Thanks
Mishkitten@reddit
consider contributing to open source projects. It's a fantastic way to gain practical experience, and you'll learn from the code reviews and feedback from more experienced developers. Websites like GitHub have numerous projects looking for contributors, and even small contributions can make a big difference over time.
Networking is also crucial. Attend tech meetups or join online communities related to your interests. Building relationships can lead to mentorship opportunities and even job leads in the future. GradSignal is also a useful website to check out in your case it would be useful for getting notifications about internships and job opportunities tailored to your profile. Worth checking out if you're trying to keep an eye on what's available while juggling other commitments.
bootyhole_licker69@reddit
pick one language and stick with it, build small dumb projects, push to github, apply for every internship next summer. office hours > youtube. keep going, hiring right now is absurdly bad
Lazy_Fortune1305@reddit
Do you think hiring will get better or worse in the future
EfficientMongoose317@reddit
You’re actually at the perfect time to fix this. Sophomore year is when things start to compound if you use it right. Don’t try to do everything, focus on a few high impact things
Build 2–3 solid projects, not tutorials, actual projects you understand end to end
learn core fundamentals alongside data structures, problem solving, basic system design thinking
Try to get any internship or real experience, even small or unpaid ones, to help a lot early on
biggest thing though
consistency > intensity
Even 1–2 focused hours daily beats random bursts of motivation
You’re not behind, you just need direction and a bit of structure
No-Medium7231@reddit (OP)
Thanks
Drairo_Kazigumu@reddit
AI
Ok_Assistant_2155@reddit
If I could redo sophomore year, I’d focus on just a few things: build 2–3 small projects, practice basic DSA slowly, and apply for internships even if you feel unready. You don’t need to be perfect, you just need something to show. Most people wait too long thinking they need more preparation. Starting early, even with weak applications, helps a lot.
No-Medium7231@reddit (OP)
Thanks