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What advice would you give to university (college) students?

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bence42 profile image
Bence Szabo

Listen to podcasts in the domain you are interested in. They keep you up to date on what's going on in the real world and it won't be a shock later.

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jhuebel profile image
Jason Huebel • Edited

That's great advice. University doesn't prepare you for the real world. It's concepts and theory. That's not a bad thing, mind you. But it's less practical than, say, a vocational school or other targeted training that's focused on job skills.

Personally, I feel like the value of university for your average developer is low. You end up with tens of thousands of dollars in debt for skills that you could have easily learned on your own. I will qualify that by saying that the data sciences are different. I see the value of university there. But then again, people who focus on data sciences often end up in academia. So they won't be exposed to the real world anyway.

That said, I still feel like most developers aren't doing themselves any favors by drowning themselves in school debt early in life for skills that they could learn elsewhere.

(EDIT: "real world" meaning the normal for-profit job market. That's not meant to be disparaging.)

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ahferroin7 profile image
Austin S. Hemmelgarn

I think the value really depends on what you're doing. Depending on what math courses you take, a university setting can be extremely helpful for learning them (graph theory and set theory come to mind, both are remarkably useful knowledge for software development in general, but many people have trouble learning either without the guided setting of an actual university course).

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meganmonique profile image
Megan Monique • Edited

To university students, I would give the following advice:

Stay organized: Keep track of your assignments, deadlines, and study schedule. Use calendars, to-do lists, and planners to stay on top of your work.
Prioritize your time: Balance your academic responsibilities with your personal life. Make time for extracurricular activities, hobbies, and self-care.
Seek help when needed: Don't hesitate to ask for help from professors, services (check review on linkedin.com/pulse/expert-mysupergeek-review-2024-mysupergeek-74rcf/?trackingId=xUFldgM1IcEOSS7ByRDZwg%3D%3D) teaching assistants, or classmates when you're struggling with a concept or assignment.
Take breaks and practice self-care: University life can be overwhelming, so make sure to take breaks and prioritize your mental and physical well-being.
Explore your interests: Try new things, join clubs or organizations that align with your interests, and take advantage of opportunities to gain new skills and experiences.
Build a strong network: Connect with your peers, professors, and alumni to build relationships that can help you in your future career.
Stay curious and keep learning: University is a time to explore new ideas and subjects. Stay curious and be open to learning new things.
Develop good time management habits: Learn to prioritize tasks, set realistic goals, and avoid procrastination.
Get involved in your community: Volunteer, participate in campus events, and engage in discussions that matter to you.
Enjoy the journey: University is a unique experience, so take time to enjoy the ride, make memories, and have fun!
Remember, university is a time of growth, exploration, and discovery. Stay focused, motivated, and open-minded, and you'll set yourself up for success!

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meganmonique profile image
Megan Monique • Edited

Stay organized: Keep track of your assignments, deadlines, and study schedule. Use calendars, to-do lists, and planners to stay on top of your work.
Prioritize your time: Balance your academic responsibilities with your personal life. Make time for extracurricular activities, hobbies, and self-care.
Seek help when needed: Don't hesitate to ask for help from professors, services (check mysupergeek review) teaching assistants, or classmates when you're struggling with a concept or assignment.
Take breaks and practice self-care: University life can be overwhelming, so make sure to take breaks and prioritize your mental and physical well-being.
Explore your interests: Try new things, join clubs or organizations that align with your interests, and take advantage of opportunities to gain new skills and experiences.
Build a strong network: Connect with your peers, professors, and alumni to build relationships that can help you in your future career.
Stay curious and keep learning: University is a time to explore new ideas and subjects. Stay curious and be open to learning new things.
Develop good time management habits: Learn to prioritize tasks, set realistic goals, and avoid procrastination.
Get involved in your community: Volunteer, participate in campus events, and engage in discussions that matter to you.
Enjoy the journey: University is a unique experience, so take time to enjoy the ride, make memories, and have fun!
Remember, university is a time of growth, exploration, and discovery. Stay focused, motivated, and open-minded, and you'll set yourself up for success!

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ahferroin7 profile image
Austin S. Hemmelgarn

Look at what concepts your intended industry cares about that are not regularly covered by typical degree programs in your field, and do what you can to learn those well. A particularly good example of this in the field of programming is version control. Most college courses don't cover it very well, if at all, and having at least the basics is critical for starting out smoothly in a new job as a programmer (at least, it is at any place that's actually good to work at as a programmer).

Beyond that though, look to diversify your skills as much as possible. Learning a foreign language is a great option for this because it's something you can put on a resumรฉ that actually has practical applications even if the job doesn't require it. The same goes for basic coding skills (real coding, not VBA macros in Excel) if you're in a degree field other than CS, CEG, or EE, or extra programming languages that aren't normally taught in most universities' computer science programs (Rust, Go, and Python are probably the three most generically useful right now).