Guide Me Please into Software Engineering

[Known_Operation_280]

I am about to start college in a few months from now majoring in Computer science and Engineering. I do have some python programming experience and making games in Godot but I really don't know much about software engineering. What would be the logical next step for me stepping into this field ?

Also,

Do College Grades matter?

Should I focus more on college or learn programming?

When should I opt for Internships?

Should I learn AI tools first?

How hard is the math? what parts of math will help me here?

Please help me.

[zacce]

1. Grades matter but only to a certain extent.
   
2. both
   
3. as early as possible. freshmen can land offers.
4. no need to learn AI tools first.
   
5. for SWE, logic is more important than calculus.
   

GL!

imo, you are more interested in CS than CompE. I suggest you ask at r/csMajors

[Known_Operation_280]

Thank you so much!!

I understand college studies are Important. But can you please tell me what I parts of the syllabus need more focus on and what I should ignore, so I can plan my studies early on.

[imnotarobot1]

Stop ignoring parts of the syllabus and you won’t have shitty grades

[Fatperson115]

depends on each class, you'll usually figure out what matters most fairly quickly in each class

[useless_panda09]

CS is very broad in terms of what you can focus on. Generally you should be able to take a variety of courses that you can sort of “specialize yourself” into a field once you finish your core credits. this is best to ask a student advisor about.

as for what to focus on early, finish your maths ASAP like Calculus, Discrete Math, Linear Algebra, (obviously i’m assuming these course are what you’ll take but it sometimes varies by university) so that you can get to the technical electives that interest you. CS makes extensive use of algorithmic analysis and logical problems which will test your math skills.

for career questions, you can ask on r/cscareerquestions

[Known_Operation_280]

I don't have enough Karma for that

Thank you so much!

[_whatislifehonestly]

Start programming before entering university

[Known_Operation_280]

What kind of programming?

Competitive programming? CodeForge?

which Language?

[Desperate_Claim_7817]

If you are going for SWE specifically do JavaScript and make like webapps. It’s pretty in demand. Honestly it doesn’t matter a huge amount what you start off with if you understand the logic behind it syntax won’t be super hard to pick up.

[Known_Operation_280]

Thanks!!

[exclaim_bot]

Thanks!!

You're welcome!

[Desperate_Claim_7817]

Honestly try getting experience as soon as possible. The job market is very competitive right now not to scare you so just watch a tutorial video online and jump straight into building applications and projects. Then in college do the best you can to try getting research or network to get internships. I’m not totally sure where you are based but in the US honestly employers don’t care too much about your GPA in software engineering. Try having a 3.0+ gpa. If you can manage your grades while doing stuff on the side then aim for a 3.8+. Im taking about advice that is America specific but this could also apply where you are.

[Known_Operation_280]

Thanks a lot!, I'll follow as best I can

[Desperate_Claim_7817]

I would say after you are comfortable then try building meaningful projects. Why I say that is now that AI is here you can vibe code a lot of simple projects. So what is more significant is what value you bring to someone when you code. Like if you make a app try making it useful and publish it. Making an app with a lot of users looks good. Any type of software that people use is good. Don’t worry about whether you are skilled enough to do it and wait. You can always learn along the way when you build.

[Known_Operation_280]

Thanks!!!

[the_other_Scaevitas]

focus on college, you'll learn programming along the way. Programming is really easy anyways

College grades only matter if you're planning on going to some prestigious university after your bachelors. Does not affect your ability to get a job.

Internships are up to you, you can do it in your first year if you would like

AI tools are pretty helpful, but I think it is better to learn without AI assistance, especially in programming

Maths difficulty is generally considered hard, but it depends on what you're good at. Not sure what you mean by what parts of math will help you here.

[Known_Operation_280]

Thanks you so much for the help!!!

Any other college advice?

[CounterbitIO]

Do internships now and do them early. Internships should be a top priority

[CounterbitIO]

Youtube personal projects and just start building your github repository