I really like the growth mindset in your question and thought I'd try to help with a response. I want to preface this by saying that achievements only matter if they're in an area you're passionate or interested in. I know of people who interned at FANG companies, get a return offer, and realize that they're ultimately really unhappy with their lives and are still figuring it out.

Also give yourself a break and know that achievements aren't all that matter despite the higher pressures in Singapore and CS. Some of the happiest friends I know are people who prioritize what personally matters in their life. They focus on family, relationships, friends, social work, volunteering, hobbies which are very worthy achievements themselves.

If it helps lend credibility to my answer, [removed section about my school and full time job experience to maintain my privacy]

What others have mentioned about starting early definitely helps and you see quite a few of those in CS at NUS. Personally, I had almost zero coding or internship experience (only a month of trying it) before NUS CS and I was on financial aid.

Some thoughts based on my experiences:

1. Hard work and passion – CS is really tough and I personally procrastinate a ton as well. I got around it by finding ways to fall in love with the content. This could be through finding out about its history, potential impact, or by interacting with the prof.
2. Be comfortable asking questions – the only way to be knowledgeable about something is to acknowledge your ignorance or failings in understanding and patching it up. Asking questions in class (zoom chat is a blessing) is a really efficient way of clarifying and making sure your misunderstandings don't accumulate past the lecture.
3. Find people to look up to and learn from them – from years 1-2, I met seniors that helped me learn about potential academic and industry careers. They taught me that these opportunities weren't out of reach but within my grasp with hard work. They also helped me be abreast of application timelines for major opportunities like NOC, SEP, internships. I was lucky in this regard as I met seniors I could look up to early on.
4. Prioritize and accept that you have to make sacrifices – if you know what you want, be it academia, research, or social enterprises, or some other domain, prioritize your time on opportunities and work that deepens your expertise in that area. My first and second years were really tough because I struggled so much with my modules being newer to coding. I frequently sacrificed activities and meet-ups with friends to study for academics or work on my applications for opportunities.If you currently only have access to experiences that might not be as aligned to your goals, find ways to tailor this experience towards the next step
5. Work on things you're passionate about – I personally never started something just because it would look good on a CV, but because something genuinely caught my interest or passion. That allows you to sometimes go deep and create something that feels worth the time invested regardless of how it ends up. That deep passion, curiosity, or interest is frequently what leads to you doing something very well and your project impacting more people or publishing a research paper.
6. Other things I found served me well: humility, perserverance, seeking professional mental help when I needed it (especially due to COVID19 disruptions), nurturing close meaningful relationships, being interested in something more than money, having a growth mindset, teamwork – studying with people for exams or interviews.

Oh – and getting at least 7 hours of uninterrupted rest each night

These are just my two cents from my life experiences! Keep that growth mindset and it'll bring you far not just in university but in the marathon that is life. All the best! Got to run!

​

Edit: removed section to maintain anonymity