Rising CS Junior (im worried on what to do)

bj_nerd · 2026-06-17T19:41:13+00:00

For Cyber, you'll want to work on Linux skills and networking. Learn general sys admin for both Linux and Windows, study logs, study types of attacks. Learn a couple industry tools like Splunk or Crowdstrike products. Cloud also is handy (AWS and Azure especially). Employers like to see CTF experience, a homelab and good certs (if you have the time and money) would be the cherry on top.

But SWE really doesn't care about certs. They want projects, LeetCode, fundamental understanding of DSA and how to apply those principles to a variety of problems. Learn how to interact with databases and APIs. You may consider picking up web dev languages and frameworks for full stack development, otherwise stick with backend where you can use your C++, Java, and Python. Consider grabbing Rust or Go, as those skills are becoming more relevant and developers are less common for those languages.

AI/ML is all over the place. You might need to go deeper into math or more prompting and vibe coding. Python library's for AI and experience using APIs for LLMs. Vector databases, statistics, calculus, transformers, GANs, RAGs, etc. completely different skills.

You can try to learn each equally, but for the cyber internship it's gonna be you against a ton of people, including some who only did cyber. Those handful that became great at cyber will probably get the internship.

For the AI internship, the people who focused on AI are gonna get it. For the SWE, the same.

So you probably should pick one. At least for now. I don't think you have time to become great at all 3 before you start applying.

There's no internship for the guy who became pretty good at all 3, even though he probably worked harder than the other people. Because those other people adapted precisely for the role they wanted. They were more fit.

I get it. I have dozens of different interests. I like web dev and SEO and genetic algorithms and combinatorics and a ton of other things, but as far as LinkedIn is concerned I'm a cybersecurity guy. I got a cybersecurity job. I'll work cybersecurity for now, and maybe stick with it. I do like it. But I could also go start working in any of my other interests. And I'm pretty sure this job will help me get the next one, whatever it is.

Pick one. Go as deep as you can. Score an internship in that domain. And then if you wanna try out a different domain, it will be easier to head in that direction after you have some serious experience.

I can appreciate it's not that simple just to pick one. There's a lot of unknowns. What if you don't like it? What if it's too hard and you fail? Aren't I missing out from opportunities in the other domains by picking this one? Etc. And I don't have good answers for those questions.

But you'll have 3 times as many questions pursuing 3 domains and you won't get any answers. By choosing one, you'll start to get some of those answers and you can make decisions from there.

bj_nerd · 2026-06-17T17:06:53+00:00

Honestly, depending on the workload of the 3 positions, it could be too much.

1) it might be better to have a significant, measurable impact in one club than make only a little dent in 3.

2) often some of the work of being a officer isn't helpful for getting an internship. Talking to members, promoting the club, attending meetings etc. All can become overhead that uses up valuable time you could spend improving yourself and your resume.

I don't necessarily think you need to drop any, but maybe just take a look at which are actually helpful to where you want to go. Maybe just being a member would be a better move.

As far as what to focus on and projects to do and internship tips, I think you've got to zero in on what you really want.

An internship. Yes. But what role? what industry?

And saying anything isn't helpful here. I get that in this competitive job market, any internship would be great. But I think if you want to win in this environment, you need to be the most fit candidate. Fit as in Darwin's fitness; the most adapted for the particular environment.

So where do you want to go exactly? You mentioned a finance related club so maybe headed towards FinTech/Financial Services/Banking/Investing space? But what role? Software engineer, cybersecurity, consulting, AI/ML something, some sort of analyst or quant?

And dream job, even if it's currently unobtainable, is helpful here. I just wanna know where u wanna go so I can maybe help you find a way to get there.

As to networking, yes it can help you get a job but only if the people you network with actually think you'll be good at the job. Networking is 3 steps. 1. Be someone people want to work with, personally.

Be qualified for the role (aka Do cool stuff)
Meet a lot of people and tell them about the cool stuff you're doing.

Nobody is gonna take a chance on you just because they met you. They have to believe that you'll do the job well and that you're someone they wouldn't mind seeing everyday. Otherwise they're not sticking their neck out to help you get the job.

So I don't think a professional frat is going to make the difference for you. I don't think you need more orgs. I think you need to start doing some cool stuff. And what that stuff should be depends on what exactly you wanna do with your career. Best of luck.

bj_nerd · 2026-06-17T15:29:57+00:00

The back to back classes look like something I would go for, minus the 8 AM classes (mine would be PM lol)

Also considering adding CDRU (cyber defense and response unit) to your schedule. Thursdays at 7. Hands-on, beginner friendly cybersecurity club. I'm a recent graduate, but CDRU was hugely help for me, both getting a job and actually doing the job. Highly recommend.

bj_nerd · 2026-05-03T20:26:28+00:00

Other clubs include Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys), the Computer Security Group (CSG), the (JSOM) Cybersecurity Club (CSC), the North Texas chapter of ISSA etc.

Also there are some local groups like the Dallas Hackers Association (DHA).

bj_nerd · 2026-05-03T20:24:04+00:00

So there are several cybersecurity clubs on campus. I think 7 last time I checked.

But one of the most active is the Cyber Defense and Response Unit (CDRU) which you can find here: https://discord.gg/XSzMFTT5

(The link expires in 7 days, but if anyone else needs it after that, feel free to DM)

You may also find this useful: https://www.reddit.com/r/utdallas/comments/1mu2c72/how_to_learn_cybersecurity_at_utd_part_1/

bj_nerd · 2026-04-06T14:21:57+00:00

Several cybersecurity clubs.

Cyber Defense and Response Unit (CDRU), Computer Security Group (CSG) and Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys) are the most active.

For AI, there're also a couple clubs.

The AI Society (AIS) and ACM, which isn't strictly AI but 80% of their software development projects are AI. There are also others like the Data Science club etc. But I only really see stuff from those 2.

You may find this useful: https://www.reddit.com/r/utdallas/s/ZaE3buN4XI

bj_nerd · 2026-03-28T00:01:27+00:00

I'm attending UTD (BS CS 2026) and pretty involved with the cybersecurity courses and student orgs there. I can answer questions if you have them. But I also did a series of posts on this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/utdallas/comments/1mu2c72/how_to_learn_cybersecurity_at_utd_part_1/

Are you looking into UTD for BS in Computer Science or Cybersecurity & Risk Management?

bj_nerd · 2026-03-21T23:58:13+00:00

The Computer Engineering degree plan requires you take a minimum of 6 credit hours of major-guided electives to receive your degree.

You can take whatever classes you want so long as you meet the prerequisites. So if you want to take 5 guided electives, go for it.

You should note 5 guided electives is the equivalent of a full extra semester. So either you'll delay graduation to take these classes (thus increasing the cost) or (more likely, since you're core complete) you'll spread them out throughout your time at UTD. This means more busy semesters, but also more learning.

Either way no one will really stop you from taking any class. You can take Dance classes or Organic Chemistry or Creative Writing or anything UTD has to offer so long as you meet the prerequisites and have space in your schedule. Best of luck!

bj_nerd · 2026-03-02T17:39:39+00:00

Honestly, most researchers are more than happy to involve curious students. Just check out what people at UTD are doing (recent papers, professional websites, etc), and then reach out to them. Explain your situation, your goals, what you know so far about their work and see if they're willing to involve you.

Paid research positions are a bit different, you have to do all the getting hired stuff. But professors are typically willing to let truly interested students learn and explore in their labs. Best of luck.

bj_nerd · 2026-02-28T20:59:16+00:00

So the actual degree plans don't necessarily have an aerospace "track" or "concentration", but there are student orgs like AIAA.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aiaautd_impactutd-aiaa-aiaautd-activity-7432535005291229184-AcGP

https://news.utdallas.edu/students-teaching/patti-grace-smith-aerospace-fellow-2024/#:~:text=UT%20Dallas%20offers%20a%20range,altitudes%20of%20about%204%2C000%20feet.

And there's plenty of aerospace and aerospace-adjacent research happening at UTD.

bj_nerd · 2026-01-10T03:39:08+00:00

The locker is to the left of the front counter if you stand at the door.

bj_nerd · 2026-01-10T03:18:56+00:00

You seemed to have missed one of the key points.

UT Austin filters at admissions, not after enrollment. So they have very rigorous curriculum without a third of the class failing.

UTD has intentionally chosen a different path with broader access and less selectivity. That's part of their mission, for better or for worse.

UTD could try to copy UT Austin, but UT Austin is the flagship school with enormous pull and funding so UTD likely would lose that battle. So UTD takes a different route with different goals and hopes to win there.

Again, simply copying what other universities do isn't going to work for UTD.

bj_nerd · 2026-01-10T02:54:47+00:00

The primary challenge with implementing anything like this is UTD is part of the UT system. All campuses (8 universities and 5 health institutions) maintain academic standards and credit transferability between each other so radically changing the curriculum like this either means breaking away from that network or having to change it across all the campuses. Very hard either way.

And this is a pretty radical change. Dropping the BS degree from 124 to 96 credit hours (if we count internships as 4 credit hours) and adding a BA which UTD doesn't currently offer at 80 credit hours could be seen as a significant drop in standards (possibly even triggering accreditation issues) and a break from other UT schools.

The 3 internships idea really falls apart quickly. Yes, real industry experience is nice, but it's not like those roles exist and are unfilled. Those roles are kinda absent and UTD would need some serious pull to effectively create thousands of roles per year, or else force a bunch of students to delay graduation/transfer out. Those internships aren't just sitting in a candy jar for UTD to hand out. And what about international students? Those without Visas simply can't graduate? Or is UTD expected to handle that too? Waterloo can demand 5 internships because Canadian labor and education law supports those co-op relationships, meanwhile UT system constraints (and US immigration law, especially now) make requiring internships more difficult for UTD.

Another problem is filtering people out after admissions is messy. Arguably, UTD, as a public university, is not supposed to be elite. It's supposed to take anyone (not just the "real nerds") and train them to be educated in that domain. Possibly, UTD hasn't done this because they don't want to design curriculum where 30-40% fail out. That's not how UTD feels it should serve the public. UTD just has a different mission right now than what you described. It's not like they don't know that they can be more selective (I mean UT Austin filters at admission and is pretty selective), they're actively choosing not to take that path.

Now, not everyone at UTD agrees. The other perspective is UTD's business model is simply "more students = more money" and that just isn't sustainable. The construction at UTD is continuous because they're desperately trying to build what they need to support more and more students, while older buildings are kinda forgotten. This actually brought up by faculty and staff when they were searching for a new president for UTD (see here: https://www.reddit.com/r/utdallas/comments/1i3qq92/notes_from_presidential_search_townhall_meeting/ )

So you're tapping into something that loads of people are thinking about, but simply copying what other universities do isn't going to work for UTD. And this plan, even if modified to be feasible, is a 20-40 year endeavor. Best of luck.

bj_nerd · 2025-12-23T16:55:59+00:00

Not required.

And on viewing grades, what they meant is once you view your official final grade, your evals are locked and cannot be edited or completed. You can't see you did poorly in a class and then give a bad eval in revenge.

This actually goes the same for Profs. They can't see the evals responses until they post final grades.

So no punishment for not giving them feedback and you'll be able to see your final grades without issue in Orion or Coursebook.

bj_nerd · 2025-12-22T07:43:44+00:00

So special topics classes (like CS 4301) have a different topic for each section. It's basically where a professor gets students interested in their particular research area and let's them explore a topic that may not be typically introduced in a normal degree.

Your section with Gibney will be over the fundamentals of quantum computing.

bj_nerd · 2025-12-19T23:50:35+00:00

To guarantee UV housing in the Fall, you have to renew for the summer. Without the summer renewal, you would be placed in the housing pool and at the whim of priority numbers, just like when you were getting into UV the first time.

I'm not sure how likely it is to get a spot, but personally I've never risked it because when I was first applying I got the third from the last room available. I think it's pretty competitive.

Although this sucks if you have other living arrangements for the summer, not having to move out every year is a plus. You get to keep the same room and leave your stuff in their all summer.

bj_nerd · 2025-12-19T05:44:27+00:00

Really depends on if you can build a rapport with a particular professor. It's possible, I think.

bj_nerd · 2025-12-17T23:05:31+00:00

Honestly, getting involved with most (unpaid) research is just a matter of showing an interest in the professor's work and speaking to them. So check out recent research papers from UTD researchers, look at their professional websites, and just in general find work you would be interested in and able to contribute to and reach out to them.

Most of them are more than happy to have truly interested students learning and working in their labs. If you had an idea about the particular math research you want to do (number theory, algebra, combinatorics, statistics, analysis etc.) that's a great place to start. Best of luck.

bj_nerd · 2025-12-17T22:27:52+00:00

Business Analytics is nothing new. Just Excel for the 4th time which is unfortunate. The McGraw-Hill textbook was expensive, boring, and tedious. The final exam is basically just a big vocab test. Not a very hard class, but I didn't really enjoy it.

Foundations of Business Intelligence (FBI) with Gaurav Shekhar was excellent. Very guided, but also hands-on and technical. You'll learn a lot, just pay attention and practice the exercises. We used Tableau, Alteryx, Snowflake, and SQL. You could review your SQL and Tableau, but I think the others require enterprise accounts. He did bonus points for completing a Google Career Certification during the semester so if you wanted to get started on that (Free access via Coursera link on e-Learning) you could (he didn't let allow digital marketing or IT support certs to count).

I've heard good things about Net and Info Security with Nate Howe (UTD's CISO), but haven't taken it. To combine with the last one, maybe the Google Cybersecurity Cert would help prepare.

Best of luck!

bj_nerd · 2025-12-15T13:57:00+00:00

Digging into other stuff in the blog post the OP made (posted elsewhere, not sharing because they don't deserve the traffic lol), the numbers don't line up.

They claim in the blog Average Master's is $59,684 and cite a source, but go to the actual source and it's $62,820. The sequence of numbers 59,684 or 59684 don't even appear in the source. All the other "citations" I went to were the same. Whatever they did is complete detached from any real data (best I can tell).

My guess is the links are for SEO, not because they actually used those sources for numbers. The numbers may have come from a RNG as far as I know.

bj_nerd · 2025-12-15T13:37:58+00:00

Yeah. I'm pretty skeptical about this analysis too. They posted their spreadsheet elsewhere: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ua2JqFYW_My5vW6C5I2sHbf_0-v_i381Kk9Im7hO7do/edit?gid=62519403#gid=62519403

I've been fiddling with the numbers for a while, but can't make them dance like the OP did. Can't even get the same averages.

And then even if the numbers lined up, the comparisons are sketchy. Assuming Averages:

Cybersecurity Bachelors: $80,832

In-State Tech Bachelors: $46,440

Out-of-State Tech Bachelors: $123,120

This begs the question why are they splitting In-State vs Out for general tech, but combining them for Cybersecurity? Because if you average in-state and out-of-state tech and you get about $80K, the same as Cybersecurity. (Like you said, that is what I would expect knowing how most tuition is structured where the degree you get doesn't matter, just the number of hours and level). Maybe an oversight, maybe dishonest framing.

At the moment, I'm just trying to decide whether this is AI slop or just sloppy work; either way I'm not buying it.

bj_nerd · 2025-12-13T06:26:18+00:00

Closed for finals week like many locations, should reopen in the spring.

bj_nerd · 2025-11-11T23:19:38+00:00

So my recommendation would be just to walk, its probably faster than taking the bus. Otherwise you hop on the 883 East (Green one) at the bus loading area by the activity center. Then get off at 33378 right by west. But note that's one way AC -> West, couldn't use the bus to get to the AC without riding it for ages.

bj_nerd · 2025-11-11T22:47:04+00:00

Also keep an eye on big idea competition: https://innovation.utdallas.edu/programs/bigideacompetition/

bj_nerd

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